Ah – immobility!
How peaceful it was.
Now that your baby has started crawling, he or she is poised for all sorts of adventures – chief among these would be crawling (or dragging, or doing whatever it takes) over and crawling into all prohibited areas – like an open staircase. Can you even imagine your baby standing at the top of that very steep stairwell – all alone and wondering whether he or she should or shouldn’t keep going? Believe me; that type of scenario is quite possible and has in fact injured more than a million babies. That is why you have to seriously consider getting yourself a safety gate before your baby starts to crawl.
Safety gates are used to block off dangerous areas, including stairs, from a curious baby. Safety gates can be broadly divided into two categories:
Pressure mounted gates: This consists of two panels that smoothly slide past each other to reach the door-opening dimension, and then safely lock into place.
Hardware mounted gates: These fasten directly into the wall and are opened and closed using a latch.
Keep the location of the gate and the age of your baby in mind before making your purchase. Each child safety gate is designed to meet a limited number of needs. For instance, the top of a stairway can be quite risky, and you have to pay particular attention to what kind of gate you put here. Use ONLY hardware mounted gates at the top of a staircase.
The twin advantages of pressure-mounted gates are easy installation and portability. But, they are useful only in a limited set of conditions, like when you have a parallel wall opposite the gate. Many people go for pressure-mounted gates so they don’t have to punch holes into their walls. Since these gates are quite portable, it is easy to shift them and thus use them for a longer time. But, if the surface upon which the pressure is being applied is not hard enough, pressure-mounted gates can cause more harm than a few holes in the wall.
If you want to prevent access to a fireplace or to an extra wide opening, use gates that are designed for that purpose. For obvious reasons, you would use a metal gate when it comes to the fireplace. But if you are cordoning off other areas, you can choose from metal, wood, wire mesh or plastic. For most people, the kind of gate they choose is a matter of personal taste and looks. Wood is just as safe as metal, unless you have a pet who takes particular interest in chewing wood.
Baby gates are designed to handle a variety of widths. You also get extension pieces to increase the possibilities. To avoid any compatibility problems, purchase the appropriate extension kit for the gate you have selected.
Safety tips to consider while making your purchase:
No snagging or protruding parts that can catch on clothing, and therefore may lead to strangling.
No foothold to allow an older child to climb over.
Check to see if there are any finger or limb traps. Such accidents may not be life-threatening, but nasty bruises can be quite distressing.
Check for any large gaps that allow the baby to pass his head or torso through.
Proper installation of safety gates is a must. Read through manuals provided with the gate. Also, most products have their own web sites from where you can get lots of information and help.
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