Make quick work of making your home safer for its smallest occupants with these tips from the Home Safety Council:
*Keep pillows, blankets and toys out of the crib, and don’t hang anything with strings or ribbons over it. Remove mobiles once the baby starts to sit up.
*Make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector near the bedrooms and a smoke alarm inside or near every bedroom. Test the smoke alarm monthly, and change the batteries at least once a year. Replace smoke alarms that are older than 10 years.
*Keep baby monitors and other cords a safe distance from cribs.
*Search every room of your house for small items such as buttons, coins, jewelry and toys that could choke a child, and replace door stops that have removable caps. If an item fits in a toilet paper tube, it’s a choking hazard.
*Never leave a baby unattended on a changing table. Use safety straps on high chairs, changing tables and strollers.
*Secure pictures out of the child’s reach. Don’t hang pictures or other heavy decorations directly over a crib.
*Keep cribs, beds, chairs and other furniture away from windows.
*Install a baby gate at the nursery door.
*Install pinch guards on doors or drape a towel over the hinge side to prevent painful pinching injuries.
*Set the water heater at or below 120 degrees to prevent burns, and use a water thermometer to test bath water. It should be 100 degrees.
*Install special tub spouts and shower heads that prevent hot-water burns.
*Stay within an arm’s reach of young children when they’re in or near water.