Safety First—at Every Age

Always remember

• Buckle your baby into a car safety seat every time he rides in a car. Make sure the safety seat is correctly secured.
• Stay with your baby when he is playing near or in water. Watch him closely.
• Never, ever shake your baby.
• Put your baby to sleep on his back unless your doctor tells you to do otherwise. Insist that others who care for your baby do the same.

• Serve healthy foods. Avoid sweetened, salty or fatty ones.
• Lock up alcohol, drugs and other chemicals. These can kill your baby.
• Put away knives, guns, matches, bug spray, medicine, detergents, disinfectants and other items that can hurt your baby. Put them in a place your exploring baby can’t reach or open.
Home hazards

Your baby is moving around a lot more. At this age, babies are naturally curious and get into everything. But they don’t know what can hurt them. It’s up to parents to keep babies safe. Check your house for safety hazards often:

• Vacuum or sweep the floors. Pick up any small items such as buttons, coins and paper clips.
• Latch window guards or open windows from the top.
• Latch safety gates across stairs.
• Lock the doors to balconies and decks.
• Move electric fans out of baby’s reach.
• Place a protective screen around a space heater. Keep the heater away from curtains, paper and other materials that can catch fire.
• If you have a gun, store it under lock and key. Make sure it is not loaded.
• Check toys. If you find any loose or broken parts, repair the toy or remove it right away.

While your baby is awake and moving, stay close. Look for possible dangers. A pencil may seem harmless, but in a baby’s hand it could poke an eye. Your careful watching will prevent accidents.