By Nurse Diane
One of the first things expectant parents do when
learning about their new bundle of joy is to prepare a room. Careful thought and planning goes into a
baby's nursery, with safety being the main concern. From bumper pads around the crib, to flame
retardant clothing to safe toys with no small parts that could cause
choking. Keeping your baby safe from harm is a huge task. There are accidents waiting to happen around
every corner.
Some parents wait to child proof when the baby
becomes mobile. By then it could be too
late. Babies grow and begin moving very
quickly in that first year. When my son
was a baby I would place him on my bed for his afternoon nap. I had a large queen bed and would lay him in
the center. He wasn't crawling at this
time, so I assumed he would be safe. One day, I heard him wake up from his nap
and went to my room to get him, but he wasn't on the bed. I could hear him crying, and then I found him,
he had crawled the length of the bed and fallen on the floor. Luckily, he fell on carpet, and not a very
far fall, and he was fine, however I was a wreck. I never put him on my bed again and made sure
he was in a safe environment.
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.
Experts say that children between the ages of 1 and 4 are more likely to be
killed by fire, burns, drowning, choking, poisoning, or falls than by a
stranger's violence. About 2.3 million
children are accidentally injured every year and more than 2,500 are killed,
according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's why
it's so important to carefully childproof your home.
There are many products available to secure drawers
and cabinets, cover outlets and keep babies away from certain areas. The best "gadgets" available are
your own eyes and ears. Experts say that
one of the best ways to check for hidden dangers in your home is to get down on
their level and look around to see the dangers your child sees. On thing some
people fail to consider is visiting other's homes. While your home may be secure and free from
any possible harm, when you take the baby to grandmas, her home may not be as
safe.
Accidents are going to happen, babies are curious and
check out everything. The important
thing is to check your home before the baby gets there, prevent as many
possible accidents as you can, then check back frequently the older the child
gets. It is a constant struggle trying
to predict what your child can get into, so what every measure you take to baby
proof your home. The best safety measure
will always be your supervision.
For other safety products, check out this site: http://www.safebeginnings.com/
[Photos
from Google]
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