September is Baby Safety Month

CRIB SAFETY Much of your child's early life is spent inside his or her crib. When it comes to ensuring the well being of your baby, it's important that you start by keeping the crib safe. Every crib currently produced is required to meet Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) safety requirements, so you can rest assured that a baby crib that you will buy today will be safe for your child. Additional voluntary safety standards have also been set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and are certified by the Juvenile Product's Manufacturer's Association (JPMA).

If you wish to ensure the safety of your own baby crib, safety requirements and safety advice are outlined below.

• The slats of the baby crib must be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart so that your baby will not get stuck between the railings. The diameter of a pop can is the same measurement, so if the slats are farther apart than a pop can, the crib should be disposed of.
• A firm, tight-fitting mattress should be used in the baby crib. If the width of two adult fingers can fit between the mattress and the edge of the crib, then your baby could possibly become trapped underneath it. Also, the mattress should not be too soft, as a baby's face can become buried, causing him or her to suffocate. Place your baby on his or her back in the crib.
• Check the crib periodically for loose or missing screws, brackets, and other hardware. Even if the crib is properly assembled, an energetic child who jumps in the crib could possibly loosen joints. The hardware and the crib should be smooth and free of sharp edges, points and rough surfaces.
• No cutouts in the headboard or footboard so the baby's head can't get trapped.
• No corner posts over 1/16th of an inch high so baby's clothes can't catch.
• The top rails of crib sides, in their raised position, should be at least 26 inches above the top of the mattress support at its lowest position. This ensures that your child will have a hard time crawling out of the baby crib.
• As soon as the child can pull himself to a standing position, set and keep the mattress at its lowest position. Stop using the crib once the height of the top rails is less than three-fourths of the child's height.
• The drop side(s) of the crib should require two distinct actions or a minimum force of ten pounds with one action to release the latch or the locks to prevent accidental release by the child. Be sure to fully raise and lock the drop side railing every time you place your baby in the crib.
• Teething rails that are damaged should be fixed, replaced or removed immediately.
• Be sure to place cribs away from windows. Your active baby could find trouble with drapery and blind cords, or could test the strength of your window screen.
• Install smoke detectors in your home and follow the instructions carefully. Check at least once a month to make sure battery and smoke detector are in good working condition.
• Check older furniture and homes for lead in the paint. It can be found on walls and on painted old toys and furniture. For more information on identifying or removing lead paint, call the National Safety Council's National Lead Information Center at 800-424-5323.

By knowing and executing these safety practices, you will feel much more at ease when you place your baby to sleep in his or her ultra-secure crib.

CHILD SAFETY When your baby is old enough to roam your home, you will need to begin the child-proofing process! Parents are not generally aware of the many dangerous things that babies can get their hands on, so remember to think of the little ones when designing the look and function of every room.

• If there is a room that you don't want your children to enter, set up a gate to guide their explorations elsewhere. Gates are also perfect at the bottom and the top of stairways.
• Baby monitors give parents the freedom to sleep in a separate room at night or do chores during the day while being able to hear baby's breathing and cries.
• Replace tables and coffee tables that have sharp corners, or purchase some corner protectors. Rounded corners will prove to be much less harmful when bumps and bruises occur.
• Be careful about what you throw away in every garbage can. Razors, sharp metal edges on cans, cleaning supplies, and leftover medicine are all common dangers.
• Always be aware of where your medicines are stored - in a purse, a nightstand, or kitchen counter, for example - because the will of a toddler to get to something can be outstanding. Always store your medicine in a child-proof container.
• Secure all bookshelves to the walls and ceiling because they are extremely tempting to climb.
• Teach your children that the stove is hot and is not to be touched unless under adult supervision. While cooking, turn handles toward the back of the stove to keep curious kids' hands away. Also inform kids that steam equals a hot temperature.
• Keep kids from being underfoot while you are cooking. Dangerous spills will be less likely to occur if you can't trip over the kids, and access to sharp kitchen utensils will be reduced.
• Be aware of what is in your dishwasher. Glass items and sharp knives are much closer to a child's level in this location.
• Lock up your cleaning supplies! Safety devices like door catches are available at many retail stores.
• Never store anything that is potentially poisonous in anything other than its original container. (For example, hot grease in a peanut can or used motor oil in a coke bottle. You'd be surprised.)
• Lower the temperature of your hot water heater until you are comfortably able to place your hand under the faucet while running hot tap water only. Consider asking grandparents and other caretakers to do the same.
• Never leave plugged-in electrical cords hanging over the counter. Whether it is a mixer or a hairdryer on the other end, the result could be awful.
• Have your home inspected for lead paint, or learn how to do that yourself. Children are willing to put anything in their mouths.
• Consistently check your floors for splinters, pins, or other sharp objects. Remove choking hazards, breakables and valuables from all reachable places.
• Because bathrooms are dangerous, place a hook and eye latch at the top of the bathroom door. Ensure that everyone in the house always uses this.
• Never leave little ones unattended during bath time, and use acute judgment when letting older siblings watch them while in the tub, even if only for a minute.
• Use bath mats or textured decals to stick to the bottom of the tub to reduce slipping.

Great idea: Distract your toddler with some clever pre-planning. Fill a lower bureau drawer with old clothes, toys, wooden spoons, and other interesting items. Your child will love discovering this treasure trove of new and wonderful things and will be occupied for hours.

And don't forget to protect your own treasured items from sticky little hands. Shelve your favorite books higher, and find slipcovers for your expensive furniture. Think ahead to moments when you will want your toddler to stay away from something and be creative with your solution. It will save you and your toddler the stress of keeping him or her away from various rooms and items.

To ensure that you have caught all of the baby dangers in your home, try getting down to your little one's level. By getting down on your hands and knees and inspecting what they see from their height, you may be able to ward off various hazards here and there.