Safety
Babyproofing Your Home
Start babyproofing BEFORE baby is mobile (around 4-6 months) - babies develop skills suddenly.
Most injuries happen at home. Common dangers: falls, drowning, poisoning, burns, choking, suffocation.
Get down on hands and knees to see home from baby's perspective - reveals hidden dangers.
What to Do
- Anchor furniture (dressers, bookcases, TVs) to walls - tip-overs kill 1 child every 2 weeks
- Install safety gates at top and bottom of stairs (hardware-mounted at top, not pressure)
- Cover outlets with outlet covers or plates
- Secure cabinet locks on all cabinets with cleaners, medications, chemicals
- Remove tablecloths and placemats (baby can pull hot food/liquids onto themselves)
- Keep blind/curtain cords out of reach (strangulation hazard) - use cordless or short cords
- Install door stoppers and slam guards to prevent finger injuries
- Set water heater to 120°F or lower (prevent scalding)
- Keep small objects off floor (coins, buttons, batteries, magnets - choking/ingestion hazards)
- Pad sharp furniture corners with corner guards
- Keep houseplants out of reach (many are toxic)
- Store all medications in locked cabinet (even vitamins - iron poisoning)
- Keep toilet lids closed and bathroom doors shut (drowning hazard)
- Move cleaning products to high locked cabinets
When to call a doctor
Babyproofing is ongoing process - as baby gains new skills, new dangers emerge. Re-evaluate every few months. Most injuries are preventable with proper precautions.