Baby strollers are a great way to move your baby or toddle around while you are trying to shop or get some exercise.  There are several brands and models on the market with a wide range of quality and capability.  Here are some safety tips to consider when selecting and using your baby stroller.

 Select a baby stroller that is certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturer’s Association (JPMA).  This not only means that the particular manufacturer you’ve chosen is a little more concerned about product quality than the average, AND that the product bearing that seal has met standards set for baby strollers by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).  Make an effort to buy strollers with wider wheel bases to reduce the possibility of the stroller tipping over.

 No matter how carefully a stroller is made, much of the safety involved is up to parents or other adult users.  The cardinal rule of baby safety stroller use is NEVER leave a child unattended in the stroller, even for a minute.  Strap the child into the stroller with the harness provided.  A five-point harness is better than a three-point harness.  Store purses, bags, purchased items in the carrier built into the unit.  Hanging them from the handle can shift balance enough to cause the stroller to tip over.  Lock the stroller wheels whenever you stop somewhere.

 Collapsible units make transporting a stroller much easier, but take care to keep little fingers away from the hinges and joints whenever folding the unit or erecting it.  If you elect to use a jogging stroller, check with your pediatrician to ensure your baby is compatible, from an age perspective, with the unit you wish to buy.  Connect the safety strap to you to prevent the stroller from getting away from you.

 If you consider renting, borrowing or buying a second-hand stroller, make sure that the stroller meets the JPMA standards.  Inspect it carefully for defects or any damage.  Speaking of defects, call the manufacturer and the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) if you find any defects in the stroller you buy.  Send the product registration card to the manufacturer   upon purchase.  This will assure that the warranty is in effect and that you will be notified of any product recalls that might occur in the future.

 Again, purchase a JPMA-certified stroller, use the safety harness and brakes, and don’t overload the unit. NEVER leave a child unattended.  Erect and dismantle strollers with care for the child’s fingers.  Keep a sharp eye out for any damage or defects to your baby stroller and contact both the manufacturer and the CPSC when defects do appear.

 If you’re interested in further information about child safety, we invite you to join us at www.kidshomesafety.com

While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information presented here is correct, contents and any links are not warranted for accuracy or any other implied or explicit purposes, and are for information only.  Medical or other suitable professionals should be contacted when appropriate.

Little fingers find their way into all manner of places.  Drawers, cupboards, book shelves.  The list is endless.  In addition to this strong sense of curiosity, those just learning to walk often pull themselves up by a bookshelf or other piece of furniture.  Without the toddler’s knowledge, the bookcase they depended upon now threatens to topple over on them.

 So, go through the house to count the number of drawers and cupboard doors are in each room.  Then begin to fit each one with the appropriate latch mechanism. 

 Don’t forget refrigerators, freezers and toilets.  The toilet latch, most importantly, prevents a potential drowning.  It secondarily keeps a child from depositing toys and other things in that handy spot.

 Now take a look at china cabinets, bookcases and tall, free-standing chests or closets.  Anything that is taller and could topple over is a potential candidate for a furniture restraint.  Because toddlers are so small, your list might include end tables and the like as well.  They have to be close to a wall though.  Restraining devices work by fastening one end of the bracket into the piece of furniture and the other end into the studs in the wall.  Once both ends are secured, it takes a lot of force to cause a cabinet to topple.

 Speaking of toppling, this is the same control used to prevent furniture from falling over during an earthquake.  Thus, if you live in earthquake country, this is a procedure you should be using anyway.  Again, it is critical that the wall side of the bracket be screwed or lagged to the stud.  Except for extremely severe quakes, the moving earth may rattle the bookcase a bit, but it won’t topple over on someone.  If it’s only fastened to the plaster board, it will pop free in a minute.

 Securing cabinet and appliance doors and drawers will keep little guys out of trouble, at least this kind of trouble anyway, and out of harm’s way.   Attaching bookcases and china cabinets to wall studs prevents them from tipping over on a child.

 For more information on child safety, we invite you to join us at www.kidshomesafety.com.

 While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information presented here is correct, contents and any links are not warranted for accuracy or any other implied or explicit purposes, and are for information only.  Medical or other suitable professionals should be contacted when appropriate.

