Baby Safety Tips For The Home
Bringing
home a new baby is an exciting and magical event for any family. Preparing your
home in advance for the big day helps parents to proactively provide built in
safety for the new addition to the family.
There are a
range of different baby safety products on the market today that can make Mom
and Dad’s life a lot easier. However, there are also some simple and very
traditional types of safety practices that will keep your infant out of harm’s
way.
Before your
baby is up and about crawling and playing look at each room of the home.
General safety issues that can be put in place include:
- Baby safe latches on all drawers and
cabinets in kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and storage areas to prevent
injury if baby pulls the drawers or cabinets open or gets into the stored
contents.
- Check all electrical cords and remove
any that dangle or hang down. Cover all electrical outlets with spring
loaded covers that automatically close when the cord is removed.
- Roll all cords for blinds or drapes up
to well above the height that a crawling baby, toddler or infant can
reach.
- Have a new crib and mattress for the
baby that is designed to prevent the baby from getting hands or limbs
lodged between the posts. The mattress should fit correctly in the crib
and extend to the frame on all sides.
- Limit items in and around the crib and
ensure any mobiles or hanging items on the crib are safe and secure and
approved for use for a baby.
- Always have the correctly sized,
approved car safety seat for your baby and do not travel with the baby in
a vehicle when the child is not secured in the baby car seat.
- Avoid using any types of room freshening
or air treatment products in the nursery or the home as an infant may be
extremely sensitive to these products.
Last, and
perhaps most importantly, never leave your baby unattended unless they are in a
safe, secure location such as their crib. This ensures that the baby can’t get
into anything that is potentially dangerous in the few seconds you step away.
