How to make your home baby proof

When the baby starts to grow, everything is new and it arouses their interest. Unfortunately, babies are not able to assess danger like we adults can. According to the Child Accident Prevention Trust, accidents at home represent the main cause of death in children and young people. Therefore, we must anticipate dangerous situations so that our children do not get hurt.

To facilitate understanding, we have divided the tips into four topics: general tips for baby safety at home, safety in the bedroom, in the kitchen and in the bathroom. We have tried to compile as many tips as possible so that you have a more complete guide.

Baby proofing your home.

A baby gate can be installed to protect your little one.

Furniture and stairs.

•Make sure any furniture such as dressers, cabinets, shelves, that have the risk of tipping over, are secured to the wall;

•Do not put toys or other attractive objects in places where your child can climb;

•Provide corner guards for all furniture that has sharp corners, such as dining tables, coffee tables, etc;

•If you have stairs, install safety gates.

Smoke detectors

•Install smoke, gas, and carbon monoxide detectors in your home to prevent accidents.

Electronics and electricity

•To prevent strangulation or shocks, check that all chargers are disconnected when not in use and out of reach of your children;

•Install child-proof socket covers;

•Never leave electronics near water.

Windows and balconies

•If you live in an apartment, keep your child away from the balcony.

•To make sure, install bars or protection nets on the balconies so that there is no risk of falling;

•Put safety locks on the windows to limit the size of the opening.

Small objects

•Any object that is small enough to fit inside a toilet roll represents a danger to your child;

•Paperclips, pins, pens, pencils, batteries, coins, etc., all of these items should be out of reach of your baby. Put them in a safe place.

•It is also important that you teach your child not to put objects in their mouth.

Clothing

•Keep clothes away from your baby;

•Keep the ironing board stored in an inaccessible place;

•Do not let your child play with clothes with buttons and other items that he can take to his mouth.

Swimming pools

•Install a pool safety screen;

•Your child should never be left alone in or near the pool;

•When bathing, wear arm floats or life jackets to avoid the risk of drowning.

Tables

•Take care with tablecloths and, preferably, do not use them, as babies can pull them and hurt themselves;

•Keep sharp objects like knives in a safe place;

•Install corner protectors on the edges of tables.

Baby safety in the bedroom

Electonics with wires and other cords

•Never put monitors or other devices with wires inside or near where the baby is sleeping;

•Always have the habit of checking if the electrical cables and wires are at least one and a half meters away from the baby's bed. This also applies to other objects that have wires, such as curtains, etc.

Baby's cot

•Your baby's mattress should be firm;

•Pillows, blankets, quilts, cushions and similar products should not be in the baby's cot;

•Newborns should not use a pillow, blanket or quilt.

Toys and teddy bears

•Toys should be appropriate for your child's age;

•Toys need to have a diameter of more than 32 mm or, if they are spherical, more than 45 mm so that there is no risk of suffocation;

•Keep toys and teddy bears out of the baby's cot;

•You can introduce safe plush toys into the cot after six months.

Baby cot specifications

•Check that your cot is up-to-date, compliant and meets all European Safety Standard EN 716, EN 16980 and EN 1130;

•To prevent baby's head from getting stuck, the distance between the bars cannot be more than 6 cm;

•Never use lead-based paint on furniture.

Room temperature

•The ideal temperature for the baby is between approximately 18ºC and 22ºC;

•Room temperature is the temperature that surrounds the baby.

Baby proofing the kitchen

Stove.

•When cooking, use the back burners and keep the baby away;

•Turn the handle of the frying pans inside the stove;

•Be careful with objects that can be pulled like towels and napkins.

Cupboards.

•Install safety locks on cupboards;

•Objects that cut should be stored out of reach;

•Keep dangerous objects high so your child cannot reach them;

•Keep cupboards and doors closed so the baby can't open them;

•Cleaning products should be kept out of reach of the baby;

•Keep everything the baby shouldn't touch out of his reach.

Dishwasher

•The dishwasher contains utensils that represent a risk to small children, as well as the detergent capsule itself. Keep out of reach of your child, in a safe place and, if possible, prefer liquid detergents.

Cleaning products.

•Make sure you have a safe, out-of-the-way place to store your cleaning products and any toxic solutions;

•They should be locked up so that, even if your child finds the location, they can't access them;

•The same goes for any alcohol you might keep at home.

Pets

•If you have animals at home, be careful with their waste;

•Keep out of reach, in a cupboard, food, medicine, toys, etc. As babies are naturally curious, they can take these objects to their mouths and are at risk of suffocation or intoxication.

Baby safety in the bathroom

Medication and other

•Keep dangerous items such as medication, razor, hygiene objects, in locked cabinets and out of reach of them;

•Do not take medication in front of your baby, as they tend to imitate you;

•Use toilet seat locks for safety;

•Keep trash out of reach of baby.

During the baby's bath

•Do not leave your baby alone during the bath, they can drown with less than a palm of water;

•Check that the water is warm with the help of a thermometer or elbow test;

•Add a rubber mat to the bathtub to avoid slips.