7 Tips for Babyproofing the Home

When it comes to keeping our babies safe, many parents are very careful with illnesses and infections, but there is another danger that is much easier to avoid: accidents. A third of all childhood deaths are caused by preventable accidents, and the vast majority of these could be avoided with better babyproofing and safer practices. There is nothing parents can do to stop a child’s natural curiosity. Kids have an inborn urge to explore, and this means getting into things, playing with items that are not necessarily for babies, and making a mess of the home. For parents, the goal is not to stop this urge—on the contrary, it is quite healthy—but rather to make it so the children can explore safely. If your child is approaching the age where babyproofing becomes necessary (around seven or eight months, or whenever the baby starts crawling), here are some things to keep in mind while making your home safe. 1.    Start at the baby’s level. Get down to floor level and look for things that the baby can reach, keeping in mind that she will soon be able to stand when propped up against things. If there are any low surfaces containing fragile or possibly harmful items, remove these items. If there are any sharp edges, chords, or outlets (which we will get to next), remove them or make them safe. 2.    Eliminate electrical hazards. Any electrical outlets at baby level should be considered extremely dangerous safety issues. As soon as your baby begins to become mobile, put safety plugs in all the outlets. Also, check all the low areas of your walls for exposed wires of any kind. And just to be extra safe, unplug all electrical appliances that are not in use and cover their outlets. 3.    Keep dangerous items out of reach. There are plenty of items that are perfectly safe for adults yet potentially hazardous for children. For instance, plastic bags are suffocation hazards. Ropes, strings, and loose wires are strangulation hazards. And virtually any object small enough to fit in the mouth is a choking hazard. 4.    Store items safely. Anything that is potentially poisonous to your child should be stored well above the ground. Place cleaning materials, makeups, perfumes, and medicines in upper level cabinets. And if you must store them lower, make sure you have childproof locks on the bottom cabinets. It is a good idea to have these locks on cabinets in any case. 5.    Prevent falling objects. A high-energy baby can topple over any object with a high center of gravity. For example, a tall narrow bookshelf could be tipped from the bottom without much force. During babyproofing, go around your home and assess how easily every large object could be tipped over. If you find any hazardous items, move them into rooms where the baby will not be, or place them where there is no danger of falling over. 6.    Watch for sharp edges and corners. Many ordinary household objects have sharp edges that can hurt a recklessly playing baby. For instance, tables and chairs can have sharp corners. Funnily enough, even many baby items can have sharp corners—for example, toy boxes, large wooden toys, and cribs. With these edges, you can sand them down or pad them. 7.    Know who to call. Keep all emergency numbers in an easily accessible place—usually by the phone or on the fridge. By Jamell Williams