Baby Safety
Your child's safety is your responsibility. The following tips should help you keep your baby out of harm's way from birth through their toddler years.
Your child's safety is your responsibility. The following tips should help you keep your baby out of harm's way from birth through their toddler years.
Baby Safety in the Car
- Always use a federally approved car safety seat when traveling in a motor vehicle.
- Carefully read safety seat instructions to ensure that the seat has been properly installed.
- NEVER carry your infant in your lap while you ride in a car.
- For the first two years of a baby's life, car seats should face the rear of the vehicle. The safest location for the car seat is the middle of the back seat.
- NEVER put the baby in the front passenger seat of cars, especially those with airbags. If you have a truck with no back seat, you should disengage the airbag while the baby's seat is in the car.
To minimize the risk that a child will accidentally be left behind in a car or get trapped inside:
- Leave a purse, briefcase, or cell phone in the back seat. That way, you get in the habit of checking in the back seat before leaving the vehicle.
- Make an arrangement with your child’s daycare to have them call you if the child doesn’t show up as expected.
- Always lock your car and car trunk, even if the car is parked in the driveway at home, and always keep keys out of the reach of little ones.
Preventing Baby Falls
- If you use an infant carrier, always place it on the floor, never on a counter or tabletop. Make sure if the baby is always strapped in.
- Never leave your baby alone on a bed, couch, changing table, or infant seat from which they can fall or roll off. Even if looking away for a second, an accident can happen.
Baby Safety, Smoking and Fire Safety
- Do not smoke and do not allow smoking around your baby. Even smoking “outside” is harmful for the baby because clothing, hair and skin still carries smoke particles which affects the baby.
- Install a working smoke alarm on every level of your home. Change the batteries of your smoke detectors every six months.
- Have at least one fire extinguisher on every level of your home.
- If your home uses gas heat, install a carbon monoxide detector.
Preventing Baby Burns
- Do not hold hot liquids while holding your baby.
- To prevent burns, do not microwave baby's bottle. Many microwaves heat unevenly, creating "hot spots" in your baby's formula that can burn your baby's mouth. Instead, warm the formula by running warm tap water over the bottle or submerging the bottle in a bowl of warm water. Shake the bottle well. Make sure you test the temperature on your hand or wrist before feeding it to your baby.
- Keep your hot water heater's thermostat at no higher than 120 degrees Farenheit.
Preventing Baby Accidents
- Keep sharp objects (knives, scissors, tools, razors) and other hazardous items (coins, glass objects, beads, pins, medications) in a secure place out of baby's reach.
- NEVER shake a baby or throw your baby in the air. This can cause brain damage or blindness.
- Do not leave your baby alone with a young sibling or a pet, even when your baby is sleeping.
- Walkers are unsafe at any speed and at any age! Never put your child in a walker.
- Make sure that your baby cannot pull lamps or other electrical objects on top of themselves. Use electrical tape to secure electrical cords along baseboards.
- Eliminate tablecloths that can be pulled from the table.
- Make sure all drawers have stops, so that your baby or toddler can't pull the drawer out on top of themselves.
- Attach furniture to the wall so the pieces don’t fall over the child. Avoid electronics on top of higher dresser tables that can fall on the child.
Baby Bathing Safety
- Always test the bath water to make sure it is not too hot before setting your baby in the water. Dipping your elbow in the water is a good way to test.
- Turn down your hot water heater to 120° F.
- Never leave your baby unattended in the bathtub or bath ring. It only takes a few seconds for a baby to drown.
- Store small appliances, such as hair dryers and radios, away from the water and bathing areas. Keep these appliances unplugged and out of reach when not in use.