Life
When you have a baby, you think your home is the safest place for them to be. Which is why you do everything you can to turn it into a protective bubble where they are surrounded by love, compassion, and a whole lot of safety gates. But while you were preparing your home for your new arrival, you may have missed a few potentially dangerous items that could be harmful to your little one. You need to know some of the common household dangers for babies that you may have overlooked.
Even if your baby isn't mobile yet, it won't be long before they start exploring every inch of your home. You probably already know that cleaning products, power cords, and stairs can be extremely dangerous for babies. But you may not have considered the fact that you need to make sure your baby is safe around your window treatments, your large furniture items, and even the family dog.
If you are in the process of babyproofing your home, take a look at this list to make sure you've protected her from as many potentially hazardous situations as possible. Even though babyproofing doesn't mean you can completely let your guard down, taking a few extra precautions can help prevent unnecessary disasters.
1
The Dog
Your pet is just as much a part of your family as your baby. But as Parents mentioned, leaving your baby alone with the family dog can have dangerous consequences. Not only is she at risk for bites, dog food and small toys can present a choking hazard.
2
Stairs
Most parents know to install safety gates near flights of stairs, but according to Parenting, placing gates at the top of the stairs may not be enough. If the foot of the staircase is accessible to your baby, he may climb up a few steps and fall back down. You should install a gate at the bottom of the stairs as well. Also, it is important to be sure that your safety gates are installed securely. Parenting recommends installing hardware mounted gates at both the top and the base of your stairs.
3
Falling Furniture
As Kid's Health mentioned, bookshelves, chests of drawers, and other heavy furniture items can tip over and injure your baby. Be sure to secure these potentially dangerous furniture pieces to the wall with brackets to keep your baby safe.
4
Hot Water
You know the importance of keeping a close eye on your little one around running water. But you should also take precautions to make sure that the water you are running isn't too hot for your baby. According to Parenting, it only takes three seconds of exposure to 140-degree water for a baby to sustain third degree burns. Make sure your water heater isn't set above 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
5
Buckets Of Water
As CNN mentioned, nearly 30 babies die from drowning in buckets each year. A curious crawler can fall into your cleaning bucket and end up drowning himself. If you are mopping the floor, place your baby in a crib or playpen until you finish.
6
Cleaning Products
When you have a new baby, you naturally want to make sure your home is as clean as possible. But the products you use can be dangerous to your baby. As WebMD mentioned, more than one million children swallow poisonous household cleaners each year. Be sure to keep your cleaning products locked away from your little crawlers to avoid a dangerous situation.
7
Power Cords
As Baby Center mentioned, electrical cords can be dangerous to crawlers. Keep power cords out of your baby's sight by using cord covers or hiding cords out of their reach. You should also install outlet covers in any unused electrical outlets.
8
Window Treatments
According to Kid's Health, cords from blinds can present a hazard to small children. Children can become tangled in the cords which can strangle them. Keep the cords tied up and out of your child's reach.
9
Sharp Corners
The sharp corners of your coffee table can be dangerous to your wee one, as Pregnancy.org pointed out. Protect the corners with padding to ensure your baby won't hurt her head if she tries to pull up on the table to stand.
10
The Dishwasher
If your little one is crawling, make sure your dishwasher is completely closed and locked at all times. As Parents mentioned, small children can injure themselves on sharp knives and forks if they are able to access the utility basket. Dishwashing detergent can also be harmful to baby's eyes and skin, and even more dangerous if it is ingested.
11
Windows
Your babyproofing isn't complete until you've made the area around your windows safe for your little explorer. As Baby Center suggested, install window guards and safety netting on windows to prevent a potentially dangerous fall.