Having a fire extinguisher mounted on your wall is a great first step toward child safety from fire.  But a hand-held fire extinguisher is only as good as its user.  To control a fire and protect your family, learn how to select, use and maintain a fire extinguisher.

There are fire extinguishers made for electrical, flammable liquids (like a grease fire), and common combustibles such as paper.  Instead of having three extinguishing units around, an easier and safer way to do it is to buy an extinguisher that will effectively address all three types of fires.  There needs to be enough extinguishing agent to do the job, and you want it certified by a credible laboratory.  So, when you buy an extinguisher, select a 10-pound, U.L.-listed (Underwriter’s Laboratories), ABC-rated fire extinguisher.  This means you have a dependable extinguisher filled with 10 pounds of extinguishing agent designed to put out all three types of fires.  Be sure the pressure gauge at the top of the unit reads “full.”

Once you get it home, mount the fire extinguisher on the wall using its mounting bracket or place it in a cabinet out of reach of kids but known to all adults and older children.  The extinguisher should remain dry to avoid corrosion, and shouldn’t be subjected to physical abuse.  Glance at the unit once in a while, preferably monthly, to ensure that the bottle hasn’t lost pressure.  This helps to ensure that the extinguisher performs as you expect it to in an emergency.

Speaking of making it perform, here are a few tips to remember.  First, grasp the fire extinguisher, pull the pin by the ring, and aim the nozzle at the base of the fire.  Aim at the base of the flames coming off of that pan of blazing grease on your stove.  Squeeze the lever to the side of the bottle and sweep the extinguisher from one side of the fire to the other.  Use short bursts to avoid using the entire bottle all at once.  Remember, the entire extinguisher can be emptied in seconds if the lever is held down continuously.

 To ensure that your extinguisher continues to be ready to function, have it serviced annually by a licensed fire extinguisher firm.  They’re easily found on line or in the yellow pages.  Such a firm will hydrostatically test the bottle to ensure it is sound under pressure.  They will also empty out the old powder and refill with new extinguishing agent.  When you take your extinguisher to be tested, take the unit outside or to their shop, pull the pin and squeeze the lever down until there is no more white powder coming from the nozzle.  This will show you, in a matter of seconds, how fast a unit can be emptied.  While your extinguisher is being refilled, have some baking soda at the ready until your fire extinguisher returns from the shop.  Lastly, explain to all family members over 10 years of age how the extinguisher works.

 In short, select a U.L.-listed, 10lb, ABC-rated fire extinguisher.  Store it properly and train the family how to use it.  Then, have it serviced annually to ensure proper performance.

 While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information presented here is correct, contents and any links are not warranted for accuracy or any other implied or explicit purposes, and are for information only.  Medical or other suitable professionals should be contacted when appropriate.

A crib is a bed for a baby.   A safe haven for an infant.  In spite of that, the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) continues to announce periodic recalls for cribs that were poorly manufactured.  An example recall was initiated because the drop-sides on cribs had come loose, resulting in three infant deaths and 20 cases of bruising and falls (one of which involved a broken arm).  The purchasing and use of a crib requires constant parental vigilance.  The following guidelines are offered to assist parents in the purchasing and maintenance of their baby’s crib.

 Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is every parent’s nightmare.  Some suggestions to guard against SIDS include buying a tight-fitting mattress and using fitted sheets made just for cribs.  Recent recommendations instruct parents to put the baby on his back covered with a blanket that reaches only to the chest and is tucked under the mattress on each side.  The baby’s feet should be pointing toward the foot of the bed.

 Another option is to consider using a sleeper or swaddling in lieu of a blanket.  Regardless, don’t add pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, pillow-like bumper pads or pillow-like stuffed toys to the crib.  Any of these can potentially cause suffocation. 

 As the baby ages, it is still important to use a tight-fitting mattress to avoid entrapment between mattress and crib slats.  Crib slats should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart so that the baby’s head and body cannot fit between two slats.  Corner posts cannot exceed 1/16^th inch in height to avoid catching the baby’s clothing.  Do not buy or modify a crib to have cutouts in the foot- or head-boards.  An infant’s head can be trapped in such decorations.

