Baby and Toddler Safety: 5 Tips Every Parent Needs to Know.

As a parent of a baby or toddler, it is important to know what it takes to protect your child against accidents and injuries. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to safeguard your baby or toddler against a variety of everyday dangers.

Now, let’s take a look at five tips that you can use to keep your baby or toddler safe.

Purchase the Right Crib

The U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Commission (CPSC) provides safety standards for cribs. These standards are updated periodically, so you should check them out on the CPSC website before you purchase a crib for your baby or toddler.

Never buy a crib that is older than 10 years or has been broken or modified. Once you purchase a crib, follow all crib assembly instructions closely. If you have any questions during the assembly process, contact the manufacturer. After the crib is assembled, check the gaps between the crib’s sides and its mattress. Any gaps should be no larger than roughly the size of two fingers.

Additionally, you should never place blankets, pillows, bumpers or quilts in a crib, as these items pose suffocation risks for a baby or toddler. You also should never place a crib near a window with blinds, curtain cords or any other cords.

Practice Car Seat Safety

Babies and infants should ride in the back seat of a car – without exception. If your car has a passenger airbag, children 12 and under should ride in the back seat.

Children should be placed rear-facing in a car seat until the age of 1. Kids who are over the age of 1 and weigh at least 20 lbs. typically can ride facing forward in a car seat, but you should check your car seat’s owner’s manual for recommendations.

A car seat’s safety harness should be securely buckled around your child. Ensure the car seat’s straps fit over your child’s shoulders and adjust the harness to the point that you can place one finger under the straps at your child’s chest. Lastly, put the chest clip at your child’s armpit level, and your son or daughter can safely travel with you in your car.

Install a Baby Gate

A baby gate is a must-have for parents who want to block staircases. By installing a baby gate, you can reduce the risk of fall-related accidents in your home.

Any baby gate you purchase should be certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), and you should avoid gates intended for pets. When choosing a baby gate for the top of your stairs, go with a hardware-mounted gate. You then can install this gate so it swings open over the floor – not the stairs. And don’t forget to install a baby gate at the bottom of the stairs, too.

Although a baby gate lowers the risk of fall-related accidents, it does not substitute for parental supervision. As such, it is important to keep a close eye on your baby or toddler at all times – regardless of whether you have a baby gate in place.

Baby-Proof Your Home

A baby or toddler who pokes around at an electrical outlet could get shocked or burned. To eliminate this danger, you should pick up outlet caps or plugs and install them throughout your home.

Meanwhile, babies and toddlers who enjoy opening and closing doors may accidentally get their fingers slammed inside a door. Thanks to pinch guards, however, parents can prevent this problem.

Remember to baby-proof your TV as well. To do so, you can mount your TV to a wall or cabinet or secure it inside of a cabinet.

Select a User-Friendly Changing Table

Let’s face it – parents are likely to change thousands of diapers before a baby or toddler is potty-trained. With a changing table at your disposal, you can quickly, effortlessly and, most importantly, safely change your child’s diaper any time nature calls.

A changing table that features a safety strap is ideal. This table enables you to secure your child while you change his or her diaper, thereby limiting the risk of a fall.

You also may want to pick up a changing table that allows you to store diaper-changing essentials. That way, you won’t have to leave your baby or toddler to find creams, wipes and other items you may need to change his or her diaper.

When it comes to raising a baby or infant, there is no shortage of day-to-day challenges for new and experienced parents alike. With the aforementioned tips, you can safeguard your baby or toddler against a wide range of everyday dangers. Best of all, you can use these tips to protect your baby or toddler against accidents and injuries.

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