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As a parent, one of your first priorities is to keep your
child safe. And that starts as soon as you become pregnant. You want your
house to be the safest place for both your unborn baby and your newborn.
While most homes are safe, there may be a few hidden risks for babies
that you may not have considered.
1. Post your emergency numbers by the
telephone so you know exactly where they are in case of an accident. These
include the pediatrician, your local hospital, the poison control center
and your family physician.
2. Employ a smoke-free house rule. Even
if you don't smoke, being around second hand smoke while pregnant
could put you at a greater risk for serious complications.
3. If you live in a home that was built
prior to 1950, test your home to see if it contains lead-based paint,
which is harmful to pregnant women and children. Newer homes are less
likely to contain lead paint-it has almost been eliminated since 1977.
4. If you plan on doing any renovations
before or after the baby is born, test the paint to make sure it is not
lead-based. If it is, have it professionally removed by someone who follows
all safety precautions. Stay out of the home, with babies and children
until the cleanup is complete.
5. Make sure any water damage is repaired
prior to the baby coming home from the hospital. Some molds are dangerous
to newborns, so clean up now. This may even entail ripping up old, molded
carpet that is dry.
6. If you have fuel-burning appliances
such as fireplaces, clothes dryers, wood-burning stoves, space heaters
and gas and oil furnaces have a professional check for carbon monoxide
emissions once a year. Exposure to CO can lead to birth defects and brain
damage.
7. Install smoke detectors and carbon
monoxide detectors outside all bedrooms.
8. If your home has a basement, test
for radon exposure. You can buy a simple radon testing kit at the store
and send the sample to a certified lab for analysis.
9. Have your well water tested for nitrates.
Infants fed formula made with nitrate-containing well water can develop
serious blood diseases. However, it's safe to breastfeed your baby
even if you drink nitrate-contaminated water. It doesn't seem to
pass from mother to child.
10. If you drink tap water, have your
water checked for lead. Most municipal water supplies are lead free, but
some homes may have high contents of lead due to lead pipes that connect
the water mains to the pipes in their homes.
11. Safely store your dangerous household
items out of the reach of little hands. Medicines, toxic bleaches, oven
and drain cleaners, paint solvents, polishes, and waxes should all be
locked away in a secure place, out of your child's sight and reach. Low
cabinets storing such items should have safety clasps on the inside of
the cabinet doors. They can be purchased at any home improvement center
or superstore. Don't keep them in plain view in your garage or
carport.
12. Keep all plastic items such as dry-cleaning
bags, produce bags and trash bags, away from children. Children playing
with plastic bags can get tangled in the bag and run a high risk of suffocation.
13. Cover unused electrical outlets with
safety caps. Disconnect electrical rollers and hair dryers and other small
appliances when they're not in use. Children have been electrocuted by
plugged in appliances left unattended that fell into bathroom sinks or
tubs. Hide cords of lamps so that young children can't tug on the
cord, pulling a heavy lamp on top of them.
14. Keep furniture away from high windows
and ledges to reduce the risk of children climbing in or around the windows.
When leaving windows open, try to open them from the top or only slightly.
Screens are not to be used as safety devices to keep children from falling.
15. Block off stairways so your baby
or toddler can't fall. Also, never leave a small child unattended around
outdoor deck stairs, concrete steps, or a swimming pool. Swimming pools
should always have a fence around them with a door latch that children
can't reach.
16. Curtains or Venetian blind cords
should be tied above the reach of your baby. Objects with strings or elastics
such as toys and laundry bags should not be hung around cribs or playpens
where your child might become entangled and choke to death.
17. If you do arts and crafts at home,
check your materials. Supplies used in painting, drawing, ceramics and
paper mache sometimes contain ingredients that could be dangerous to fetuses,
newborns and pregnant moms. Read labels carefully and follow all instructions.
And when doing crafts, make sure your area is completely ventilated. Also,
make sure that all small pieces used for crafts, such as beads, are put
in containers away from where children can get them.
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