"Kids can drown in small amounts of water - even just a few inches." "The bathroom is a huge area where injury can occur," warns Wellard. Keep bathrooms locked or secured at all times It's something easy that people just don't think of."Īccording to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the majority of injuries and deaths from tap-water scalds involve the elderly and children under the age of 5.īoth the CPSC and Wellard caution parents to remember that they should always be present with their children in the bathroom, as leaving your child unsupervised for any period of time could result in serious injury. We saw so many burns in the emergency room caused by kids playing in bathrooms, but if the thermostat is set to less than 120 degrees, they can't do that. "They get into the bathroom, turn on the hot water, and scald themselves. "Around 15 months, kids become fascinated with playing with knobs and turning things," says Wellard. ![]() To keep curious babies safe, Wellard suggests making sure that your hot-water heater is set to less than 120 degrees. Be familiar with the settings on your hot-water heater Wellard, a mom of three who worked in a pediatric emergency room prior to entering private practice, and Sheehan shared their top tips for new parents baby-proofing their homes. Meghann Wellard, a pediatric nurse practitioner in Maryland, told TODAY Parents, “You can obviously go overboard, but some of it is just common sense.” "Plus, they’re so fast that if you turn for a second, they can get into something they shouldn’t.” “Having a safe space for kids to be means you’re not always having to say 'no,'” Sheehan told TODAY Parents. Karen Sheehan, Professor of Pediatrics and Preventative Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, recommended getting the things that could pose a risk (like fireplace tools, for instance) out of the room entirely. How to baby-proof your houseĮxperts told TODAY Parents that baby-proofing is more about following your intuition, and less about the latest safety product being marketed.ĭr. The answer is yes, a home should be baby-proofed ahead of a little one's arrival. It's not the best solution if you are always opening and closing it, but otherwise, it's a pretty good solution.Expectant parents might look around their house and feel completely overwhelmed at the changes that should be made to keep a baby safe.įirst time parents might even wonder - do I really have to baby-proof my home? If you are looking to save a little money to secure cabinets you rarely use, you can always use a simple ziptie. These are applied using peel and stick tape, and have been pretty effective. Some examples are magnetic release, push-to-open latches, or cabinet door straps like the ones I use. ![]() ![]() I bought a pack of 36 online for just $2.99, so it's easy to make sure your whole house is safe.įor cabinets, there are many options to choose from to make sure your baby isn't getting into the cabinets. ![]() Removing them is just as simple whenever you need to use the plug as well. Plastic outlet plugs are cheap and simply need to be plugged in to protect the outlet. Baby's seem to be naturally attracted to all the things that they shouldn't be, so it's best to ensure that there's no chance they can hurt themselves, which is where outlet covers and cabinet latches can be very handy. Electrical outlets and cabinet doors are well within a crawling infant's reach.
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