September is Baby Safety Month!

1 : BABY’S CRIB

This should be free of any loose items, blankets, pillows and baby bumpers. It may look snazzy, but the risks of these items becoming a choking hazard far outweigh their aesthetic appeal. This, along with the ‘Back to Sleep’ movement of placing infants on their back to go to bed, has significantly reduced the incidences of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). If your child’s crib is near a window, make sure that there are no hanging ‘pulls’ to operate blinds or drapes that can easily become a dangerous play toy.

What’s more, windows near a baby’s crib, or bed! should be shut and locked if possible. If the room requires ventilation, consider opening the window from the top, maintaining less than a ½ inch gap.

2 : BABY’S GATE

A lifesaver from an unexpected tumble down the stairs or into a room that poses other hazards. But in order to work, gates need to be installed correctly. Gates should fit the walkway that they are covering and be secure. Pressure gates at the top of the stairs are not a good idea as they can yield from weight.

A 2014 study published in Academic Pediatrics found that five kids wind up in the emergency room each day with everything from cuts to traumatic brain injuries because of incorrect use of baby gates.

3 : BATTERIES

There is an old adage that young children appreciate the batteries more than the toys they power. Raising four children, Kaveny knows this to be true! Yet, batteries are dangerous play objects. Children can easily choke on a battery if put in their mouth. Once ingested, the batteries can also cause serious chemical burns and poisoning.

4 : PET FOOD/WATER

Even if Fido is perfectly trained, baby still watches the pup, or the cat! eat their food and drink their water. Baby sees, baby does…but with less stellar results. An infant or toddler can choke on a piece of kibble and it is often said that children can drown in two inches of water, about the average amount in an animal’s bowl. Keep your pets in an enclosed area for feeding time during these younger years. It will also protect children from challenging the family pet during one of the most territorial times of the day…mealtime!

What about product recalls and items that are ‘attached’ to your home such as LEAD PAINT?

Lead paint, used routinely throughout homes until it was banned in 1978, is still very present in some of the older architecture that defines Chicago and its surrounding suburbs.

A lead paint disclaimer should be issued when purchasing a home, but what if it isn’t? And what if your home has been passed on through generations? And what if the buyer did NOT disclose lead paint? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends test kits which can be purchased online or in virtually hardware store to test surfaces that are suspect.

There are also professionals who test and remediate homes that have lead paint. This is NOT a do it yourself job! Lead paint flakes quite easily and, from what we know, has a ‘sweeter’ taste, which is attractive to small children (and pets!). In order to properly remove lead paint, the area must be sealed properly and cleanup should be meticulous.