Parenting Blog

About 2-1/2 million children are injured or killed each year, due to hazards in the home.

Many of these incidents can be prevented by taking steps to make sure that your home is safe and that you follow age appropriate recommendations for each stage of your child’s young life.

There are many devices available to help prevent injury, along with using common sense. Remember, nothing is completely safe and eyes must be on the children at all times. It only takes a blink of an eye, a turn of the head, for an incident to occur.

Bringing Home Baby

Most  important, ALWAYS  put your baby on his/her back, on a firm, flat, tight-fitting mattress, to sleep.
More infants die or are injured in crib accidents than any other nursery item.
Remove all pillows and soft, loose bedding from the crib.  These items can cause suffocation.

The Crib

Never use a crib that has missing slats or loose hardware.

If you repaint the crib use only high quality lead-free paint.

Use a mattress that fits tightly:  If you can fit more than 2 fingers between the edge of the mattress and the crib side, the mattress is too small.

Door Knob Covers and Door Locks:

Can help keep children away from places with hazards, including swimming pools.

Make sure the knob cover allows the door to be opened quickly by an adult in case of emergency.

Door locks should be placed high, out of reach of young children.

Locks should be used in addition to fences and alarms.

Window Guards and Safety Netting for balconies and decks can help prevent serious falls.

Window Blind Cord Safety Tassels on vertical blinds and drapery cords can help prevent deaths and injuries from strangulation in the cord loops.
For older blinds, cut the cord loop, remove the buckle and put safety tassels on each cord. Be sure older blinds and drapery cords have tie-down devices to hold the cords tight.

Outlet Covers and Outlet Plates can help protect children from electrical shock and possible electrocution.  Make sure that they cannot be easily removed by children and are large enough so that children cannot choke on them.

Corner and Edge Bumpers can be used with furniture to prevent injuries from falls by softening sharp edges.

Door Stops and Door Holders can help prevent small fingers and hands from being pinched or crushed in doors and door hinges.

We are all full of joy and pride as we watch the daily progress of our “babies.” Then all of a sudden we are full of dread when they start crawling faster and faster, towards all sorts of possible dangers. The stairs, the kitchen, yes, even your furniture presents dangerous possibilities.

Where To Install A Baby Safety Gate?

Wherever a potential danger exists to your toddler, is where a stair gate needs to be installed. These gates are designed to protect your toddler and relieve some of the anxiety of the parents, grandparents or caregivers.

The minimum protection a parent can give their toddlers is the installation of a stair gate, at both the top and bottom of a staircase. At the age of six months a child is learning independent movement and the curiosity that goes with it. A child falls, on their tiny butts, again and again before they are able to control their balance. After each fall and a quick kiss from mommy they are off again. This is a 24/7 job to keep them safe from harm.

Playpens

Deaths have occurred when the drop-sides of playpens and cribs were left in the down position.

When a mesh side is let down it forms a pocket.  Young infants, even just a few weeks old, can move into the pocket, become trapped and suffocate.

Deaths have also occurred when the playpen was not securely locked into position, causing it to collapse, entrapping the child’s neck.

NEVER LEAVE AN  INFANT IN A PLAYPEN WITH THE  SIDE DOWN.

REMOVE ALL LARGE TOYS, BOXES & BUMPER PADS. THEY CAN BE USED TO CLIMB OUT.

AVOID TYING ANY ITEMS ACROSS THE TOP OR CORNER OF THE PLAYPEN:  THEY CAN CAUSE STRANGULATION.

BABY GATES

Some gates are dangerous:

A child’s head can get trapped in the openings of baby gates with accordion-style or large V- or diamond-shaped openings, and can get strangled.

Expandable enclosures can be equally dangerous.

Be sure the gate is securely anchored in the doorway it is blocking.  Children have pushed gates over.

Pressure gates are not recommended at the top of a stairway.  They can pop out of the opening.

HIGH CHAIRS

Thousands of children are injured each year because of improper high chair use.

