CHILDPROOFING YOUR HOME

Children have a natural instinct to explore. Very young children do not know or even understand the concepts of safety, danger, or poison. To minimize the possibility of harm or an accident occurring to your children, take action to childproof your home.

Make the environment of your home safe by following these guidelines:

remove dangerous objects and substances
move electrical cords, cords to blinds or draperies, or dangling strings out of reach
cover electrical outlets
repair plaster walls and remove peeling or chipped paint
store unstable furnishings or structures that could topple over
secure or remove knobs on furniture and cabinets that could be swallowed or cause choking
store breakable items and those that could cause harm
remove ashtrays, lighters, matches, and ban smoking inside your house and
change any paint that may not be lead free (test walls, furniture, and the baby's crib)

Add preventive measures:

keep office supplies, tools, sewing and knitting items, and kitchen utensils out of reach
lock up all items that could cause poisoning, including medicines, vitamins, iron tablets, birth control pills, alcohol, and cleaning and industrial agents
keep houseplants and pets out of reach
put up protective grills or barriers around fireplaces, radiators, heaters, stoves, furnaces, space heaters, fans, and stairways
keep items like plastic bags, balloons, batteries, jewelry, small hard foods or candy, mothballs, and cosmetics out of reach
attach child-guard latches to drawers, refrigerators, freezers, and cabinets that are off limits
never leave small electrical appliances plugged into an outlet
keep the toilet lid closed and latched with a childproof latch and do not leave buckets filled with water unsupervised; babies can drown in toilet bowls or any small amount of water
keep the water temperature on the hot water heater set between 120 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit (48.9 and 51.7 degrees Centigrade)
keep medications out of reach in locked cupboards
never use powders and talc near a fan as they can cause choking
avoid using tablecloths that can be pulled down. Try elastic edged tablecloths that hug the table edge
keep pot handles turned to the back of the stove and
keep cords away from children: telephone cords, window shade cords, and electrical cords

Be alert and aware of behavior:

never leave children alone, especially in a tub or around water
never leave a baby alone with a preschooler or pet
always know where your child is and what the child is doing
be sure other family members and caregivers follow your safety rules and
become familiar with emergency and first aid procedures

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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