Intermountain Health Experts Give Tips for Childproofing Your Home

When expecting a baby or planning to have infants or toddlers to visit your home, it is important to want to make sure it is a safe place for them to sleep and play.

“Children are curious, love to explore, and as a result are at risk of being injured at home,” said Michelle Jamison, community health programs manager at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital. “Supervising young children and childproofing your home are some of the best ways to prevent injuries.”

Here are ways to help keep babies safe in your home:

• Create a Safe Place to Sleep
• Use a crib, bassinet or portable play yard with a firm, flat mattress and a fitted sheet.
• Place infants on their backs for sleep, in their own sleep space with no other people.
• Avoid sleeping on a couch or armchair or in a seating device, like a swing or car seat (except while riding in the car).
• Remove soft items like pillows, stuffed toys, and blankets from the sleep space.
• Use an infant sleep sack instead of loose blankets to keep baby warm.

Safely Use Heating Elements

• Cover all radiators and baseboard heaters with childproof screens.
• Keep electrical space heaters at least 3 feet from beds, curtains, or anything flammable.
• Use a carbon monoxide alarm to help prevent poisoning.

Prevent Water, Window, Furniture and Fall Hazards

• Never leave your child alone in the bathtub, even for a second, to prevent drowning.
• Use anti-scald devices for faucets and shower heads and set your water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help prevent burns.
• Use cordless window coverings to help prevent strangulation. For information, visit https://windowcoverings.org/.
• Use safety-standard-compliant gates on staircases, and replace older gates large enough to entrap a child’s head and neck.
• Keep children from entering areas with possible dangers.
• Use corner bumpers on furniture and fireplaces to help prevent injuries from falls.
• Install wall anchors to avoid furniture and appliance tip-overs.

Prepare for Emergencies

• Learn CPR and first aid.
• Install smoke detectors in every room, including the kitchen.
• Put emergency contacts in your mobile phone, including poison control and local police.
• Teach your school-age children what to do in an emergency.

“Additionally, you should always keep your firearms unloaded and secured, and store the ammunition separately,” Jamison said.

For more information about injury prevention, visit https://intermountainhealthcare.org/childrens-health/wellness-prevention.