TheBlog:
Bumps and bruises are an inescapable part of childhood. Yet a light injury is only one step away from a dangerous fracture. To help a child avoid serious injury, parents need to follow some simple rules.

Here are 7 principles of child safety to help you protect your baby.

Sleep safety

A baby should sleep on their back. Since 1992, when an official recommendation changed from “sleep on the stomach“ to ”sleep on the back,” the mortality rate from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in the countries of Western Europe has decreased by 3 times.

Quilted blankets with lace can block the baby’s respiratory tract during sleep. A hard mattress and taut elastic fitted sheets are all you need.

A can of Coca-Cola should fit between the crib bars. This distance is optimum for a baby not to get stuck between the bars.

A sleeping baby should be free from scarves, clothes, hats with ties, bibs, pacifiers, or toys with strings.

Fall and injury prevention

Install in your house certified safety gates. When it comes to staircases, they should be placed both at the top and the bottom.

Always buckle children when using high chairs or carriers. When putting your child into the carrier, set it on the floor, not on a chair, table, or other furniture.

If your child moves around the house in a baby walker, watch that they stay away from stairs, heating appliances, and hanging wires.

Put security bars on your windows. They must be provided with emergency release devices in case of fire.

Ensure secure fixing of furniture (especially of high cabinets) and any other things that can tip and fall.

Fire safety

Hide matches and lighters from your children. Don’t keep lighters and other fire sources that look like toys in the house.

Don’t hold a baby while cooking. Watch irons and hair dryers, unplug them after use, and put them in a safe place.

Cook on the back burners, and keep hot food out of a child’s reach. Turn long handles of pans away from the edge.

Reduce the time your child spends next to a hot stove, and install a protective barrier around the stove if possible.

Install a smoke alarm at home — it helps to reduce the risk of death in emergencies by half.

Poison prevention

If you suspect that your child has swallowed any dangerous substance, don’t try to induce vomiting or make the child wash down what they swallowed without consulting a doctor.

More than half of all childhood intoxications are provoked by accidental medication intake. Keep all drugs (even vitamins) out of children’s reach. Don’t call medicine “candy” — it may provoke the child’s interest in them.

Install special locks on the cabinet doors where you keep household detergents and medicines.

Keep small electronics and gadgets that contain lithium batteries away from children. These include car alarms, clocks, remote controls, flameless candles, laser pointers, flashlights, etc.

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