Environmental Safety

A baby’s environment should be a place to love, discover, feel safe and secure. But oftentimes, even the places we feel are the safest can present potential problems for your baby.

Cribs
With more babies dying every year from crib-related accidents—more than any other nursery product, it is very important that parents are aware of the dangers that can come along with crib use. Remember to secure and tighten all hardware within the crib, and if you can, try and buy a new crib instead of a used one. The crib should have a fitted mattress that fits tightly, no loose pieces, and all sharp corners and splinters should be sanded off.

Remember:

To reduce and/or prevent SIDS and suffocation, put your baby to sleep on their back in a crib on a firm, flat mattress. No soft mattresses.
Never put a crib near window blinds or drapes, as the child can easily strangle on the cords.
Remove all toys, objects from the baby and from inside and around the crib, particularly before he/she goes to sleep.

Bathing Aids
Water poses other dangers with your baby. Never, under any circumstances leave your child alone in the bathtub. Do not think that the child is safe with the bath ring. The bath ring is no substitute for your supervision!!!

Remember:

Place all necessary bath items such as soap, towels, washcloths, etc. in the tub before your baby goes in.
Attach bath rings and seats to a smooth surface, as rough textured ones do not allow the cups to stick properly.
Only fill the tub with enough water to cover the baby’s legs. This is plenty of water to bathe your baby with. Be aware that this is still enough water to cause drowning.

Baby Gates
Baby gates are used to prevent a child from falling from the top of stairs or in open, unsafe areas. However, the gates themselves can be dangerous. It is important to keep these safety tips in mind when looking at baby gates:

Do not use accordion-style expandable enclosures with V-shaped or diamond openings. The baby can get its head entrapped between one of the wide openings if they attempt to crawl through or over the gates.
Choose a gate with straight top edges and small holes and/or openings. Or perhaps try a gate with a mesh screen to prevent any entrapment or sharp edges that can hurt your baby.

High Chairs
Here are some safety tips that can help you prevent any accidents from happening to your child:

Make sure that all restraining straps that are provided with the chair are used. Many accidents result when straps are not properly fastened, allowing the child to slip under the tray and be strangled.
Do not let your child stand up in a high chair.
Keep children from running around or leaning on the high chair, as this could cause the chair to tip over and fall.
As always do not go too far from the chair, in case the straps come undone.

What to look for in buying a high chair:

Select a high chair that has a post between the child’s legs to prevent slippage.
Check for straps that are sturdy and easy to use. Make sure these straps will restrain the child comfortably, but securely. Also, ensure the straps have a buckle that cannot be fastened without other straps being used.
Look for a chair with a wide base.
If you already have a high chair, check to make sure the attachments, straps, and buckles are secure, and if they are not, order a replacement from the manufacturer.

Rattles/Toys/Teethers
Toys are for playtime and enjoyment. But some toys can become lodged in a baby’s mouth and airways and cause choking. Therefore every parent should be aware of the dangers associated with toys, rattles, and teethers. Here are some safety tips to know:

Take all rattles, teethers, toys and other small objects out of the crib or playpen area when the child sleeps.
Check to see that there are no small pieces on the objects that could come off or extend into the back of the baby’s mouth.
Anything that is the size of a golf ball or smaller is a choking hazard.
Do not fasten teethers or pacifiers around the baby’s neck.

Walkers
Walkers can be a source of deep injury for your baby. Many injuries involving walkers are caused by the child falling down stairs, tipping over, and being burned when they touch hot surfaces or reach for and spill hot materials.

A wonderful alternative to a walker is an activity center. These are usually stationary or allow the child to walk in a limited area which restricts the injuries associated with most walkers. They also provide a wonderful space for the child to learn with the many actions in the activity center.

If you feel that your child must use a walker:

Read all of the safety instructions on the labels so you know all of the warnings associated with the product.
Keep walker away from all bodies of water like swimming pools, toilets and pails of water.
Keep child away from hot products or surfaces they could reach and touch.
Make sure that any stairs, steps or uneven surfaces are blocked by a secure and safe baby gate or door.

Playpens
Playpen deaths have occurred mostly when the sides of the playpens have been left in the open position, and have closed in and collapse on the child. To prevent anything like this from happening to your child you should:

Remove all toys and large objects out of the playpen. The child can use these to climb out of the playpen.
Beware of playpens that have rotating latches in the center of the top rails. Those latches can come loose and cause the rails to collapse and the sides to come down on the child.
Don’t leave the drop-side down while the child is in the playpen, as the child can roll over into the side pocket and suffocate on the mesh side.
If you are buying a new crib ensure that the top rails lock automatically in the normal use position. Also look for mesh netting with very tiny weave.
Do not lay any objects atop or across the playpen that the child could possibly cause strangulation.

Toy Chests
The biggest cause of injury or death with toy chests is when the top of the chest falls on the child’s head or neck. Children often reach over into the chest and the lid dropped, causing severe damage. Another potential hazard is your child might crawl into the chest space to hide or sleep and end up suffocating because of the lack of ventilation. Try these tips to prevent injuries or deaths from happening:

If you already own a toy chest, remove the lid. If you are buying one, look for a chest with a detachable lid. If you cannot do that, purchase a lid support device that holds the chest in its open position such as a spring-loaded support.
Make sure that the lid of the chest does not have a latch.
Look for a chest that has holes for ventilation that cannot be blocked by any spaces.