Accidents are the leading cause of death for children. Most of these deaths could easily be prevented and it is therefore important to keep your child's safety in mind at all times. Here are some tips to keep your newborn safe: - Use rear facing infant or convertible car seats in the back seat until your baby is 1 y/o and 20lbs and never place your baby in the front seat of a car with a passenger side airbag. See our Car Seat Safety Guide for more information.
- Make sure the crib is safe: have no more than 2 3/8 inches between the bars; the mattress should be firm and fit snugly within the crib; place it away from windows and drafts; avoid placing fluffy blankets, stuffed animals, or pillows in the crib as they can cause smothering.
- Make sure that used or hand-me-down equipment, such as car seats, strollers, toys and cribs, etc., haven't been recalled for safety reasons. Call the manufacturer or the Consumer Product Safety Commission for an up-to-date list of recalled products (800-638-2772 or www.cpsc.gov).
- Set the temperature of your hot water heater between 120 and 130 degrees F to prevent scalding burns.
- Never leave small objects or plastic bags in your baby's reach to prevent choking.
- Keep household cleaners, chemicals and medicines completely out of reach and always store them in their original container and know your local Poison Center number (find your local Poison Center).
- Back To Sleep: put your baby to sleep on his back (sleeping on his side is not as safe, expecially if he can roll over onto his stomach) to prevent SIDS and never put him down alone on a waterbed, bean bag, or soft blanket that can cover his face and cause choking. Also make sure that daycare personal or baby-sitters also know to put your baby to sleep on his back.
- Prevent falls by not leaving your baby alone on a bed or changing table.
- Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and use flame retardant sleepware.
- Install fire extinguishers and consider purchasing flame resistant or flame retardant furniture in your home.
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- Be cautious of certain dog breeds (Rottweilers, pit bulls, German Shepherds) that account for over fifty percent of fatal dog bites and closely supervise children when in the presence of animals.
- Pet reptiles, including turtles, snakes and lizards, are a common source of infection from Salmonella in children. You should keep pet reptiles away from children under five years old, and teach older children to wash their hands after handling them.
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