BABY ZIPPY TIPS - Safety at Home
HOME SAFE HOME
ADAPTING THE HOME FOR THE BABY'S SAFETY
Babies are true adventurers and explorers and, as such, any object can arouse curiosity, including dangerous ones.
LET THE DISCOVERY OF THE HOUSE BEGIN... SAFELY!
Fostering autonomy is essential, but always with the respective precautions. Check out our tips and assess the safety of your home:
In the different rooms of the house:
Avoid leaving toys scattered on the floor so as not to cause falls, whether children or adults. If storing them in a box or trunk, confirm that the lid is not heavy.
If you have rugs around the house, place a non-slip mat underneath or attach them to the floor. In the case of stairs, protect them with an approved barrier or barrier to prevent possible falls. If you have stairs, install push-close type gates only on the first step, at the base of stairs, at the kitchen door or other location to limit child access. This is because, over time, if the child pushes the gate frequently, it can gain slack and tip over. Gates installed at the top of stairs must be screwed to the wall to avoid the risk of falling.
As for electronic devices, make sure that there are no loose cables or cables on the floor, as they can also cause falls.Always unplug them from the mains after charging or after use.
It is also important that you do not leave small plastic bags for dirty diapers within reach of the baby, as they easily gain static electricity and can stick to the baby's mouth or nose, which will be at risk of suffocation.
Windows and Balconies:
Put guardrails on balconies with low guardrails or with horizontal, scalable openings. To limit the risk of falling, install on windows or French doors, at a high point out of the reach of the child, an opening restrictor that allows the window to open only 9 cm, enough to air the room in the house.For more information, you can consult APSI's Guide for Families: Guards to Protect Falls from a Height.
Furniture:
Put brakes on heavy drawers or where you keep dangerous goods. Fix all chests of drawers, shelves and cupboards securely to the wall, especially the tallest and heaviest ones, so that they do not fall on the child if he tries to climb them.
Sockets:
All household outlets must have their own protectors.When the child starts to crawl or crawl, he can reach for sockets and triple plugs, or pull electrical wires. Better than using protectors, it is installing models with protected alveoli. Regularly check for broken outlets, frayed electrical wires, or other damage.
Kitchen:
Make sure there are no toxic or cleaning products or sharp and/or sharp objects within reach of the baby.The ideal is to be closed in tall cabinets with a latch or in drawers with an opening block. Do not take babies and children into the kitchen and do not cook with them on your lap. Watch out for burns on the oven door. Cook on the back burners or plates and always turn the pan handles towards the inside.
Bedroom:
After the first 6 months, when moving the baby to a room alone, or with siblings, avoid placing the bed with rails near a window, next to curtains, blinds, wall lamps or other hanging cords. If they cannot be avoided, attach them to a high point that is difficult to access, not only in the bedroom, but also in other rooms in the house.
Our Tips for Baby Safety at Home
It is important that children fall and learn to deal with frustration, but at a risk threshold mediated and calculated by us. Therefore, an inspection of the house, the adaptation of environments, the correct use of childcare articles and changing some adult behaviors is always essential so that parents and children can enjoy a healthy and calmer routine. Remember that vigilance is the most failed accident prevention strategy.
On the APSI website, you will find the “Digital Safety Guide – Products for Children” with a lot of useful information to choose different products and to use them in order to maintain safety. Also the project “One second can last forever”, which includes themed films and leaflets by age groups, alert families to the most frequent or more serious accidents and which are the most effective prevention strategies.
Also check out our Childcare page for baby safety items, where you can find the right items for each situation and which will help prevent possible accidents.