Protecting your baby from the cold can be a challenge. Here are some suggestions from the Wisconsin SAFE KIDS Coalition to help keep your baby warm – and SAFE – during travel:

• ALWAYS properly secure children in an approved and age-appropriate child safety seat while riding in a motor vehicle
  – it’s the law in Wisconsin!
• Infants should stay rear facing until they reach the recommended rear facing weight limit of the individual seat. This can be up to 30 pounds. Infants do not have strong neck muscles; the rear-facing position cradles an infant’s head and neck and is the safest!
• Avoid using heavy snow suits for babies less than 6 months. Before that time a baby’s shoulder and neck muscles are not fully developed, and heavy layers of clothing make it difficult to correctly position the safety seat harness straps.
• Dressing an infant too warmly may cause him to sweat. Try using multiple light-weight layers instead. Use adult socks to cover the baby’s hands and feet for additional warmth (cold hands and feet can also cause an infant to sweat).

Download ebook “Keeping Baby Safe – A Guide to Nursery Furniture“
Click here to download! (553 KB)

Setting up a new nursery can be both exciting and confusing. There are many products to choose from in a wide range of styles, colours and prices. The options are endless.

Before buying nursery furniture, shop around.As well as thinking about cost, think about safety.Nursery furniture
is responsible for almost 20 per cent of injuries to children in their first year of life. But the majority of these
injuries are preventable.

This Guide will help you to make sure your child’s nursery is a safe place – provided furniture is cared for ,
regularly checked for stability and wear and tear , and the manufacturer’s instructions are followed. But, as your
child grows, you will still need to exercise common sense and expect the unexpected.

In this Guide you will find information on:

• Household Cots
• Portable Cots
• Cot and Bed Restraints
• Prams and Strollers
• High Chairs
• Bouncers and Baby Exercisers
• Change Tables
• Baby Walkers
• Bunk Beds
• Toy Boxes

YOUNG CHILDREN CAN BE KILLED WHEN  FURNITURE TIPS OVER

Place TV’s on lower furniture and as far back as possible.

Use angle braces to secure furniture to the wall.

Children will climb on a lower drawer that has been pulled out, using it as a step.

Use latches on lower drawers to ensure they cannot be opened by young children.

Drawstrings on children’s clothing and nightwear can cause strangulation.

Drawstrings can get caught on playground equipment or cribs.

Remove drawstrings from hood and neck areas of outerwear such as sweatshirts and jackets.

POISONINGS

Keep all medicines, vitamins and household cleaning products locked away from children.

Child resistant packaging is not child proof.
Keep poisonous plants out of children’s reach.
If you need assistance call :

Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222

MORE TIPS

Babies use their mouths to learn about the world

Keep tiny objects, such as small balls, marbles and balloons, out of reach of your baby.

Smooth, round objects present the highest risk for choking.

Uninflated balloons and balloon pieces can easily be inhaled and block the windpipe.

ABOUT 2/3 OF ALL DROWNING DEATHS INSIDE THE HOME OCCUR IN THE BATHTUB.

NEVER LEAVE A BABY ALONE IN WATER.

NEVER LEAVE YOUNG CHILDREN ALONE OR WITH YOUNGER SIBLINGS IN A BATHTUB

TOILETS ARE DROWNING HAZARDS. KEEP THE LID DOWN AND KEEP YOUNG CHILDREN OUT OF THE BATHROOM WHEN UNSUPERVISED.

BUCKETS POSE A SERIOUS THREAT TO TODDLERS.  MAKE SURE ALL CONTAINERS THAT HAVE LIQUID IN THEM ARE EMPTIED  IMMEDIATELY AFTER USE.

DO NOT LEAVE  EMPTY CONTAINERS IN YARDS OR  AROUND THE HOUSE WHERE THEY CAN FILL WITH WATER.

LEARN CPR—- IT CAN BE A LIFESAVER.

Quick Facts

Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death among children ages 1 to 14.
Drowning can occur in as little as 1 inch of water.
Drowning is usually quick and silent.
A child will lose consciousness two minutes after submersion.

Home Water Safety

Most children who drown in swimming pools were in the care of one or both parents and missing from sight for less than 5 minutes!

Two-thirds of parents are unaware of the risk of swimming pool drain entrapment

Drowning Deaths 2000-2004  Ages 1-4

Types of Drowning in Manatee County 1991-2004