10 Tips to Keep Your Baby Safe

10 Tips to Keep Your Baby Safe

Feeling overwhelmed by all the choices and advice from friends and relatives about your new baby? What to do? What to buy? Here is some advice for new parents from the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission about nursery product safety.

What to do?

What to buy?

Here is some advice for new parents from the U-S Consumer Product Safety Commission about nursery product safety.baby products are a lot safer today than when your parents were making these same decisions.Now, here are 10 important safety tips you need to know when shopping for baby products and preparing your home for a new baby.

1- Start with a crib that meets CPSC safety standards-the strongest crib standards in the world. New cribs don’t have dangerous drop sides. They’re sturdier and are required to be tested before they reach your nursery.
Check the manufacture date on any crib to make sure it’s manufactured after June, 2011. That’s when the new safety standards became mandatory.

2- If space or cost is a concern, or if you’re traveling, you could use a play yard as a portable sleeping space. CPSC strengthened the standard for play yards made after February, 2013. Like your crib, check the play yard for a label that includes the manufacture date. And use only the mattress sold with the play yard.
Don’t put extra pads or pillows under the baby. This can create a gap where baby can become trapped and suffocate. CPSC, worked to make play yards a safe alternative to cribs-and now they are.

3- For your baby’s sleep environment, we say “bare is best. Everything comes out of the crib except for the baby and a fitted sheet. Never add pillows, quilts, or comforters in any crib, bassinet or play yard.
Instead, quilts and comforters can be used as wall hangings. Just be sure to keep them out of your baby’s sleep space.

4- Always place your baby on his or her back as recommended by the America Academy of Pediatrics, in a crib, bassinet or play yard that meets current standards. Again, Never place the baby on top of pillows or additional padding in the sleep space.
Proper placement of the crib can prevent a life-or-death situation. This next tip is key with newborns and children during their first year who can reach and pull themselves up.

5- Never place a crib near a window. A child can grab a window blind cord, or worse, become entangled. You should know that a child dies every two weeks from window cords wrapped around their neck. Now that you have created a safer sleep space for your baby, here’s what you need to remember when shopping for other baby products
and preparing your home for a new baby.

6- Beware of cords. We mentioned keeping the crib away from windows for a couple of reasons. Use cordless blinds as a safer alternative. They are now available in stores near you. And be aware of baby monitor cords. Did you know that a baby can grab the monitor cord, get tangled in it and strangle? So keep baby monitors and cords at least 3 feet away from the crib.

7- High chairs are convenient for feeding time, but always use the safety straps. And pay attention making sure the permanent restraint is between your baby’s legs. These restraints prevent children from slipping and strangling on the high chair tray.

8- You probably know that when toddlers start to crawl or walk, your home has to be retrofitted for their safety. This includes anchoring televisions and furniture. Unanchored furniture and televisions can topple over onto children who climb or explore. There are inexpensive ways to anchor the furniture. It only takes a few minutes to do and can save your child’s life.

9- Strollers make it much easier for you to get out and about with your baby. But, you need to be aware of two safety features, similar to high chairs. One, safety straps keep your baby in place. Without them, small babies can roll into the soft sides of the stroller and suffocate. The two, make sure the permanent restraint is in place. Otherwise a child can slip down between the seat and tray or crossbar and strangle.

10- Connect to CPSC to learn more about safer products for your baby. You can connect to CPSC in three ways: On C-P-S-C.gov you’ll find information about product safety recalls. You can even sign up to have new recalls of children’s products sent directly to you.