Keeping your baby safe

Keeping your baby safe
One of the first things you'll be aware of as a new parent is that you start to see the possibility of danger for your child in situations that would have looked innocuous to you just a short time ago. That's good -- it means that your antennae are up.

One of our prime responsibilities as parents is to keep our children from harm and that means learning how to prevent injuries. Experts don't talk about "childhood accidents" any more; they talk about "preventable childhood injuries." That's because studies have shown that the majority of injuries, which are the leading cause of death for children under age 19, are preventable. The following tips provide what you need to know about injury prevention for a baby.

General home safety
If you haven't already done so, get a fire extinguisher, hang it in a handy spot, and keep it serviced. Install smoke alarms in a central location on each floor of your home. Don't put an alarm in a bathroom or too close to the stove in a kitchen, because harmless smoke and steam vapours will reach it. If it sounds its shrill alarm just because you've had a hot shower, you may be irritated enough to deactivate it, then forget to reactivate it, But putting the alarm near the kitchen door is a good idea, because an unattended pot on the stove could start a fire.

Also install an alarm in any bedroom whose door is closed at night. If a fire starts in the wall of a bedroom with a closed door, an alarm in the hall may not activate until after the smoke has overcome someone sleeping in the bedroom. Remove dust from smoke alarms every six months by vacuuming them, and test the battery by waving a stick of incense or a candle under it. Pressing the tester button may only tell you whether the battery is charged, not whether the unit is working. Consider installing carbon monoxide detectors also, especially if you have a fireplace or wood stove, an oil or gas furnace, and gas appliances. The units should be installed near sleeping areas.

If you rely on well water or a source other than city-treated water, test it twice a year for coliform bacteria as well as fluoride and nitrate levels. Take a water sample in to your public health unit or ask for a water-testing kit.

When planning the baby's room, place the crib away from radiators and the cords of window blinds. Don't string anything across the crib, and hang mobiles out of reach. If you're using a diaper pail, choose one that has a secure compartment for the deodorizer or don't use a deodorizer at all.

Buy two first aid kits, one for the car and one for home. Ready-made kits from an established organization such as St. John Ambulance provide a good model to start with. Make a list of emergency phone numbers and post a copy by every telephone in the house. This list should include: poison control, police, fire, doctor, taxi, ambulance, and 911 or its equivalent in your area. Also post your own address and telephone number, in case an emergency makes the baby sitter or a visitor forget the information, and the phone numbers of grandparents, neighbours, friends, and workplaces.