Newborn Planning

It is the worst nightmare for any parent having a baby or bringing up a toddler regarding safety of the child in and around home. The statistics are alarming regarding hospital accident and emergency visits by parents with their kids who have had an accident. In the UK alone around two million children are rushed to hospital per year because of accidents within the home and it is with this in mind that we must take the utmost care and provide the equipment necessary to provide a safe home environment for children.

Planning

Newborn Planning - skycaptaintwo / CC BY 2.0

This, the first of five articles, looks at ways in which toddler accidents in the home can be reduced and what products are available to minimise the risk of an accident occurring. The first of which will be covered here, we identify the following list as being the five main perils of baby and toddler safety within or around the home:

  • Trips and Falls
  • Fire Safety
  • Road and Cycle Safety
  • Burns and Scolds
  • Poisonous substances

The balance of allowing the child to develop naturally and not being over protective must also be considered so as not to slow down the natural development of the child. A good tip is to try and look at the home environment through the eyes of the child so as to recognise the lurking dangers around each corner, and with this in mind we will take a look at the first of the five perils.

Trips and Falls

The most obvious danger in a home is the staircase. A toddler lurking at the top of a staircase is in immediate danger and protection is advised. Safety gates at the top of the stairs are therefore an essential requirement to prevent imminent risk.

A second danger is the access to any windows in the home. Although some new homes are fitted with locks to the windows many of the older homes are not and the different shapes and sizes of the window will need to be addressed when choosing a lock or catch. In any event it is important to find a suitable catch to prevent the toddler from falling out.

Many babies are changed on a table or at a higher level than the floor. A most sensible tip would always be to change the baby on the floor to avoid a potential fall.

I hope this has been of some use and for more information regarding where to best buy the equipment regarding child safety please visit our baby blog at http://shopnowuk.com/baby_shopping_blog/ or our website at http://www.shopnowuk.com/best_selling_baby.html