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Home Sweet (and Safe) Home

By Jo Ellen Lee, RNC, MSN, CPNP

Home may be where the heart is, but it’s also a goldmine for infant injuries. Childproofing your house now will keep your curious little one safe and sound.

Dangers hide everywhere in a house, and growing, exploring babies are surprisingly adept at finding them. To make sure your child stays safe, take time to babyproof your house before she is mobile. It’s a good idea to get down on your hands and knees to see the world from a baby’s point of view. If something looks dangerous, remove it, lock it up or cover it up. Continue to look around your home periodically to spot the next new hazard your child may uncover as she grows and develops.

Steps to Safety

Children learn by moving, touching, tasting, grabbing, licking, feeling and imitating. Because this places them at prime risk for injuries, especially from poisoning, it’s important that they be supervised every crawl or step of the way. Keep in mind that many injuries occur when there has been a change in routine—often during holidays, special occasions or stressful times. Here’s what you need to know to make safety reign in your home.

• Roll or tie back blinds, drapery and telephone cords, or place them in a cord winder. Keep the crib away from windows with hanging cords to prevent strangulation.
• Keep extension and electric cords inaccessible. Use cord wrappers to shorten them, and don’t let them dangle.
• Many household plants are poisonous, so it’s important to keep them out of your child’s reach.
• Keep sharp tools and toxic substances safely locked away. Always unplug power tools and keep them locked up.
• Cover outlets with plug-ins or a permanent cover.
• Avoid using floor lamps or coat trees, which can tip over.
• To prevent crushing injuries, secure any heavy furniture that might fall over—such as bookcases, TVs, changing tables or dressers—by strapping or bolting it to the wall or floor with angle braces or anchors.
  Use doorknob covers on doors that you don’t want your child to open and “stop lock” devices so that your child can’t be locked in a room.
• Prevent fires by cleaning the dryer’s lint trap after each load.
• Secure small rugs with carpet tape or nonskid backing.
• Be sure that all heating vent openings are small enough to prevent tiny fingers from touching hot parts. Avoid using space heaters and fireplaces with glass doors: The heat from these two items could burn sensitive baby skin.
• Use cushion guards on fireplaces with a raised hearth or on coffee tables with sharp edges.
• Open windows from the top if possible, and install window guards.
• Install child safety gates at the top and bottom of each staircase. Don’t use accordion gates—your infant could get his head caught between the slats.
• Keep alcoholic beverages and cigarettes well out of reach. Store lighters and matches in a cabinet, and empty all ashtrays. Don’t smoke around your child, and never hold your baby while you’re smoking: The end of the cigarette can cause third-degree burns.
• Store guns unloaded and locked (use safety locks), with the ammunition locked away separately. Keep keys in separate places for the storage containers/cabinets.
• Keep all fans out of reach of children, and especially off the floor. Your crawling baby could hurt his fingers on the blades.
• Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home. Pick a date each year (like your child’s birthday or daylight-savings days) to remind yourself to change the batteries.
• Learn CPR and what to do for choking. Find classes in your area at www.redcross.org.

Kitchen Caution

The kitchen is the most dangerous room in the house. Make yours safer by using cabinet latches and locks, drawer and appliance locks, burner covers and knob locks. Also: Never hold your baby while handling hot liquid, like coffee.

• Secure stoves, as they can tip over, and always watch your child while you’re cooking. Position pans on back burners with handles turned in.
• Keep a Class C fire extinguisher near the kitchen (and on each level of the home).
• Store cleaning products in their original container in a locked cabinet away from food.
• Keep knives, scissors, plastic bags, matches and plastic wrap in a locked, high cabinet.
• Don’t leave a stool or chair next to the stove or cabinets—your child could use it for climbing.
• Don’t store medications in the kitchen or with food.
• Use a high chair with a wide base, and waist and crotch straps that are separate from the tray. Always strap your baby into the high chair, and never leave her unattended.

Bathroom Basics

Bathtime can be fun, but you need to be safe. Never leave your baby alone in the tub. A baby or toddler can drown in just one or two inches of water in a very short time. Always test the water temperature before placing your baby in the tub (meat thermometers work well for this, as do some tub toys, which have “too-hot” indicators). The water should feel warm to the touch and be 100ºF or lower. Turn off the cold water last to prevent burns, and use a spout guard. Always empty the tub immediately after use, and install no-slip strips or a mat on the tub floor. Other bathroom safety tips:

• Unplug electrical appliances after using them.
• Keep cosmetics, colognes, medications and mouthwash out of reach. They can be poisonous.
• Keep the bathroom door closed, and use a toilet lock to withstand infants’ and toddlers’ curiosity.
• Place cleaners, chemicals and soaps in a high, locked cabinet, or better yet, keep these items elsewhere.

Jo Ellen Lee, RNC, MSN, CPNP, is a pediatric nurse practitioner at SouthWest Pediatrics, Grove City, Ohio, and is on the adjunct clinical faculty at Ohio State University in Columbus.