You have plugs on all your outlets and latches on your cabinets, right? Baby safety at home is no joke and there are plenty of hidden hazards for a crawler. Use these handy baby proofing tips to keep your little one safe.
Drinking Coffee While Holding the Baby
Scalds from hot liquids are the most common type of burns for young children, whose thin skin burns more easily than an adult’s. “Even coffee that’s not too hot to drink can really scald a child,” says Angela Mickalide, Ph.D., former program director for the National Safe Kids Campaign. Put down the baby while you drink your coffee.
Install Safety Gates
Installing safety gates is one of the most important ways to childproof your home during the crawling stage — especially if you have stairs. Babies are curious and are determined to explore their surroundings. That means crawling up or down the stairs or getting into rooms they shouldn’t be in! Installing safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs will keep them safe from falling and tumbling.
Cords, Cables & Sharp Edges
While you don’t have to remove everything from your coffee and end tables, you do need to be aware of breakable items. And the edges of the tables. And the cables and drapery cords. Before Baby becomes mobile, it’s a good idea to get down on all fours and see what your baby sees. Tying loose lamp cords and computer cables matter because anything that Baby can wrap around their neck is a hazard. Either replace your current blinds with cordless window treatments or secure them high on the wall. For cables, baby-proof cable covers can keep them away from curious hands.
Small Items like Batteries, Coins, Toy Parts and Pet Food
Crawling babies are like little scientists drawn to whatever they find interesting in their travels along the floor. Make sure you see your home as your child will — and put loose items out of reach. Keep this maintenance up on a regular basis.
Bathing Safety
Bath seats and/or rings are often involved in bathtub drownings, but bath seats are not meant to be safety devices.
“Bath seats — which are meant to support a child in a tub — are not a substitute for direct adult supervision,” says Libby Long, M.D. a pediatrician with Tennessee Pediatrics in Murfreesboro. “While it seems difficult to believe that a toddler can drown in inches of water, the ability to sit or stand lies beyond their problem solving abilities.”
Never leave your child alone in or near any kind of water. Don’t answer the door or phone or attend to other children without taking your baby with you or draining the tub.
“Some parents erroneously believe that they can leave the bathroom door cracked while their child is bathing and that they’ll hear their child if they’re in trouble. In fact, the majority of drownings are silent,” Long adds.
