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Baby Safety Center
Welcome to the Baby Safety Center, where you'll find some baby safety basics and links to useful information. As always, your baby's best defense against danger is your vigilance and awareness of hazards. Be sure to check out our pages on Baby Safety Products for help in babyproofing your home.
When your baby is very new, the chief dangers come from his helplessness. His neck muscles aren't strong enough to support his head, and he could even suffocate in a soft pillow or quilt because he can't lift and turn his own head or push up with his arms. In part to reduce the danger of suffocation, the American Academy of Pediatrics http://www.aap.org recommends that almost all babies be put to sleep on their backs. (A very few babies need to sleep differently for medical reasons.) The AAP web site is worth bookmarking for the latest recommendations.
Your baby's ability to get into trouble on her own begins when she starts to roll from side to side. Some babies acquire this ability almost overnight, startling their parents when they try to roll off changing tables. Throughout the first year or two, the increased mobility of crawling and walking babies brings new potential hazards. And unfortunately, babies don't acquire the ability to anticipate dangers until much later on. You will have to get down on the floor, pretend you are a curious baby, and take note of all the ways you could hurt yourself:
--Secure heavy furniture. Babies and small children may pull out drawers and try to climb up them. Make sure chests of drawers, bookcases, entertainment centers and other pieces are strapped or bracketed to the wall.
--Electrical outlets need Outlet Covers.
--Sharp corners (coffee tables, raised fireplace hearths) need padding. You can buy coffee-table pads and soft corners to attach to furniture.
--Put breakables up high-don't bother trying to "teach" your baby not to touch them at this age.
--Tall lamps need to be secured or removed.
--Install cabinet locks to keep baby from getting in, but as an extra precaution, put poisonous substances up high.
--Keep floors clear of small objects to prevent poisoning or choking.
--Take a CPR class, if you haven't already.
--Sign up with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (http://www.cpsc.gov)for emailed updates on product recalls.
Also very important is making sure your car Safety Seats are correctly installed and using them every single time you take your baby somewhere in the car. Visit the websites of Car Seat Safe USA (http://www.carseat.org) and the National Transportation Safety Board (http://www.ntsb.org) for up-to-date information on carseat requirements and recalls. Don't turn your infant carseat forward-facing until your child is at least one year old and 20 pounds. Many brands of carseat can be kept rear-facing even longer, which is safer for your child, whose neck muscles are not fully developed yet. Read your manufacturer's instructions carefully for weight and age limits. Be aware, also, of the potential dangers of cars in garages and driveways. Always set your parking brake, and when leaving without the kids, get into the habit of checking to see where they are and who is supervising them before getting into your car. Don't leave your car unlocked if there is any chance of older children being tempted to get in and play.
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