September is Baby Safety Month

As a new or expecting parent, "baby-proofing" your home is an important part of keeping your child safe.  Preferred Care is committed to helping you and your family lead a healthier life. There are many easy things you can do to keep your baby safe throughout the house. These simple tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission are a great way to get started!

In the bedroom:

• Put your baby to sleep on her back or
  side in a crib with a firm, flat mattress and no soft bedding underneath them. Follow this advice to reduce the risk of suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). To prevent suffocation, never put babies to sleep on adult beds.
• Make sure your baby's crib is sturdy and has no loose or missing hardware, to avoid the chance of becoming trapped between broken crib parts.
• Never place your baby's crib or furniture near window blinds or curtain cords. This will prevent babies from strangling on the loop of the cord. To prevent falls, keep children away from windows.

In the bathroom:

• Keep medicine and cleaning products in containers with safety caps. Keep them locked away. This will prevent children from being poisoned.
• Always check bath water temperature with your wrist or elbow before putting your baby in the bath to prevent burns to a baby's delicate skin.
• Never, ever, leave your child alone in the bathtub or near any water. This will prevent children from drowning. In addition, keep children away from all standing water, including water in toilets, 5-gallon buckets, and pools.

In the kitchen:

• Don't leave your baby alone in a highchair; always use all safety straps. This will prevent injuries and deaths from the baby climbing out, falling, or sliding under the tray. Be sure to use safety straps in strollers and baby swings.
• Use your stove's back burners and keep pot handles turned to the back of the stove to keep children from being burned. Also, keep children away from tablecloths, so they can't pull hot foods or liquids down on themselves.
• Lock household cleaning products, knives, matches, and plastic bags away from children. This will prevent poisonings, bleeding injuries, burns, and suffocation.

In other living areas:

• Install smoke detectors on each floor of your home, especially near sleeping areas; change the batteries each year. This will prevent deaths and injuries from fires.
• Use safety gates to block stairways and safety plugs to cover electrical outlets. This will prevent injuries from falls and electric shocks.
• Keep all small objects, including tiny toys and balloons, away from young children. This will prevent choking and possible death.

For more information:

• Visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Web site
• Explore the Health and Safety for Children - from Birth to Two Years Old section of the Preferred Care online Health Encyclopedia

Posted: September 2005
Last updated: September 13, 2006