Practical Tips For Baby-Proofing Your Home

March 10th, 2009 | Filed under: Child Proofing, Family Safety |

What’s involved in a home baby-proofing project? Surprisingly enough, it’s pretty basic and most of it is common sense. Let’s do a quick room-by-room rundown, starting with the nursery or child’s room…

Baby-Proofing The Nursery :

The Crib: Cribs must meet today’s safety standards set by the American Society for Testing and Material (ASTM). The crib mattress must fit snugly in the crib, leaving no gaps in between. If you can fit more than one finger between the mattress and the side rails, your mattress isn’t a good fit. Slats need to be 2 3/8 inches apart or less to prevent your baby from poking his head through. Finally, the crib shouldn’t have any decorative cutouts or elevated corner posts, as clothing could get caught on these.

Crib Bedding: While there are frequent disagreements as to whether crib bumpers should or shouldn’t be used, most pediatric organizations advise against using them altogether, citing them as a suffocation risk. To further reduce the risk of suffocation, it’s best to avoid soft bedding, pillows or excess blankets.

Changing Table: First and foremost, make sure that your changing table is sturdy. It should also have a safety strap and 2-inch guardrails on all sides to help prevent falls.

Window Cords: Don’t keep the baby’s crib near a window, especially if that window has blinds or chords of any kind as they create a significant risk for strangulation.