Baby Nursery Safety Tips
Ee spoke with Carolyn Ziegler, Product Development Director of Dreambaby®, the child safety experts to find out what dangers parents should be aware of when setting up their nursery and for some useful, helpful baby nursery safety tips.
What are the essentials parents should do/have to keep their baby safe?
Never, ever leave a baby alone without parental supervision. It’s as simple as that. Make sure your child is within earshot when they are sleeping.
What are the greatest hazards to a baby?
You might be shocked to hear this but older siblings are a big hazard to babies. Don’t ever leave them alone with baby. They may have toys with small parts that a baby could choke on. Or they may smother them with love literally by kissing and fussing over baby. Watch out for pets too. They can also smother babies.
A good idea is to install a child safety gate at the entrance of baby’s room to help keep both older children and pets away from baby when they are sleeping. A popular choice is a Retractable Gate as it winds back into itself to the side when not in use, saving valuable space. The retraction feature also makes it easier for parents and other adults to pass cutting down on any tripping hazards. Not just for the nursery, it can be used anywhere inside and out. Dreambaby have a range of Australian Safety Approved gates so you can find a gate to suit your property.
Tidy rooms are less hazardous to newborns, so we recommend keeping toys in order. Take a look at Dreambaby®’s Toy Chain. which can be installed horizontally or vertically.
What are the most common mistakes new parents make when it comes to the safety of their baby?
Parents often over fold a baby’s blanket to make it fit snugly around baby in a car seat, cot or crib. NEVER over fold a blanket. By over folding, you are basically putting baby under several layers of blanket. Babies have very underdeveloped cooling systems and can over heat easily. While it is important that a blanket does fit securely, one layer is probably fine in this climate although of course use your judgement if it is very cold.
With all the nursery furniture/toys etc on the market, do you have any advice on how to check if they are safe?
Make sure all your baby equipment, including your cot and pram, meet government and industry standards. Try not to buy second hand if you can, as it is never easy to gage the wear and tear on items.
Also check to see if screws are tightly secured, both when you set up equipment, and afterwards as things loosen along the way. For instance, safety gates need adjusting on a regular basis.
Your top tips to keeping baby safe?
Always keep medicines out of the way of children and babies by keeping them up high in secured cupboards. Invest in child safety locks if you have older children in the home or visiting. Your house will then be ready for your baby when he/she becomes mobile. Try a variety of different locks throughout the home. Kids learn through repeated observation. By using a variety of different locks and latches that work in different ways, it becomes harder for young children to work out how to open them. Also, make sure you have the right lock or latch for each cupboard depending on the type of handle.
Also, check you have a quick and fast way of administering medicine as well, such as a medicine syringe or dropper and use a room and bath thermometer to make sure baby’s nursery and bath water aren’t too hot.
Also invest in blind cord wind-ups. They keep blind cords out of the reach of babies in their cots and from older siblings in general. Over-long cords can lead to strangulation. But remember to keep cots and beds away from windows and window fittings whenever possible.
Last but not least, make sure baby’s nails are kept short. Use baby scissors or clippers (don’t tear nails or bite them off even if they are very soft). Babies often put their hands up to their faces and can scratch their corneas and cut their faces if their nails are overly long.
Where should parents go/who should they ask for information on keeping their baby safe?
Early childhood centres are a good start. Your GP and paediatrician are also invaluable when it comes to questions about their healthy wellbeing. Also check out the Kidsafe website for general safety information and of course visit the Dreambaby® website – www.dreambaby.com.au – for safety product suggestions and solutions or Call (02) 9386 4000. And be part of the safety conversation: https://www.facebook.com/Dreambabysafety
