Childproofing tips before your baby crawls

• By admin
• 13/01/2014
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A few tips on how to child proof your home and the most important thing to look for

Childproofing Tips

Parents worry endlessly about how to protect their children from stranger abduction and violence, but many overlook one of the biggest threats to their children’s safety and well-being — their own home.

On average, babies start to crawl at the age of eight months. A crawling baby will start pulling up chairs, tables and other surfaces are no longer out of reach. A baby at the crawling stage can cover roughtly quarter of a mile in the time it takes you to make a cup of tea. So once your baby has started to move, baby-proofing your home is a top priority. Here are a few tips:

• Beware of potential choking hazards

If it can fit into a cylinder pencil sharpener or old film canister it is a potential choking hazard. Keep small objects and any toys that have small parts out of reach of children under three years of age. Pick up any coins, marbles, beads, paper clips, and other small objects you find on low tables or the floor or in low drawers or cupboards.

• Outlet plugs

It’s a good idea to protect electrical outlets with outlet covers. Unfortunately, the removable little plug-in caps can easily end up in your baby’s mouth. Instead, replace the outlet covers themselves – at least those that are accessible – with ones that include a sliding safety latch.

If you’re using extension cords in your home, cover any exposed outlets with electrical tape.

• Check toys are safe and are suitable for the child’s age group

Always check your child’s toys to ensure they’re not broken or falling apart with hazardous loose pieces.

• Lock cleaning and poisons and hazard material

Carefully lock up or stow away every potential poison or other hazard, including cleaning products, medicines, vitamins, and knives. Use gates to limit your child’s access to areas of your home that might contain dangerous items.

• Secure Windows and Doors

Low windows shouldn’t open more than 4 inches. Window stops are available that can prevent windows from opening more than this. Some newer windows come with window stops already installed. To make windows safe, install window stops or window guards, which screw into the side of a window frame, have bars no more than 4 inches apart, and can be adjusted to fit windows of many different sizes.

• Keep batteries and magnets out of reach

Keep any household devices that use button batteries out of sight and out of reach, and make sure the batter compartments are secure. Don’t leave spare or old batteries lying around, either. Keep small, high-powered magnets out of your bub’s reach as well and if you suspect magnets have been swallowed by your child, seek medical treatment immediately.

• Secure cords

Window blinds pose a particular hazard because a baby’s neck could become trapped in the cords that raise the blinds or run through the slats. A child can become entangled in a looped window cord and strangle in a matter of minutes. Use cordless window coverings wherever possible, and avoid placing your baby’s crib near a window. Secure blind cords out of reach with cleats or tensioning devices.

• Swimming pools, baths, and spa’s

Most in-home drowning deaths involve babies in bathtubs. Never leave your baby unattended in the tub – even if he’s in a ring or bath seat. Supervise your child whenever he’s in the bathroom, and install a safety latch on your toilet lid to prevent him from accidentally falling in. Remember, Infants and toddlers can drown in as little as a few inches of water.

The most effective way to ensure your baby’s safety is to take a baby’s-eye view of your home. Get down on your hands and knees and see how things look from down there. What’s within reach? What looks tempting? Where would you go if you could crawl, toddle, or walk?

This will help you figure out which cupboards, drawers, and other spaces your child might get into. As he starts walking and climbing, you’ll have to reevaluate again, looking higher each time.