Baby safety
 

When a baby first comes into this world, he appears heartbreakingly fragile and in need of complete protection. Your newborn is actually the most secure during the first few months. As she or he becomes mobile, your job becomes more complicated. The responsibility of keeping that crawling, walking or running child safe from all kinds of accidents rests solely upon you. Fifty years ago, there were few safety products for babies and small children available. Today we have become savvier about safety. Also, a host of products, literature and forums aim to educate us regarding total infant safety.

When your baby is young and sleeping, a baby monitor gives you sufficient warning if he is in any kind of danger. As he becomes mobile, the first step is to baby proof a few rooms of the house so it's completely safe for your baby. Cordon off the unsafe areas using safety gates.

Kitchen safety: Your kitchen is strewn with potential dangers, ranging from hot utensils and appliances to poisons and sharp instruments. A wise parent should invest in some cupboard locks, stove shields and refrigerator latches.
 
Electrical safety: Babies are curious about holes, and their tiny little fingers can easily fit into electrical outlets. To make matter worse, most outlets are just the right height for Junior to insert his wandering fingers. Outlet covers are a MUST in any home that has young children. Outlet covers that are screwed in are better because they snap shut when you pull out a plug. Consider this: you could probably baby proof all the outlets in your house within one hour.

Bathroom safety: Bathtubs and toilets can prove lethal for a young baby because babies can drown in a mere two inches of water. The slippery surface adds to the danger. Simple devices like easy-to-install latches can quite literally become lifesavers.

Household safety: Small babies are always observing their parents. As they grow, they are fascinated by the TV and music systems, tools and cookware. Keep your baby safe from these objects by locking away such items. Once your baby starts to crawl, it's time to get a safety gate: an inexpensive product that cordons off areas and thus keeps baby from tumbling down a staircase, for instance. Safety gates keep your child safe through his various (mis) adventures. A table edge bumper and a cord shortener (which takes care of the excess cords) are other items that come in handy.

Travel safety: Travel can become less worrisome with some simple precautions. From well-protected play tents that allow your child to play safely to a range of harnesses, safety products in this area are intuitive and very efficient.

Baby safety tips:
- A young baby should always sleep on his or her back. The bedding should be firm with no soft mattresses or additional sheets.
- Always check bath water temperature before bathing your baby.
- Never leave your child unattended, especially anywhere near water.
- Never carry the baby while you cook. Use the back burners of your stove and keep the handles of pots turned to the back.
- Keep small objects safely locked away.