Infant Home Safety

Your home can be a dangerous place for your baby if the proper precautions are not taken. Thousands of babies are injured and killed every year in household accidents. It is important to take the appropriate steps to keep your baby safe at home. Below you will find important baby safety tips that will greatly increase their safety. Along with the baby safety tips there is also advice on infant safety products that can be purchased to help improve infant home safety.

Infant Home Safety - Prior to crawling stage

There are less worries for babies who have not reached the crawling stage. Once your baby becomes mobile infant home safety concerns increase tremendously. From day one with your baby you should make sure your fire alarm system is adequate and is working. If you have a system in place already, make sure to test each alarm. There are too many cases of fires that claim lives in houses that had fire alarms with dead batteries. You should test the alarms at least monthly. If you do not have alarms you should get them immediately. Always make sure alarms are placed in the proper locations through out the home, including the baby's nursery. You should also have fire extinguishers located in the kitchen and near any fireplace. Carbon monoxide detectors should also be located in appropriate places within the house.

Besides fires the main safety concerns for your non crawling infant are bathing and falls. It sounds ridiculous to have to say this but never leave your baby alone in a bath. Unfortunately several babies die every year from drowning in their bath. Falls are also a concern for your non crawling baby. Falls can occur in many places including off of couches and chairs and from a parents arms. Falls from the changing table seem to be the most common. Never step away from a baby on the changing table or take your eye off of them, a split second lack of concentration can have horrible results. If your feeling tired when your baby needs a change then change them on the floor.

Infant Home Safety - Crawling and Walking Stage

When your baby starts crawling there are extra precautions you should take. Some of these precautions involve buying infant safety products. The level of child proofing you decide upon will depend on many factors, utmost of course is safety but cost, livability, and the amount of supervision the child has during the day are other factors.

It is impossible to watch your baby every second of the day. To increase infant home safety parents should take extra precautions (besides those mentioned above). Just which infant home safety measures to take will depend on several factors including the amount of supervision and time a parent can give, cost, and the layout of your home. Below are some baby safety tips to consider:

Infant Home Safety - Bathroom Safety for Baby

Never leave your baby alone in the bath.
Use a toilet lock.
To prevent scalding the water heater should be set to 120 degrees.
Use electrical outlet covers.
Electrical outlets should be GFCI (shock shut-off).
Use cabinet latches on medicine cabinets and any other cabinet that can contain dangerous products.
Be careful of what you put in the waste basket (for example razors are an obvious danger).
The tub faucet should be fitted with a soft spout cover in case your baby bumps her head.
Install an Emergency Door Lock Release in case your baby gets locked in.
Buy safety grips to help prevent falls.
Non-slip bath mats should be used.

For a great selection of bathroom infant safety products go to the safety for baby experts at Safe Beginnings.

Infant Home Safety - Window Safety for Baby

If possible open windows at the top.
Use window blind cord wraps or blind winder (to remove the chance of hanging).
To prevent baby from falling out a window use window stops (stops the window from opening more than a few inches) or window guards.

For a great selection of window infant safety products go to the safety for baby experts at Safe Beginnings.

Infant Home Safety - Nursery Safety for Baby

A nursery monitor can be used to listen to your baby when you are not in the room with them.
Make sure the crib slats are no more than 2 3/8 inches apart.
To prevent baby from falling out a window use window stops (stops the window from opening more than a few inches) or window guards.
Keep all small objects out of the nursery (choking hazards).
Move all furniture away from windows.

Infant Home Safety - Kitchen Safety for Baby

Keep emergency telephone numbers by the phone (fire department, poison control, medical).
Keep your dishwasher closed at all times.
Use a refrigerator latch.
Stove knob covers should be used to prevent your baby from turning on the stove or burners.
Use latches on all cabinets and drawers that contain dangerous things like knives, forks, and cleaning supplies.
Remove or lock up any strangling hazards.
Use the back burners on your stove, and turn the pot handles to the back.
To keep your baby from opening the stove buy an oven lock.
Do not have any cords dangling. They are a strangling hazard.
Secure or move anything that could possibly fall on your baby. For example move appliances such as toasters away from the edge of the counter.

Infant Home Safety - Stairway Safety for Baby

To prevent falls use safety gates.
If your banister has balusters with more than a four inch space use a clear plastic Banister Guard.

Infant Home Safety - Electrical Safety for Baby

Use outlet covers.
Use a power strip safety cover to protect exposed power strips.
Exposed wires can be covered with a wire guard.
Fans and heaters should be kept where babies cannot reach them.

For a great selection of electrical infant safety products go to the safety for baby experts at Safe Beginnings.

Infant Home Safety - Furniture Safety for Baby

Any furniture with glass should be moved to a room the baby does not have access to.
Remove all dangerous items from accessible drawers.
Use safety straps on any furniture or equipment that can fall on your baby (examples are book cases and computers).
A TV Guard and DVD Guard can be used.
Use corner cushions on all sharp edges.

For a great selection of furniture infant safety products go to the safety for baby experts at Safe Beginnings.