It is recommended that the majority of your
childproofing be done at one time. This insures that it is completed
before a new capability results in a preventable injury.
All lower drawers and cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms
should be latched before he ever learns he can open them. Accessible
electrical outlets (both dormant and in-use) protected, vertical
cords raised, swimming pool fence installed, stairway gates
in place, sharp corners protected, etc. Other items can be added
as the need becomes apparent; door alarms, appliance latches,
medicine cabinet latches, door knob covers, deadbolt locks,
etc.
Get down on your child's level (that's hands, knees, roll
over on your back to get under furniture) and look up. Look
around each room carefully as if seeing it for the first time.
Crawl around and try to stick your head behind furniture,
reach under furniture and feel around to see what is there
(sharp springs or staples sticking out, plastic tags, etc.).
Get under tables and look up; what would your child's head
hit if he stood up (sharp corners, manufacturer's labels attached
with staples sticking out, glass in the center of an end stand
or coffee table).
Check out everything that would be within your child's reach
when he begins standing. An easy way to do this is to lay
on your back and reach up with one arm. Whatever you can touch
or grab from this position, so will a 12 months old. Leaning
up on one elbow and lifting your head up as far as possible
will show you about what he can be run into and bump his head;
corners of dining room tables, bottoms of drawers left open,
protruding low wall ledges, etc.
Check your rooms, one by one, with a critical eye, asking
yourself if something could present a hazard. If so, how serious
an injury might it result in? Can it be corrected or is another
course of action required to prevent an injury?
Could it be broken by a child?
Would it tip over if he climbed on it?
Would it fall over if pushed or pulled on?
Could he climb it and then fall off?
How far would he fall?
If he shook it, would anything fall off and hit him on the
head?
Is it possible for him to get his head stuck in or behind
something?
Would it burn him if he touched it?
Does it pose a strangulation or suffocation hazard?
Can it be choked on?
If he pulled on a cord, would the appliance or lamp fall
from its place onto his head?
Are corners or protruding knobs on furniture sharp enough
to cause serious injury?
Could an item within reach be dangerous or destructive in
his hands (such as fireplace implements or glass objects)?
Consider other types of dangers as well; doors without locks
that lead outside or the garage. Could one of these be left
open by an older child or someone else? Door knob covers can
make them difficult to open but you might need assistance
in keeping them closed. Door alarms for under ten dollars
will give you a warning if the door is not shut within a few
seconds.
Start vacuuming like you have never vacuumed before! Keep
an eye peeled for those small items that the vacuum might
not pick up; pins, staples, buttons, broken glass, coins.
If it is on the floor kids will find it. This is his world
and he will notice anything on the floor.
Keep that hot water temperature adjusted to no more than
120 degrees, at least for a few years.
Do not set your safety standards so high that you cannot
live up to them or make yourself paranoid without cause. If
you do, you will risk scrapping the whole concept in frustration.
Animals - introduce your child and pet. Teach
your child to respect the pet and its rights (like being able
to eat in peace) or keep them separated, if necessary, for a
while until he understands. Never allow teasing; even docile
animals can be pushed too far. Do not leave infants alone with
your pet. Your pet's reaction to a new member in the family
may not be what you expect. Their "home ground" has
been infringed upon and your attention is being diverted from
them. Protection of their territory can be a strong instinct
in some animals.
Backyard - play must be supervised totally for a young toddler,
even if a "kiddie fence" is in use. Sunburn, poisonous
plants, poisonous insects (some good to eat too!) and snakes,
small rocks, grass, dirt and just about everything else in
a yard within reach could present a hazard.
Toys - stay within your child's capabilities when making
your selections. Avoid the temptation of buying items intended
for much older children. Most packaging on the market will
indicate a minimum age that the manufacturer recommends. For
older children's toys, be particularly alert to small detaching
pieces that a younger child might choke on. When in doubt
or just for practice, use your no-choke tester.
