Child Safety at Home – Top Tips for Parents

Child safety at home is paramount and can be a tricky task. Home is a cocoon for the children, yet many statistical pieces of evidence prove "hidden dangers" in a typical household.

You might believe that you have plenty of time as your baby is not able to turn sideways, but we cannot underestimate the speed of their motor skills development. A study by the Centre for Disease Control reveals that more than 9000 children decease every year owing to accidents at home. 

Keeping Baby Safe at Home

Parents always prioritize the safety of their children to help them live their life to the maximum potential. Being informed on how to prevent possible injuries is the first step to achieve this goal. We can all be a little extra thoughtful with the types of equipment or similar things we use at home and focus on what needs to be removed and added. Here we have enlisted potential hazards that are likely to cause risks or dangers for the child.

Potential Hazards

1. What tops the list of potential risks at home includes plastic bags, matches, lighter, screws, magnets, batteries, coins, blades, and kitchen utensils. Parents need to ensure to keep these things out of the reach of the child.
2. Kids love food items like grapes, candies, and nuts. However, these items must be kept out of reach of all children as they can cause choking in small children if swallowed. In the United States, 1124 kids aged four and below died as a result of mechanical suffocating and choking in 2017 ( Source: https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/all-injuries/deaths-by-demographics/top-10-preventable-injuries/data-details/ )
3. Monitor the electric appliances such as microwave, iron, fan, room heater as kids are fascinated by the light and sound, and they try to touch.
4. Baby care products are always essential for external use but are required to keep out of the reach of children. Because of oral exploration, babies tend to keep every other household object in their mouth to discover taste and texture. Hence, baby care products such as baby cream, powder, lotion, oil, etc., if consumed, can cause severe health risks.
5. It would be best if you also get rid of coveralls used for tables or nightstands as children can easily pull it and end up injuring themselves.

Child Safety At Home

By observing and understanding the potential danger zones at home, parents can quickly eliminate the risk of accidents at home. We care for your lovely children, and hence, we present a comprehensive resource that can assist you in safeguarding your family.

Crib/Bassinets

The infant should always be put in crib or bassinet with a firm bottom sheet instead of soft bedding as advised by pediatricians to avoid any sleep-related diseases. Based on multiple customer reviews, the basic cabinet is the best to use instead of a stylish crib. Ornate and decorative items will increase the possibility of creating a strangulation hazard (Source: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cribs/buying-guide/index.htm ).

Baby Gates ​​​​and Cabinet Locks 

As soon as your child starts crawling or running, it is vital to install these items. A curious crawler can easily reach the floor level cabinet. Clean the lower level cabinets and install cabinet locks so that the child does not hurt himself by pulling open the cabinet.

Also don’t forget that corners can cause cuts and bruises so adding corner protection to soften hard corners of cabinets may be required. In addition, you want to keep him and his toys away from the stairs, kitchen, or balcony to avoid any possibilities of tripping. A baby gate will come in handy to shut off the unsafe area for children.

Always keep children in supervision

As stated in records, every day, approximately 8000 children are treated in the US emergency room for fall-related injuries; the stats are for the children age 0-19 years. 

Never leave your child unattended on high surfaces like a changing table, sofa, or bed. Always reach out to an expert to get tips on how to organize everything as managing your baby, along with your daily routine, can be overwhelming.

Window Locks

If you live in upper stories of the building and open the window more often to get some fresh air, you might need the window locks. Especially if you have a window at a reachable place for your baby. These locks prevent the window from opening for more than 6-7 inches.

Tub Safety

Babies love to enjoy and splash in the water. However, the bathroom can be the most dangerous place for a child. Babies can drown even in 1-2 inches of water in the tub. (Source: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Infant-Water-Safety.aspx )

You need to be extra cautious whenever you are near the water with your baby.

• Always keep the baby within arm's reach.
• Never leave your baby alone in the bathtub or the supervision of another kid, even for a second.
• Always check the water temperature; 120 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature that will not cause any burns on the baby's soft skin.

Baby Feeding Safety

Providing the best nutrition to an infant is a critical task, and the most significant aspect to cover is baby safety.

Make sure the temperature is never too hot for the baby's mouth.

Try submerging the milk bottle in warm water instead of the microwave. Always test the heat by taking a few drops on your wrist before feeding it to the baby.

Avoid leaving the bottle with a child on the bed.

Never let your child suck the empty bottle. It will result in an extra amount of air and can cause swelling tummy. (Source: https://www.tummycalm.com/infant-gas.html )

Cushioning the Floor

There are no boundaries for your naughty little one once he starts crawling. A child is curious to see every new corner at home, whether it is peeking from the crib or crawling underneath the dining table. You need to see your place from your baby's point of view. Try blocking the route of the corners, cushion them, or add bumper guards to avoid any injury by smashing against them.

Fire Alarm

According to the National Fire Protection Association, a smoke alarm is necessary in every room of the home. Though this is a general safety rule, if you are concerned about your lovely child, you will feel the importance and responsibility of getting a fire alarm a priority. Always follow the instruction of the manufacturer, test the alarm once in a month, and make sure it is in working order.

Final Thoughts

Parenting has never been an easy task. Especially when it comes to small children, you need to be more cautious. Home is the safest place for your baby yet possess multiple danger zones. You need to focus on every little detail while childproofing your home.

All you need is to have a little common sense and an eye to ensure maintaining a safe home for your children. Always keep yourself loaded with information on various prevention you need to take and be alert with everything around your baby. As they say- prevention is better than cure, ensuring child safety at home will help you to be ready for your little one's milestone.

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