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How To Baby Proof Your Home

August 11, 2009 By Kerri Leave a Comment

When babies first come into the world, it’s difficult to imagine them as being anything but fragile and helpless. But even when your baby seems too small to do himself any harm, lo and behold, he has managed to bunch his blankets around his face or roll off a raised bed. Some of these experiences are amusing, but most are painful; and a few turn tragic.

Children are naturally curious. They are made that way so they can learn through touch, taste and feeling. The world around them seems pretty colorful and Junior is in a hurry to learn it all at once. But as a parent, you have to ensure the safety of your child by restraining him. It is not possible to supervise your child relentlessly. The only option is baby proofing.

Baby proofing means making certain areas of your house one hundred percent safe for your baby. Ideally, such an area should be a place where you can allow your little one to romp without any restraint. So, what does baby proofing require?

Let’s start with the nursery. Crib slats should be about 2 3/8 inches apart, so your baby’s head does not get trapped. Bedding should be soft, but not loose. The crib mattress must fit tightly in the crib so the child cannot fall into any gaps. Never place the crib near window cords. When the baby starts sitting up, remove any mobiles and toys tied to the crib. Exercise caution if your baby is sleeping with you. Never place your precious one on soft surfaces like quilts, sofas, waterbeds or large soft toys.

Small children are prone to choking hazards. Lock away all such items that are easy for your baby to put into his mouth. Electrical sockets hold a special fascination for little children. Replace existing outlet plates with safety plates that automatically cover the outlet when a socket is unplugged. Videos, CD players and all electronic items should be locked away safely. Remember, most household equipment is just the right height for your baby to crawl into or pull open. Your refrigerator, washing machine, dishwasher and oven must remain out of bounds to the little one.

Most kitchen cabinets and bathrooms hold poisonous chemicals, potent medicine and beauty products. Lock these items away or install a high shelf that baby cannot reach. Any areas that once held poisonous materials like insecticides must be cleaned thoroughly because children have a curious fixation with eating the wrong things from wrong places. Just a tablespoon of salt can prove deadly for an infant weighing 25 pounds or less.

Your bathroom should be baby proofed with utmost care. Babies can easily drown in very little water. Never leave your baby alone in the bathroom. Medicine cabinets must be locked. Do not use a baby monitor anywhere near water. Always test the water for warmth before giving your little one a bath. Install dual locks so that the child does not accidentally lock himself in. Staircases must always have safety gates, and these must be locked when your baby is up and about.

Be extra careful with what he puts into his mouth. Do not go near the stove with your baby in your arms. All utensils should have their handles turned to their back.

Always keep a first aid kit ready and well stocked. Have all emergency numbers at hand.
A little caution combined with some common sense is all you need to baby proof your home effectively.

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Baby Safety

August 11, 2009 By Kerri Leave a Comment

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.
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Infant Head Support

August 10, 2009 By Kerri Leave a Comment

Young babies find it difficult to support their own head and neck until they are approximately three months old. This is because a baby’s head is large when compared with his body, and his neck muscles are not strong enough to support his head. Even after the baby is able to hold up his head, the head lolls when he feels sleepy or tired. As most parents know, babies have an uncanny knack of falling asleep just when the car starts moving. Therefore, an infant head support is an essential article when you travel.

Many fatal accidents involving babies and cars are due to the lack of good head support systems and improper installation of existing safety gear. Many infant carriers, car seats and strollers come with built-in head supports. You may need additional head support depending upon the size of your baby. Car seats need optimum head support to prevent sudden and uncontrollable movements of the head. The more fitting this support, the less movement there will be. Snug head supports support the infant’s head in a gentle manner. They shield the baby’s head from jerks and bumps caused by accidents and keep the head stationary when the baby is sleeping.

If your baby’s head falls to the side or the front with a sudden jerk, he may sprain his neck. Head supports are usually padded to enable your baby to hold his head in an upright position without having to strain his neck. Nowadays baby head supports curve around the baby’s head to keep it snug. This is advantageous even when the baby is sleeping in the crib because sudden head movements may startle a sleeping baby. Inflated head supports with satin covers are also available. Care should be taken to inflate these only to half capacity. If the head support is too hard (as with too much air), it becomes uncomfortable and may strain the neck.

Babies in carriers and strollers also need head support to keep their head steady when a parent is carrying them. Keep the size of your strollers and carriers in mind when you go to purchase head supports for infants. Cotton fabric is the best natural fabric for young babies. Ideally, the support should have a soft and smooth cotton finish on the sides facing the baby.

Important features:

The head support should be portable and washable. Babies may spit up p milk or drool all over the material. Easy to wash and quick to dry – that’s the best material.

Padding should not be bulky, or the baby’s head will be in an uncomfortable position.

Only crash-tested head supports are suitable for strollers, bike carts and car seats.

Use breathable fabric that is comfortable to wear.

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Baby Safety Gates

August 10, 2009 By Kerri Leave a Comment

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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