Baby Safety

From LoveToKnow Baby

Baby safety is your most important priority. While there are obvious steps you can take to ensure that she remains safe and healthy, there are also many hidden dangers in your home. Some of these you may not be familiar with.

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Baby Safety: Prevent Poisoning

Did you know that there are many common household items that can be poisonous to your child? Children are naturally curious, and you can't trust them to stay away from an object just because you tell them to. You need to place all household cleaners, medicines, etc. high out of reach of your little one's hands. Even medicine bottles and cleaners with childproof caps aren't really childproof. Don't take any chances! Store those items out of reach!

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Baby Safety: Poisonous Plants

Unfortunately, babies aren't very discretionary about what they choose to place in their mouths. They may decide to taste that pretty houseplant you have sitting in your living room or growing in your yard. Some plants are extremely poisonous, however. The following plants are considered toxic, but the list isn't limited to these plants only.

Elephant Ear or Dumb Cane
Hyacinth
Daffodil
Narcissus
Oleander-Extremely Poisonous!
Rosary Pea-Extremely Poisonous, Fatal!
Castor Bean-Extremely Poisonous, Fatal!
Larkspur
Star of Bethlehem
Foxglove
Bleeding Heart
Iris
Monkshood
Daphne-Extremely Poisonous, Fatal!
Rhubarb-Leaves Can Be Extremely Poisonous, Even Fatal!
Azaleas-Extremely Poisonous, Fatal!
Rhododendron-Extremely Poisonous, Fatal!
Jasmine-Extremely Poisonous, Fatal!
Laurel-Extremely Poisonous, Fatal!
Lantana-Extremely Poisonous, Fatal!
Yew-Extremely Poisonous, Fatal!

These are just some of the poisonous plants that are commonly found in homes. To be safe, be sure your child doesn't try to taste any plant in your home or yard.

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Baby Safety: Electrical Hazards

Holes of any size are very attractive to babies. They'll poke and prod any type of hole, and this can be dangerous when the holes are a part of an electrical outlet. Be sure you use electrical covers for all of your outlets, and keep electrical cords out of the way.

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Baby Safety: Burn Hazards

There are stove guards available which you can use to keep little hands away from stove tops. You should also keep pot handles turned in so that your child can't accidentally pull a pot with hot liquid or food on top of him. You should also use caution when burning candles. Make sure they are well out of reach of baby.

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Water Hazards

It only takes a couple of inches of water for a child to drown in. There are many water hazards that may be both inside and outside of your home. Your child could fall into the commode and accidentally drown. There are commode locks that you can purchase which will keep the commode lid down. Buckets of water outside of your house are also potential water hazards, as well as pools, creeks, ponds, etc. You should place high fences around your pool area and put self-latching locks on the gates. There are door alarms available that will notify you when a door has opened in your home, and there are pool alarms which emit an alarm sound when something hits the water.

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Baby Safety: Falling Hazards

If you have stairs, landing, lofts, and other high areas in your home, you'll need to protect your child from falls by using secure baby gates, screens, etc.

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Be Vigilant

Even if you take all of the necessary precautions to make your home a safe area for your baby, you'll still need to remain alert and vigilant to the possibility that your baby could get hurt.

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