 It is paramount that cribs are properly assembled in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.  Once it is assembled and in the nursery, be sure to watch for any rough edges, broken hardware or loose screws or bolts.  This is critical:  some of the reported deaths have resulted from something as simple as two loose screws which allowed the drop-side to move out of position and create a suffocation hazard.  Likewise, broken slats should be replaced immediately.

 Some cribs and playpens are made with mesh sides.  Like cribs with slats, these units must be assembled properly and watched carefully for tears in the mesh or the top rail cover.  If mesh tears develop, the unit must be replaced.  Mesh openings should be less than ¼ inch across so that the small buttons on an infant’s clothing will not be caught.  The mesh must be securely attached to the top rail and floor plate usually with staples.  If so, staples should not be loose or missing.  

 In summary, cribs must be assembled according to the manufacturer’s directions, and be properly maintained throughout its lifespan.  Be especially attentive to loose or damaged parts.  Use a tight-fitting mattress with either a sleeper or a blanket up to the baby’s chest and tucked in on both sides of the mattress.  Stay away from putting pillows, comforters and stuffed toys inside the crib or playpen.  Taking these few guidelines into account will continue to make a crib an infant’s safe haven.  As always, check with your child’s doctor for any recommendations.

 If you’d like more information on baby and child safety, we invite you to join us at www.homesafetytipsforkids.com.

 While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information presented here is correct, contents and any links are not warranted for accuracy or any other implied or explicit purposes, and are for information only.  Medical or other suitable professionals should be contacted when appropriate.

 
Little is more important when childproofing a home than proper electrical safety.  Electricity is something we use every day.  Sometimes we forget that even though its use is second nature to us, we still have to use it safely to protect our children and ourselves.  Here are a few basic ideas to help child proof your home.   

Always install ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) at all electrical plugs within ten feet of any water source.  A GFCI will detect five milli-amps of stray current and interrupt the circuit in milli-seconds to prevent electrocution.   In comparison, a circuit breaker requires a current of 20 amps (for a 20 amp breaker) and at least a second to trip.  Installing GFCI’s is important; they save lives!

When our grandchildren were babies and toddlers, the state of the art electrical plug protection was various types of plastic plugs.  These had prongs which pushed into an outlet just as any electrical cord does.  They filled the outlet holes preventing a child from inserting a paperclip or some other conductive material into the outlet.  The downside here is that kids quickly learned to pull these plastic plug-ins out of the socket, but modern technology has once again met the challenge.  You can now buy plastic electric outlet covers that either slide to the side when you want to plug in a lamp, or they snap shut automatically when you disconnect a cord.  Either way faceplates or outlets are revealed only when it is time for an adult to use them, and the spring-fed covers are strong enough to prevent a toddler from opening them.

 In today’s electronic age, no home is free of electrical strips or surge protectors and computers.  Both the strips and the computer’s central processing unit (CPU) sit on the floor, placing both within easy access by a young child.  Leaving such devices open to a toddler’s curiosity exposes kids to electrocution hazards.  Manufacturers have produced covers for both the surge protectors and the CPU.  Even though light switches are a little harder to reach, they should also be protected by plastic switch covers.  Don’t underestimate a toddler’s curiosity or determination.

 To reduce the potential for a child to asphyxiate him- or herself, apply cord shortners to all lamp and computer cords that have more length than needed.  To reduce the potential for a baby or toddler to accidently bite (they put everything into their mouths) into a live wire, apply wire guards or covers to the wire and secure it to the baseboards in your home. 

All of these safety devices can save the life of your baby or toddler.  For a few dollars, you can  substantially reduce the electrical hazard exposure to your child.  All can be ordered on line or found in many local hardware stores.  They are a fast and low-cost step to babyproofing your home.

For more information on childproofing and other child safety issues, we invite you to join us at www.homesafetytipsforkids.com .

While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information presented here is correct, contents and any links are not warranted for accuracy or any other implied or explicit purposes, and are for information only.  Medical or other suitable professionals should be contacted when appropriate.