Baby Safety

Posted by TinyTotties on August 07 2009

As soon as you bring your new baby home, baby safety becomes a top priority. Babies are innocent and naturally curious. They are completely unaware of the dangers lurking around them. It is our job as parents to protect our babies from harmful substances and situations and to make sure they are safe.

Below you will find a list of 20 baby safety tips. While this list covers the most common hazards that are usually found in homes, it can’t replace doing your own research and consulting with your pediatrician about specific hazards that are not mentioned here.

Photo credit: redjar

Baby Safety in the Nursery

  • To reduce the risk of SIDS, place your baby to sleep on her back, in a crib that meets current safety standards and has a firm, tight-fitting mattress and a fitted sheet. Don't use soft bedding such as pillows and thick quilts or comforters for infants under 12 months old. If you use them as decoration during the day, remove them when you put your baby to sleep.

  • To prevent strangulation, make sure your baby can't reach the crib mobile. Keep lowering the crib mattress gradually as your baby grows. Once your baby can sit up, remove the mobile completely.

  • When changing your baby's diaper, never leave her unattended – not even for a second. Even if she's not mobile yet, she can fall if she wiggles or if she suddenly rolls over.

Baby Safety in the Kitchen

  • Never store cleaning supplies and other toxic materials under the sink. Place them on a high shelf, out of your baby's reach.

  • Move potentially dangerous items, such as sharp knives, to high shelves your baby can’t reach or to locked drawers. Install safety latches on drawers and cabinets that may contain problematic items such as breakables and heavy pots and pans.

  • Don't use small magnets on your fridge. They pose a choking hazard.

  • When you cook, make sure all pot handles are turned inward, so that your baby can't pull on them and spill their content on himself. It’s best to only use the back burners if possible.

Baby Safety in the Bathroom

  • Move all medications away from your baby's each. Do not rely on cabinet latches. Medications are far too dangerous and must be completely out of your baby's reach.

  • Lock toilet lids using a special toilet latch.

  • Never leave your baby alone in the bathtub, even for a few seconds. Babies can drown in just an inch or two of water.

Baby Safety Around the House

  • Cover all electrical outlets.

  • Make sure all stair and balcony railings are up to code. If they're not, baby-proof them.

  • If you live in a two-story house, install baby gates at the top and bottom of the stairs.

  • Remove tall lamps, large freestanding mirrors and glass coffee tables from your house and into storage until your child is at least three years old.

  • Turn your hot water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • Keep emergency phone numbers, including poison control center, near a telephone.

  • Avoid using tablecloths for the first couple of years. Babies love to pull on them.

  • Blind cords are a serious strangulation hazard. They must be shortened or placed out of baby’s reach.

  • Don't place a hot coffee mug on the edge of a coffee table, where baby can reach it.

  • It's a good idea to perform a monthly check of your home and make sure the safety devices you have installed are still working properly.

Please remember that regardless of how carefully you baby proof your home, you will most likely not achieve a completely hazard-free space. You should never leave your baby unattended. Of course, you can place her in her crib for a few minutes while you go to the bathroom or do something dangerous such as ironing. But leaving a baby free to roam around the house, unsupervised, means taking a big risk - one that I'm sure you are not willing to take.