Baby Safety Checklist
Bedroom
Put your baby to sleep on his/her back in a crib with a firm,
flat mattress and no soft bedding underneath him/her. Follow
this advice to reduce the risk of suffocation and Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome. To prevent suffocation never put
babies to sleep on adult beds.
Make sure your baby's crib is sturdy and has no loose or
missing hardware. This will prevent babies from suffocating
or strangling by becoming trapped between broken crib parts.
Never place your baby's crib or furniture near window blind
or curtain cords. This will prevent babies from strangling
on the loop of the cord. To prevent falls, keep children
away from windows.
Bathroom
Keep medicines and cleaning products in containers with
safety caps and locked away from children.This will prevent
children from being poisoned.
Always check bath water temperature with your wrist or
elbow before putting your baby in to bathe. This will
prevent burns to a baby's delicate skin.
Never, ever, leave your child alone in the bathtub or
near any water. This will prevent children from drowning.
In addition, keep children away from all standing water,
including water in toilets, 5-gallon buckets and pools.
Kitchen
Don't leave your baby alone in a highchair always use all
safety straps. This will prevent injuries and deaths from
the baby climbing out, falling or sliding under the tray.
Be sure to use safety straps in strollers and baby swings.
Use your stoves back burners and keep pot handles turned
to the back of the stove. This will prevent deaths and
injuries from burns. In addition, keep children away from
tablecloths, so they can't pull down hot foods or liquids
on themselves.
Lock household cleaning products, knives, matches, and
plastic bags away from children. This will prevent
poisonings, bleeding injuries, burns and suffocation.
Living Areas
Install smoke detectors on each floor of your home;
especially near sleeping areas. Change the batteries each
year. This will prevent deaths and injuries from fires.
Use safety gates to block stairways and safety plugs to
cover electrical outlets. This will prevent injuries from
falls and electric shocks.
Keep all small objects including tiny toys and balloons
away from young children. This will prevent choking and
possible death.
For more, please visit the
Children's Health CenterLast Editorial Review: 8/30/2002