Posts Tagged ‘Baby Safety’
In order to meet current Federal and ASTM standards, the infant should ALWAYS sleep in the crib.
Only one-inch (about two fingers width) should be between the edge of the mattress and the edge of the crib. The crib mattress should fig snugly into the crib. The baby could get trapped between the side of the crib and the mattress with a mattress too small for the crib.
Pillow thick bumper pads should not be used. If you must use bumper pads, they should be the thin type.
The JPMA Certification Seal should ensure the safety standards of the crib.
The first home for the baby should be cheerful and secure.
As many as 50 babies suffocate or strangle each year because they become trapped between broken crib parts and cribs with older unsafe design.
The baby crib that you used for your older children may have older, unsafe designs and may not meet current baby’s safety standards. You may not think you can afford it, but you should not purchase an old crib at a garage sale or accept hand-me-downs that do not meet safety standards.
This is a major purchase for the coming of the new infant and should be decided with care.
We are becoming accustomed to reading labels on the foods we buy because we want to know what we are eating and drinking. We should also read the labels of our cleaning products, pesticides, medicines where they clearly display the words, “Keep Out of the Reach of Children.”
We use cabinet door locks, drawer locks to provide for child safety at home, but we should still put these hazardous materials out of reach in a locked cabinet. Most of these substances will be found in the kitchen, bathroom and garage.
It is also important to leave the hazardous materials in their original containers as they have important instructions for what to do if accidentally ingested. If left is a cup, they may be mistaken for food or drink.
It is so exciting to see the baby roll over for the first time. It is a great achievement both for the baby and the family and the beginning of new concerns about the baby’s safety. This movement comes gradually, so that we almost don’t notice the difference, but it becomes necessary to start putting tiny objects a little higher, place gates to limit the movement of the baby so you can keep track of him and still get something else done.
The older children must be educated about what they must do for the safety of the baby. We put covers on the wall electrical outlets, tie down furniture that could tip over, cover sharp edges of the furniture. Put the glasses of liquid a little further from the edge of the table so the baby cannot reach.
Some babies are great climbers. Some can climb up the drawers in the kitchen cupboards. It is best to fix the drawers and cabinet doors with fasteners so they cannot be opened by the baby. The outside door of the house can be fixed so the baby cannot turn the handle to go outside without your knowledge.
There are a myriad of safety devices to keep the baby safe. If you have something that especially worries you, with a little searching, you will probably find the solution.
In response to a number of entrapment issues in the United States and Canada, Stork Craft Manufacturing, Inc., of British Columbia, Canada, in cooperation with the U. S Product Safety Commission, has voluntarily recalled 2.1 Million drop-side baby cribs to improve the baby’s safety. A number of the cribs have the Fisher Price label.
Stork is providing a repair kit which will convert the crib from a drop-side to a firm sided crib. They are requesting that you do not attempt to repair the crib yourself without the kit. Please find other sleeping arrangements for your baby until the repair kit arrives. You can call to order the free repair kit to (877) 274-0277 or log in the www.storkcraft.com.
Sometimes when the temperatures really drop, it seems impossible to keep warm with our regular heating system and we add extra blankets and electric heaters. There are several safety tips to keep the children safe around this new environment.
- Keep this children away from the space heater.
- Do not allow them to move or adjust the temperature.
- Do not use an extension cord and keep the cord extended straight.
- Keep the heater away from flammable materials, such as: drapes, bed clothing, towels, or items that could fall on the heater.
- Always place the heater on the floor.
- Do not dry items in front of the heater.
- Turn off the heater before leaving the house.
We hope everyone can keep warm during these cold days of winter.
Dr. Barry Lester, Ph.D., director of the Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, has led a team which has developed a newborn exam called the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS). School readiness and behavior at age 4 could be identified with this exam to show if there is a developmental delay. Early intervention to prevent these problems is a possibility.
This new tool could be very beneficial to children throughout their lifetime and give parents an opportunity to make a difference by providing the proper intervention efforts. The NNNS exam is already being used around the world, as well as in the U.S., for both research and intervention.
When we place the baby into the crib for the nap or their nightime sleep, we worry because we are not watching them. With the baby monitor we can keep them with us even when we are out of the room.
There are several kinds of monitors. Some will let you hear the sounds that they make whether they arre crying or coughing. Video monitors will let you have a view of the baby. Or, you can get a monitor that will sensor if the baby has been still for too long. There are wireless baby monitors, or monitors which require batteries or that you plug into an outlet.
When making a decision to purchase a monitor you will want one that has clarity of vision or of sound. Take care in positioning the monitor so that you will get the correct view, clarity of sound, or motion detection you desire.
Cooking for the holidays is a fun thing. Christmas cookies and candies are first on the list for many family cooks. While you are cooking or baking, please keep in the the baby safety issues of the kitchen. Here are just a few.
- Always stay in the kitchen while the stove is on.
- Try to use the back burners as much as possible.
- Point handles inward.
- Keep the stove, toaster, etc., clean.
- Keep things away from the stove that are easily flammible, such as: towels, curtains, potholders.
- Keep pets and children away from the cooking area. Some people place tape on the floor to let the child know how far they can come.
Most home fires start in the kitchen, usually from placing an item on the stove and forgetting it. I am sure you can think of this and many more safety tips. These are only a few.
If you do catch fire from wearing loose fitting clothing, drop to the floor immediately and rock back and forth over the burning area until the fire is out.
Happy Holidays!
It seems after reading several articles on co-sleeping, I found that the writers are in disagreement with me and state that babies should only sleep in a bassinet or crib. It is okay to place the seperate sleeping arrangement near the parents bed. They are advocating against children sleeping in the parents bed under any circumstances and feel that baby safety is at risk.
The babies deaths from co-sleeping tend to increase during the winter months when there are more covers. Babies do not necessarily waken when they are having breathing difficulty. The recommendation is the child sleep in the crib with a tight fitting bottom sheet with thin bumper pads, if any.