Protecting Your Baby

As shown in our previous article, there is a wide variety of dangers that can lead to accidents and cause injuries to your baby. And as these can happen at any time, all you can do is to try and prevent these. In this article, we will take a look at the ways that you can avoid these, as well as how you can childproof your home in general.

Preventing common accidents

Often, many of the accidents that happen to your baby is due to a variety of objects that are left lying where the baby is. For instance, tripping over can be caused by stepping on toys and stray wires. And common incidents of the young ones cutting themselves is often because of scissors or other sharp objects they happen to find and get hold of.

As such, the first order of business when it comes to childproofing your home is cleaning up. Make sure that there are no items scattered on the floor whenever he is walking around. Rugs are also common causes of falls, as these can slip under him. To avoid that put non-slip pads under all the rugs in your home.

Your child is also very fond of pulling on objects within his reach, which can lead to a variety of accidents, such as heavy objects falling on top of him. Hence, make sure that such objects are well beyond where he can reach. Cords are also quite popular with the little ones and they will tug on these whenever given a chance. Hence, make sure that these are properly tucked away. You can also tape them on the tables or walls for added safety.

Another common accident that you have to deal with is him bumping to sharp corners like table edges or drawers. For safety, you can wrap these with soft rubber padding to protect him. Also, keep all cabinets drawers closed at all times.

Safety during mealtime

Mealtimes might seem fun for your baby, but it can also bring in its own set of hazards. Choking is a particularly common occurrence here and is often due to your child eating food bits that are too large or too difficult for him to swallows. Thus, you have to make sure that all the food you give him are of the right size. Also, avoid giving him raw carrots, unpeeled apples and other such hard foods to be safe.

Another thing to watch out for during mealtime is hot foods. As a precaution, let any food that you serve to your baby cool for at least 15 minutes before giving it to the. Also, never leave your child to himself when eating hot foods.

Meanwhile, using high chairs could also lead to falls if your young one is not properly seated on them. Make sure that he is securely strapped to the seat to prevent sliding. You also have to ensure that the chair itself is stable enough so as not to tumble when he keeps moving around.

Identifying hidden hazards

However, while you are already aware of the most common hazards that your baby faces around the home, there are still a lot of others that you might not even be aware of. Here are a few that you definitely need to watch out for.

1. Magnets

Magnets are everywhere and used for a wide variety of purposes, including in your toddler’s toys. And when these get dislodged, they pose serious choking hazards. And when ingested, these magnets can attract each other and cause internal injuries in your child. If your kid accidentally swallowed one of these, bring him immediately to the doctor for X-rays.

2. Button batteries

Another invisible hazard and this is closer to your baby than you think, as they are present in electronic toys. Aside from a choking hazard, these batteries can also spill open once ingested, causing poisoning. As is with any incidents of ingestion of a foreign material, call your doctor immediately when this happens.

3. Hard candy

This is an even more innocuous looking hazard than the above two. In fact, you will often willingly give this to your tot. When your young one starts to choke on these, you should quickly apply the necessary first aid procedure, such as the Heimlich maneuver.

In the next post, we will talk more about toy safety.