Keep Your Baby Safe
By Kadence Buchanan
If you are about to experience parenthood for the first time, congratulations! Your life will never be the same and you know it already, especially if you have been reading all those articles out there and listening to numerous tips and useful advice family and friends are more than eager to share with you. But, one thing you should definitely not overlook, or try to avoid paying attention to, is your newborn's safety.
- An infant should ALWAYS sleep in a crib that meets the current safety standards. Do not think of yourself as being a bad mother or father because you will not take your baby in your own bed at night. Sleeping in the same bed with an infant is extremely dangerous, as accidents are always possible to happen and you cannot control your sleeping movements or reactions during a dream. In addition, you should never let your baby take a nap on a sofa's cushions, a water bed surface, a chair of any kind except a baby chair, or any other surface not specifically designed for baby sleep. Keep your infant safe and yourself at rest by letting your baby sleep in its specially made bed.
- For the baby's crib, choose a mattress that firmly fits into the space and does not leave room for the baby to roll out of its margins and onto the crib's frame. In addition, the sheet you should buy has to fit securely on the mattress and wrap around its corners.
- You should also consider purchasing some bumper pads which have to cover the area around the entire crib and be tied or snapped securely into place. These extra protection measures will definitely help your baby move around its crib and be adequately protected. But, keep in mind that you have to remove the pads when your baby will be able to stand as you do not wish it to use them as climbing stairs and step on them dragging itself and falling outside the crib.
- While your baby is under 12 months old, remember to remove any type of toys, pillows, or comforters. Only a thin crib blanket should be used to keep the infant warm and safe, reaching as far as the baby's chest. Even if you think that the baby might be cold, provided that the room temperature is adequately set for a baby, avoid overdressing your baby. Baby sleep clothing is more than enough to cover your baby's sleeping needs.
- When your baby is awake, avoid leaving it unattended on a highchair. Always use all the safety straps on the chair as this will prevent injuries and deaths from the baby climbing out, falling, or sliding under the tray. Remember to use safety straps in strollers and baby swings.
- While cooking, select to use your stove's back burners instead of the ones in front and place the handles of the pots towards the back end of your stove. By doing this you minimize the chances of your baby getting burned while attempting to discover what you are doing while you are facing the stove and not its eyes. Moreover, do not keep children near your dinning table's tablecloth, so they will not be tempted to grab it and pull down any hot foods or liquids placed on the table's surface and injuring themselves.
- Securely lock away any dangerous cleaning products you use to keep your household spotless, as well as any dangerous utensils or materials, such as knives, matches and plastic bags. Apart from preventing accidental poisonings, bleeding injuries, burns and suffocation, you will feel more relaxed when someone else is along with your baby in your house.
- Furthermore, you have to install smoke detectors on each floor of your home, focusing your attention near your baby's sleeping areas. Check frequently their operation and change their batteries annually.
- Of course, you should place safety gates to block stairways that might be dangerous for your baby and you should also put safety plugs to any uncovered electrical outlets in order to prevent electrocution.
- Finally, keep all small objects including tiny toys and balloons, which can easily be placed by babies themselves into their mouths, away from their reach. This will prevent them from choking or suffocating.
Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Family, Education, and Society
