Baby Hazards in your home that might go unnoticed!

Most parents want to be careful and protect their baby from hazards at home; but a fresh set of hazards crop up as the baby grows. Make safety of your baby a top priority and protect your baby from hazards right from birth.

Hazards to a newborn:

Protect your newborn from SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome by putting him/her to sleep on his/her back on a firm mattress; avoid things soft and cushy like  a plush toy, comforter, sheepskin or pillow. It is safe to make the newborn sleep in a warm one-piece outfit or sleeper, avoiding the use of blankets and crib bumpers that could cover the newborn’s head and make breathing difficult.

Ensure that the mattress fits tightly to prevent the baby from being trapped between it and the side of the crib; also check for any missing or broken parts or gaps that are wider than a soda can.

Bathing your infant in a baby bathtub, sink or regular tub involves not leaving him/her unattended even for a second; it is dangerous even if the baby is sitting on a bath seat as many babies have drowned after slipping out of their bath seats.

The smallest of babies could roll off a changing table unattended; though it may help to some extent buying a table with safety straps or add straps to your present table, but it is not fool-proof. You could avoid the risk of falling by changing the baby on the floor using a receiving blanket or an unfolded cloth diaper as a changing pad.

Keep heavy and breakable objects like picture frames and ceramic figurines and tall and unstable pieces of furniture away from the changing table and crib to prevent accidental falls on your child; secure them to the wall especially if you stay in an earthquake prone area or have other small kids that are climbers.

Prevent your child from getting tangled, suffocated or falling off the window by keeping their cribs and changing tables away from window,   window cords and hanging mobiles.

Prevent disastrous falls and trips when carrying the baby by using nightlights, putting carpet grips under your rugs, keep clutter off the floor, and fixing or installing stair railings.

Place functional smoke detectors in each bedroom, in the adjacent hallway, and on each level of your home to detect fire and replace old ones. Ensure you have a fire extinguisher on each floor of your house and a carbon monoxide detector next to the sleeping areas.

Here are some more hazards for toddlers:

Playpens could be dangerous when piled up high with toys; babies could hurt themselves by falling on the toys, with toddlers making an attempt to escape by climbing on the toys.

Be extra vigilant or avoid toys with strings as toddlers often get entangled or tied on the throat. Also avoid small foam toys that could easily choke.  

Permanently shut washing machine and tumble dryers with locks as they could be potential hiding for children if left open. Also avoid leaving washing piled high near doors as toddlers could trip on them and get injure.

Know that a baby could drown in 1 inch of water if left alone in a bath; ensure you use bath mats and not rubber stickers that children can easily slip between. Also be vigilant about toilet seats and keep them locked as inquisitive children may fall in.

Ensure doors are securely open or shut to avoid toddler’s fingers from being trapped in door hinges and broken at times.

Electrical wires can also pose the safety hazard; kids have perished being entangled inside wires placed within snatching distance in their cribs. Tie up all free electric wiring and place them with safety cylinders;  mothers and fathers should hold infant screens no less than 3 foot clear of cribs.  Also be aware that teething toddlers regularly chew on wires; place them in a protective tube or cover them.

Prevent accidents in the living room by securing the padding around hard edges, keeping the stereo out of reach, inserting socket inserts in electric points and fitting a video lock. It would also help to have safety film on glass panels, cover up fire places and install fire extinguishers/ fire blanket. Ensure you have a fixed fire-guard that would prevent the toddler from hitting his/her head on the tiles in case one trips.

Avoid the use of free-standing bookshelves that could topple easily; secure shelves to walls.

Avoid putting any toy box or chair from under a windowsill; this could easily be a launching pad for an adventurous child to the outside world.

Place frames out of reach along with heavy objects and ornamental knick-knacks; even a tiny slither of glass from a broken photo frame can harm a baby.

Lock away toothpaste and mouthwash; they could be dangerous if swallowed in large quantities. Also keep other toiletries especially cotton buds out of sight; they could be poked in the eyes or even swallowed.

Know that cat flaps are treacherous, as babies could easily get their heads stuck in them.

Last but most important do not overlook the dangers toddlers could face in the garden, garage and outhouses; do not allow children to explore them.  

Image Courtesy: Google