Babies do a lot of snoozing and snuggling the first couple of months, but before you know it, they’ll be sitting, grabbing, rolling, and scooting their way around your home. And they have an uncanny knack for doing and finding things they shouldn’t.
Here are some reminders to help keep your little one safe, happy, and healthy.
- Place your baby on their back to sleep on a firm mattress with a fitted sheet. Keep pillows, blankets, crib bumpers, and soft toys out of baby’s sleeping area. Babies should be in their own crib or bassinet, and ideally in the same room as an adult for the first six to twelve months of life.
- Place baby’s crib away from windows and out of reach of blinds and other cords.
3 . Install your baby’s car seat properly and use it on every ride, no matter the distance. The car seat manufacturer’s instruction manual offers helpful guidance regarding use. Keep your child in a rear-facing car seat as long as possible, until they’ve outgrown the seat by height or weight. - Have a smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector on every level of the home and in all sleeping areas. Test the alarms monthly to make sure they’re working properly and replace the batteries each time you change the clocks (spring and fall).
- Set your water heater to 116°F to avoid the possibility of scalding your baby at bath time. Always test bath water on the inside of your wrist before putting your little one in the tub.
- Always stay with your baby when they’re in or near water. Drain bathtubs and kiddie pools when they’re not in use to prevent drowning.
- Install screw-mounted baby gates at the top and bottom of stairs to prevent falls. Follow the installation instructions and ensure that your specific gate is approved for use at the top of the stairs.
- Remind older children to keep small toys and other choking hazards away from baby. Pick up toys and scan the floor carefully for small parts after each play session.
- Be aware of button batteries, which are common in remotes, watches, car keys, toys, musical birthday cards, and more. If they’re swallowed, contact with stomach acids can cause a chemical reaction and result in severe burns. These small batteries can also cause injury if they wind up in baby’s nose or ears.
- Keep all cleaning supplies and medications out of sight, out of reach, and locked away to prevent poisoning. Don’t forget to check purses, gym bags, nightstands, and other places you may tuck medicine or vitamins which crawling babies can access. Save the Virginia Poison Center number – 1-800-222-1222 – on your cell phone and post it in your home so you can call quickly if needed.
- Use the straps to secure your baby when they’re in a highchair, stroller, or swing. Stay within arm’s reach when baby is on an elevated surface like a bed or changing table.
- Mount bookshelves, dressers, and televisions to wall studs to keep them from tipping over. Mounting straps or brackets often come with televisions and furniture, or they can be purchased separately at a hardware store.
It seems like a lot, but keeping your baby safe and healthy is serious business. Don’t forget to ask about these things when you’re visiting family members and friends in their homes, too. You can find more safety information for your family at chrichmond.org/safekids.
