Points to Keep In Mind When Baby Proofing Your Home
|
Babies are wonderful but having a baby can be a big responsibility. You need to take precautions to make sure your baby stays safe as he or she grows and develops.
Think about babyproofing your home even before your baby is born by getting down to the level of your baby and imagine what things your baby can get into or put into his or her mouth.
To make sure that your home is babyproofed check out each room by itself. Crawl on the floor and lay down if you can. Check out what your baby will see and get into and correct the dangerous items as soon as possible.
Pay attention to things that dangle like tablecloths, curtains, electrical cords, window blind cords and other things. Put them up and away from the reach of your baby as these items carry a risk of strangulation or, at the very least, he or she can pull items down on themselves with dangling objects.
Keep all medications, toxic items and cleaning supplies away from your baby. Put them up or leave them in the garage. Babies taste everything and you don't want toxic objects to be around them to get into. Houseplants have the capacity to be poisonous as well so check with the extension office to see if your plant is dangerous.
When babyproofing your home pay attention to the crib and make sure the slats are not more than 2 3/8 inches apart. Check to make sure the mattress fits tightly in the crib but not too tightly as it can buckle. Keep fluffy blankets, pillows and toys out of the crib.
Put away any small items that are small enough for your baby to swallow. Repair any furniture that is wobbly or get rid of it altogether.
When your baby comes home, don't smoke, drink alcohol or hot beverages, or use matches around. Such items can burn your baby or can be toxic if swallowed.
Never feed your child a food he or she can choke on such as peanuts, grapes, popcorn, raisins, hard candy, hot dogs or nuts. Make sure your toddler or baby doesn't suck on a solid food while lying down. While it may seem daunting, these are sensible approaches you should take to make sure your baby is safe at all times.
