Grandparenting Class

Safety

Safety standards have changed over the years as well as the way equipment is made.

Infant Car Safety – With properly installed child safety seats, the risk of death in motor vehicle collisions is reduced by 69% for infants and 47% for toddlers. It is noted that about 80% of people place their infant in the car seat incorrectly. For more information on protecting your grandchild and properly installed car seats, visit www.safekids.org or www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm

Smoking around baby – Smoking around the baby should be eliminated. Smoking poses a high risk of SIDS for the infant as well as the opportunity to develop respiratory problems.

Crib Safety – Most older cribs do not meet safety standards. The slats of the crib should not be loose, cracked or missing and they cannot be more than 2 3/8 inches apart. A baby can risk getting their head stuck in the slats and strangle themselves. The crib mattress should fit snugly inside the crib so that you cannot fit more than two fingers between the edge of the mattress and the side of the crib. There should be no cutouts on the headboard or footboard of the crib and corner posts should be no more than 1/16 of an inch higher than the top rail edges. Crib toys should be large enough to avoid a choking hazard and there should be no strings or cords within reach of the child.

High Chairs – Make sure the chair has a bottom strap to help restrain the child from slipping out of the chair and the tray is securely locked. The base should be wide for stability and the locking devices should be secured so the chair will not collapse. All plugs and caps should be firmly attached to the chair so the child cannot pull them off and suffocate.

Playpens – A mesh playpen should not have a weave more than ¼ inch, have no loose threads or tears and be securely attached to the frame, top rail and floor plate. Make sure the child could not suffocate in the mesh if the sides come down.

Toys – Make sure all toys are safe, have no sharp edges and are not a choking hazard. All parts that could cause choking should be removed.

Toy chests – Toy chests need to be designed without a latch, so a child would not get trapped inside. The lid should also be strongly supported to avoid falling on the child.

Safety / Baby-proofing your home

• Cover all electrical outlets with plastic covers and keep electrical cords out of reach.
• Keep cleaning products, abrasives, razor blades, alcohol and any other hazardous items out of reach, whether locked in a cabinet or in a place out of sight and reach. There are plenty of cabinet catches on the market now that can be purchased inexpensively.
• Store plastic bags and plastic wrap out of a child's reach to avoid suffocation.
• Keep plants out of reach and remove any poisonous plants.
• Watch where you place your medications. Make sure they are locked safely and out of reach. Don't refer to them as candy.
• Install safety gates (not accordion style) on the top and bottom of stairs and secure well.
• When cooking, keep the handles and pots turned in and away from children's reach. Use the back burners.
• Don't carry or hold hot liquids around the child.
• Keep sharp items and knives locked away or in a cabinet out of the reach of children.
• Safe lock your windows and doors and make sure all cabinets and shelves are securely in place.
• Don't heat baby bottles or formula in the microwave. The formula can be scalding hot in the center and cool to touch in other areas.
• Remove tablecloths-children can pull anything onto their heads.
• Keep all appliances away from water sources including sinks and bathtubs.
• Put toilet locks on all toilets if the child is 3 years old or younger.
• Always check the temperature of the bath water with your elbow and make sure it is warm, not hot. NEVER leave a child unsupervised in a bathtub for even a second. Small children can drown in just a few inches of water in a matter of seconds.
• Apply non-skid stickers on the bottom of your shower or bathtub.
• Watch for sharp edges of furniture and other items that the child could cut their head on. Apply foam padding to the area if needed.
• Keep small items (buttons, coins, etc.) away from a child's reach and make sure toys are not dangerous.
• Make sure curtains are secure and cords from curtains or blinds are out of the child's reach. Children can strangle themselves with these cords.
• IMPORTANT - brush up on emergency skills (including infant CPR). Hopefully you will never have to use them, but you will be happy you learned them if you did.

(Obtained in part by the Arizona Child Care Resource and Referral Organization)

Next section: Farm safety