Keeping your baby safe is often a major concern for new parents but among all the pressures of parenthood some important steps can be forgotten. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) provides a handy check list that will help to keep your child safe in the first year.
Falls
- Beware: your baby will move faster than you think when learning to crawl.
- As soon as babies can raise themselves, they are able to roll – Never leave a baby on a raised surface.
- Never leave trip hazards on the stairs.
- Fit a safety gate conforming to EN1930:2000 at the top and bottom of stairs.
Hot Drinks
- A child’s skin is much more sensitive than an adult’s and a hot drink can still scald a child 15
minutes after being made.
- Never hold a hot drink and a child at the same time.
- Keep hot drinks out of reach and away from the edges of tables and worktops.
Bath time
- When running a bath turn the cold water on first and always test the water temperature with your elbow before letting a child get into the water.
- Never leave young children alone in the bathroom.
- Make sure that a baby bath is on a firm surface.
Burns
- Always use a fireguard secured to the wall.
- Keep hot irons, curling tongs and hair straighteners out of reach even when cooling down.
Choking, Suffocation and Strangulation
- Never go to sleep with your baby in your bed.
- Lie a small baby down on his/her back and make sure the child’s feet are at the bottom of the cot.
- Never leave a baby or toddler to feed alone.
- Choose toys appropriate to the age of the child.
- Ensure that small objects such as marbles,peanuts and small toys and plastic bags are kept out of reach of children under 3 years old.:
• Install blinds that do not have a cord,particularly in a child’s bedroom.
- Keep cords on curtains short and out of reach. A variety of cleats and cord tidies are available.
- Don’t hang draw string bags where a small child could get their head through the loop of the drawstring.
Much more information is available at: http://www.safeathome.rospa.com/