Q "I want to know how to make my house safe for my
newborn and be aware of the dangers as he becomes a
toddler. Any ideas would be welcome."
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A Firstly you need to go through every room in your house
and ask yourself, “What could be potentially dangerous for my
child?” While you are doing this, be aware of the dangers that
are ground level, or where babies can crawl. Gates should be
put in stairways or in rooms that you don’t want your child to
get into. Babies grow up fast and can get into mischief very
quickly! Don’t forget childproof cover plates on all electrical
outlets.
Look at your window blinds, my husband works for a company
that include a cleat to keep strings high above your child’s
reach, or cordless blinds. Look for any sharp edges and place
plastic or safety edges on them, coffee tables are a big culprit
for wounds when baby starts to stand. Safety locks should be
fitted on all cupboards especially one’s that have hazardous
materials in them. All book shelves or free standing units
should be attached to the wall, these are used to help baby
stand but can be lethal.
Have the phone numbers for your pediatrician, poison control,
local hospital and any emergency numbers you can think of,
program them into your phone. During an emergency it can be
difficult to remember these. Have you had an infant/toddler
CPR and First Aid class? If you haven’t, consider having one
and your CPR is over a year old you need to renew it. Make
sure that your childcare provider or anyone babysitting knows
what to do if your child was choking.
Go through your first aid kit and make sure you have
everything you need; it is a good idea to have a small travel
kit inside your diaper bag. Most of all use your common sense
and be aware of your surroundings especially when visiting
other houses. Even though your baby is very young, get a play
pen for safety reasons. Of course you have to keep watch all
the time but we are human also!