Baby Proofing Keeps Babies Safer
It's a known fact: children tend to be curious and mischievous. Here's another known fact: every year more children under the age of five die from unintentional injury in this country than all other causes combined and baby “explorers” do wind up becoming statistical accident victims. It's the home that is a veritable danger zone for inquisitive youngsters. But parents can take measures to safeguard their home and be secure in the knowledge that they're doing what they can to avoid unforeseen accidents.
Why hire a professional baby proofer?
- According to a December 2008 Center for Disease Control Childhood Injury Report, during the years 2000-2005, over 16,000 children under the age of four years died from a preventable and controllable cause. More specifically, these deaths were caused by suffocation. This includes choking, strangulation and entrapment (representing a striking 40%), drowning (20%), and another 15% of fatal injuries resulted from being struck by or falling into objects such as sharp corners.
- The statistics for preventable injuries and deaths among young children is alarming—surely every parent wants to keep their child safe and help them live to their full potential.
- A baby proofer better understands and sees these problems, and can help reduce the risk that your child will become one of these devastating statistics. At times, it is best to have a baby proofer provide protection, while for other situations, the baby proofer can give parents practical tips for prevention. The combination of these two strategies can significantly help lower the number of casualties in and around the home.
- A professional baby proofer will recommend and properly install the best safety products to improve the overall safety of the child's surrounding environment.
When is the right time to child proof my home?
- Before your child becomes mobile and inquisitive—age can vary, typically 6 months - 9 months.
- Start the process early and build on it—it is always best to be ready.
- Doing so in stages allows parents to baby proof their home incrementally as their child grows and develops. You want to be proactive not reactive.
- Get the obvious dangers taken care of initially, and then see how your child develops—crib to bed, a new sibling, a pet, moving to a new/larger home, etc.—all could be reasons for stage 2 baby proofing.
What are some surprising hidden dangers most often found in a home?
- Monitor wires near cribs; if a baby can pull the wire through the crib slats he/she can then bite onto a live electrical wire or wrap the cord around their neck. Solution: Be sure the wire is out of reach.
- Because children mimic what they see (monkey see, monkey do), belts, neckties, dog leashes, scarves, and other typical household items 7” or longer should not be hanging around. Again, you don't want your child wrapping one of these items around their neck.
- Common chokable dangers include objects like coins, jewelry, pills, buttons, water bottle caps, small refrigerator magnets, etc. You get the idea. Get down on all fours and check under appliances and furniture (your child's territory) for these and other small chokable hazards. If it fits inside of a toilet paper holder it's probably a chokable hazard.
- You might think your child is totally safe when being carried by an adult. On the contrary, because your child is higher up, any distraction like answering a phone or checking the stove top means your baby can grab items like knives on a counter-top, dimmer light switches, window blind cords, dangling telephone cords, etc. Take notice and look at these typical household items from a new, educated perspective.
- Have a shoe fetish like so many Moms do? Be sure you remove the silica deodorizer packets that come in the shoe boxes of all new shoes. They are the perfect size for little hands and little mouths.
- Keep plastic dry cleaning bags, plastic shopping bags, kitchen wraps with serrated edges on boxes, and food storage bags out of reach of your baby. Any plastic presents a danger to a youngster if they put it near their mouth.
- Don't forget grandma's house—before you put your baby down on the floor to crawl around and explore—make sure everything is safe and sound (i.e. make sure there are no pills on the floor that grandma/grandpa dropped and forget to pick up).
Is there a way to balance safety, aesthetics, and cost when baby proofing my home?
- It's your house and your baby's house—you want to cohabitate effortlessly, comfortably, and safely.
- Don't go overboard and create a padded cell.
- Expect your child will still get minor bumps and boo boos.
- Do it in stages.
- Become an educated consumer on baby proofing.
- Protect your child from obvious/hidden dangers that you know exist (toxic, sharp, breakables, electrical wires, furniture that can topple, stairs, windows, etc.).
- Use the word “no” strategically—not for your convenience (not because your child has put his/her fingerprints on your stainless steel refrigerator, but when it is really important—like when they reach for that floor lamp!).
