As a parent, grandparent, guardian, or caretaker, the health and safety of your baby is your top priority. To highlight the unique challenges and risks babies face, the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) hosts Baby Safety Month every September. The goal is to remind everyone about the importance of baby safety and to purchase of safe products. We offer these tips on keeping your baby safe.

Get a Baby-Eye View

As adults, we rarely get down on the floor to look at our home, but this is the best place to be when looking for potential hazards. From this vantage point, be on the lookout for:

• Outlets
• Blind Cords
• Poisonous Plants
• Small Objects
• Hanging Table Cloths
• Other Hazards

The goal is to protect your child from common harms, such as choking or injury from falling items. Help to achieve this by:

• Installing outlet covers
• Installing latches on all cabinets
• Removing potentially dangerous items, such as table cloths and plants, from your décor.
• Using properly installed baby gates to contain your child and protect them from falls and other hazards. 

Kitchen Safety

Babies love to explore their environment and the kitchen can be a dangerous place for them. Ensure their safety by:

• Not holding your baby while you are cooking;
• Keeping pot handles turned toward the back of the stove to prevent hot foods and liquids from being splashed onto the baby;
• Keeping heavy pots, breakable dishes and knives out of reach;
• Using cabinet latches to safely stow cleaning solutions and other dangerous items; and
• Stashing your garbage can in a locked cupboard or use one that has a child-safe lid.

Nursery Safety

You want this room to be a safe and secure place for your child to learn and grow. Create this environment by:

• Moving furniture away from windows to prevent them from becoming tangled in cords or falling through a screen;
• Using a fitted sheet that is the right size for the crib mattress;
• Making sure that the mattress fits snugly within the crib to assure that your baby doesn’t slip between the mattress and the side of the crib;
• Placing your baby on its back to sleep; and 
• Keeping the sleep space free from pillows and blankets.

You don’t have to toss out the cute baby blankets you receive, just be careful of when you use them and don’t let your baby sleep with them.

Out and About

A car seat is critically important to keep your child safe while you drive. The problem is that in the US, approximately 95% of infant seats have at least one major installation error. In addition, the type of seat that offers the best protection will change as your child grows. You need to be sure that you have the right seat for their age and weight, and that it is installed correctly.

If you’re walking with your child, follow these stroller safety tips:

• Always put the stroller in the locked position when putting your baby in the stroller.
• Always put the stroller in the locked position whenever you are stationary to avoid it rolling away from you. 
• Place other items, such as your purse, in the storage area beneath the stroller.
• Do not hang every item off of the back of the stroller because this can cause it to tip over. 
• Avoid distractions, such as phone use, while pushing the stroller so you can be aware of your surroundings so you can anticipate potential problems and avoid them. This is especially important when walking along busy sidewalks or park trails.

Your baby’s safety is a priority all year long, but Baby Safety Month offers a great opportunity to review risk areas and make appropriate modifications as needed. 

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