Equipment - products you purchase should have the seal of
the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. This association
independently tests children's equipment to meet minimum safety
standards and manufacturers who belong to the organization
will usually adhere to these standards.
Playpens - should be as safe an environment as
your baby's crib. Avoid hanging toys or other objects across
the top once your child is pulling up. Be careful of the size
toys that are put in here, your toddler will use them for a
climb-out. Once your toddler has learned to climb out of a playpen
he will more than likely never stay in it for long again. The
playpen's effectiveness as a secure play area will at best be
compromised and now represent problems in itself with falls
from escape attempts.
Safety gates - can make very effective barriers for a child
until about age two. Most manufacturers do not recommend use
beyond that age because of the heights of their gates and
the risk of falls from toddlers climbing over. See Living
Areas for more information on gate applications.
Safety gates are ideal for stairways but should be removed
(particularly at the top) when your toddler has learned to
climb over them. At the top of a stairway, use walk-through,
swing open style gates rather than the type that have to be
stepped over. If you keep stepping over gates at the top of
a stairway, eventually you are going to trip and fall. Possibly
while you are carrying your child. We recommend permanently
attached gates at the top of stairs or have a pressure type
mounted so that it cannot be pushed loose, both of a type
that can swing open to let you walk through. Be careful of
tripping over the bottom rail if you have selected one of
the popular metal swing open gates that are pressure mounted.
Strollers - need to be sturdy and secure from tipping or
collapse while the child is in it. Fold up release type strollers
should have at least two devices to prevent accidental collapse.
Hanging heavy bags or other items on the back of light strollers
will cause them to tip over with or without the child in place.
When a stroller has been in the car or sitting in the sun,
check the seat's temperature. Use cloth covers to prevent
hot vinyl or metal parts from burning sensitive skin.
Grandparents - Be especially careful at their home. Watch
out for medications without childproof caps, ant and roach
tablets, poisons and cleaners, small pieces, breakable items
and hearts if an accident should happen here.
The only layer of protection here is your constant supervision.
Preparation of meals and holiday festivities can be distracting;
make sure one individual is responsible for supervision at
any given moment and that you are informed when that responsibility
changes hands.
Consider taking along an adjustable pressure gate or two
to your parent's home for barricading off the kitchen or a
formal living room. Shut doors to bathrooms and off limits
areas for older toddlers who maybe move faster than their
supervision can.
Children run the greatest risk of being lead poisoned because
lead is easily incorporated into their growing bodies, where
it disrupts the normal growth pattern of cells. Accumulation
of smaller amounts of lead in a child's body may also result
in damage that does not become visible until the child is
old enough to express learning disabilities. Studies have
shown that as many as three million children may have been
exposed to lead poisoning, and many of these have been adversely
affected.
Young children are most often the victims of lead paint poisoning,
since they put almost anything into their mouths, chewing
on wood trim, window sills and other potential lead-painted
surfaces. The single most widely exposed group appears to
be young children living in older residences contaminated
by lead paint. Studies have shown that this group suffers
subtle neurological damage, caused by blood lead levels which
were previously believed to be non-toxic.
The potential to cause harm to small children has prompted
some states to take legislative action against this problem,
resulting in regulations that force home owners, tenants,
and landlords to carefully examine the paint covering their
dwellings.
The unborn child is also susceptible to lead health hazards.
Even without direct contact to environmental lead, the unborn
child can be poisoned. If a pregnant woman has been exposed
to enough lead, her bones may store high levels of lead. The
metabolic changes which occur in the body during pregnancy
may cause the stored lead to be released into the blood, thus
exposing the unborn child. Because the unborn child is extremely
sensitive to any environmental toxins, the potential for damage
is even greater than that of exposing a child or an adult
to the same amount of lead.
Of particular concern is the developing neurological system
of the developing unborn child. Studies have claimed that
permanent learning disabilities can be attributed to exposure
during this stage of development.
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