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Cooler weather is coming and kids will be playing indoors more often. Whether you have young children who visit or you’re bringing home a new baby, fall is a good time to reduce the risk of injury inside your house. It’s also good to make sure your safety efforts and devices are up to standard and in good working condition.
Jade Elliott sits down with Jessica Strong, Community Outreach Manager, Primary Children’s Hospital, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast. Together, they discuss how to make your home safe for kids.
Falls are a leading cause of injury at home.
- Don’t leave babies alone on beds, changing tables, or sofas.
- Secure furniture to the wall using mounts, brackets, anchors, or wall straps to prevent tip-overs.
- Keep a locked gate at the top and bottom of stairs. Replace older safety gates that are large enough to entrap a child’s head and neck.
- Always strap children into highchairs, swings, bouncers, and strollers.
- Keep windows closed and locked
Cribs
- Use an infant sleep sack instead of loose blankets to keep baby warm.
- Remove pillows and all other loose items (blankets, toys) from an infant’s sleep area to reduce the risk of suffocation.
- No older cribs w/drop sides
Heating elements
- Cover all radiators and baseboard heaters with childproof screens.
- Keep electrical space heaters at least 3 feet from beds, curtains, or anything flammable.
- Unplug and store all hot appliances, such as curling irons, out of reach.
- When cooking, turn pan handles toward the back of the stove.
Poisoning
- Store medicines and products in their original containers.
- Lock medicines and household products where children cannot see them or reach them.
- Call medicine by its proper name, not “candy”.
- Use a carbon monoxide alarm to help prevent poisoning.
- Keep the Poison Control Center’s number handy, such as a fridge magnet or programmed into your phone, 1-800-222-1222.
Other safety measures
- Learn CPR and first aid.
- Use Anti-Scald Devices for faucets and shower heads and set your water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help prevent burns.
- Use corner bumpers on furniture and fireplaces to help prevent injuries from falls against sharp edges.
- Cordless window coverings are recommended to help prevent strangulation. If your blinds were installed in 2000 or earlier and you cannot afford cordless window coverings, visit the Window Covering Safety Council.
To see Jade and Jessica walk through a home and demonstrate what they are talking about on the podcast, click here.
For more information and keeping your child safe, click here.
The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.