September is National Baby Safety Month. This is a great time review your home for basic safety measures if you have children or grandkids in the home. While your Great Aunt Mabel may brush away the notion of needing baby proofing saying that her kids all turned out just fine, we can’t ignore the fact that we benefit from years of scientific based epidemiological studies that reveal the cause and nature of childhood injuries. According to SafeKidsUSA, accidents are the leading cause of death and injury in children under the age of 14. Professional baby proofers like Austin Babyproofing Company can help you identify and address home hazards that lead to childhood injuries.
All furniture has the potential of being pulled over. Even if a piece of furniture looks low and stable, a child climbing and/or pulling out drawers can precipitate a tip over. An annual average of 38,000 are treated annually for falling furniture & TV’s and children under 10 years old are overwhelmingly most likely to be injured. Secure furniture with at least two child safety straps into stud(s).
Most parents are concerned about too much screen-time when it comes to their children and TV. However, there is an even more immediate risk to their family from televisions. TV tip-overs have injured more than 17,000 children annually – approximately 47 children daily. All TVs in the home should be anchored with products specifically designed for television anchoring.
If your home has upstairs overlooks, railings or second story playrooms open to below, make sure there are not large toys, furniture or chairs near the railings/half walls that could be climbed by a toddler or child.
Gates should be placed at both the top and bottom of stairs. Be sure that the one at the top is a hardware mounted gate and not a pressure gate. You’ll most likely need a model that mounts at an angle as the wall studs don’t often line up directly across from each other.
Wrap up the pull cord of blinds and window coverings using cord cleats or cord wraps. Older styles of Roman blinds have an additional hazard in the form of a complete loop at the back where the pull cords attached to the fabric.
In the nursery, make sure the monitor and all cords are at least 3 feet away from the crib. You may get the best visibility when the monitor is right next to the crib, but you cannot risk slack from the cord being pulled into the crib with baby.
Contact Austin Babyproofing Company at 512-316-4516 or info@austinbabyproofing.com for more information. Austin Babyproofing Company, a local mom-owned business, has been helping to keep little hands out of big trouble since 2000 and is your go-to expert for all your baby proofing needs.
