Its exciting when baby starts to meet those first big milestones such as starting to crawl, standing up and taking those first steps. However, with these exciting moments comes the fear of realising that almost everything around your home poses a potential risk to baby. Every tiny object becomes a choking hazard and the contents of every cupboard at floor level is top on baby’s list of favourite things to play with!
Every year, 1 in 12 of all deaths in children aged 1 to 4 occur in the home and its likely that figure will have risen over the last year as we all spent more time at home juggling work and young families.
There are a number of precautions that you can take to help minimise the risks at home and give you some peace of mind.
- Cupboard child safety locks keep little ones out but allow you to still easily access what you need.
- Corner guards for the corners of tables, islands or kitchen units. Once your little one grows to the height of these items, they can easily have a nasty bang to the head or eye.
- Stair gates are a must at both the top and bottom, once baby starts to crawl and move around.
- Securing blind cords in every room is crucial to prevent your little one from getting their neck trapped.
- Store dishwasher tablets in a secure place out of reach. They can easily be mistaken for a sweet and when swallowed are incredibly dangerous.
- Secure tall furniture to the wall to prevent them from being pulled down. Wall fixings are often provided with furniture at the point of sale.
- Button batteries should also be stored in a secure, safe place away from young children due to the risks with swallowing.
- Ensure a fire guard is placed in front of open fires and burners.
- Some flat screen televisions can be a little unstable if they are freestanding. The sheer size of them can cause serious harm to babies and young children if they were to topple down. Safety straps secure the TV and prevent them from toppling over.
- Never leave hot drinks unattended or within baby’s reach.
- Don’t let pot handles overhang the stove when cooking or leads for items such as the iron or kettle hanging down where little hands can grab hold and pull them down.
- Be careful of any toys that have magnets on them as there is a risk if swallowed.
- Never leave water in the bath unattended.
- Be mindful of where young children are if when you are driving in or out of garages or driveways.
