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Injuries are one of the leading causes of hospitalization in children under five - which is why you'll want to child proof your home now.
Once your baby becomes mobile, child proofing your home is vital. One room you'll need to exercise extra caution in is the kitchen. Put chemicals such as cleaners up and out of your child's reach, turn pot handles in when cooking, and ensure your child can't grab the cord of an appliance. And watch out for ways your child could be burned says Anne Williams, a safety expert with Safe Start. "The main cause of scalds are hot water burns, and that's usually caused by coffee, tea or soup left too close to the edge of the counter. The child will pull on it to see what's inside and it falls on his face and hands."
Williams explains that most hospitals can narrow down "emergency visits due to scalds to between 6pm and 8pm, so suppertime is the key time to be looking out for that." She adds that even a slippery kitchen floor can send a child to a hospital, especially one who is just learning to walk. "They often times stumble and fall into something and knock things such as hot liquids onto them, creating another hazard." says Williams. "They can slip on tile or linoleum floors. It doesn't take a fall from a great height for a child to get seriously injured."
Williams stresses that parents should really think twice before placing their baby on top of a kitchen counter while in an infant seat. "Often times the parent will take the car seat out of the car, put it on the kitchen counter and the child will wiggle and kick causing the seat to fall off the counter. What also happens is the child may not be restrained in the car seat by the time you get indoors, and the child can fall out and land on the floor."
Another room for parents to exercise caution in is the bedroom. Sometimes parents will place a crib near a window. As a child becomes more mobile they can crawl out of the crib, and through the window. So ensure that all windows in your home are securely latched. Finally take the time to remove all drapery and blind cords from around the crib. These have led to strangulation deaths in infants and toddlers.
Adapted from The Parent Report Radio Show. Any advice or information contained herein should never be a substitute for professional and/or medical advice, diagnosis and treatment. For more information please review Terms of Service.
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