How to Baby-Proof Your Home: A Guide for First-Time Parents

To make your home safe for your little one, baby-proofing is essential. Take the time to study your home environment?and most importantly, eliminate any risk factors that could harm your child.
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Let's take a closer look at how to baby-proof your home:

Your Newborn's Nursery

These guidelines are key when setting up your baby's sleep space:

• Try to keep the crib clear of any items: blankets, stuffed animals, or mesh guards. Though many adults are used to the comfort of a blanket, it's best to keep your baby warm with extra clothing layers instead of risking your newborn being suffocated by their blanket or stuffed animal. (Ultimately, these extra comforts are not necessary for a newborn and present a risk to your infant.)

• Use a crib bumper to prevent your infant from banging their head on the side of the crib when they begin rolling over. The bumper will soften the blow, keeping your baby safe from injury.
  
  
• When using a video monitor, lamp, or other electrical items near the crib, make sure the cords are taught and far from the reach of your infant.
  
  
• Make sure you anchor your baby's changing pad. Never leave the infant on the changing pad unattended. If your baby rolls, he or she could fall and be harmed. Also, be sure to keep the changing station fully stocked at all times so there is no need to walk away.
  
  
• Cover unused outlets ONLY with covers that slide open or are difficult to remove. Standard plastic covers can be removed easily by little hands, posing a serious risk of injury for your child.
  
  
• If any furniture at a baby's height has sharp edges, cover them with padded furniture bumpers. They are widely popular and can be found online or at baby stores.

Baby Gates

Stairs and doorways should be blocked and made inaccessible for your baby with gates. Keep these tips in mind when gating off an area:

• Put a gate at the bottom of your stairs and install swinging, hardware-mounted gate at the top of the stairs.
  
  
• Use JPMA-certified baby gates. Pet gates are not a suitable or secure replacement for your child.
  
  
• Make sure your gate is closed and latched to prevent injuries and gate damage.

Loose Wires and Cords

It's easy to grow accustomed to having a house full of exposed wires and cords behind the TV and appliances, dangling from blinds, or strewn about the floor.

As a parent, it's crucial to wrap up and shorten cords to keep them out of your baby's reach.

To keep window cords out of reach, make it a point to shorten blind cords by looping them with a knot or fastener.

Safety Measures

Basic household safety measures are critical to maintain when you bring a precious newborn into your home. Ensure household safety by:

• Testing all smoke alarms monthly and installing additional alarms where necessary. Also. make sure you install a carbon monoxide detector and test it regularly.
  
  
• Keeping a medicine cabinet out of baby's reach and regularly stocked with first-aid items including infant Tylenol, band aids, saline drops, etc.
  
  
• Keeping fire extinguishers throughout the house. One should be in the kitchen and another in one of the bedrooms. If your child's room is on the second floor, you may want to invest in an escape ladder in the event of an emergency.
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Toddler Years

As soon as your baby grows, they'll quickly become more mobile. You'll want to start baby-proofing areas that were once hard to reach when your child was an infant.

Making cabinets inaccessible will be critical as your little one becomes more adventurous and physically able. Your little crawler may explore a kitchen or bathroom cabinet with chemical cleaners, sponges, or other harmful objects.

Begin by identifying which cabinets should be off-limits. Work your way from the ground up, limiting your baby's access to any doors at his/her eye level with childproof locks.

Baby-proofing your space takes little effort and will ease your mind knowing your child is safe to explore their home environment.