It’s official – there’s a baby on the way! This is an exciting time for family and friends. Aside from picking out furniture and choosing the theme for the baby’s room, there are more important things parents need to do to prepare for the arrival of a new baby. The harsh and morbid reality is that in the U.S., the leading cause of infant mortality is accidental injury. Safety experts say as much as 90 percent of those accidents could have been prevented had there been increased education on safety precautions for the home. Global Children’s Fund estimates nearly 18,000 children in the U.S. die each year, and millions more suffer injuries simply because of inadequate safety training and awareness programs for adults.

Home Injury Prevention

To keep a new baby safe, homes need to be ���baby proofed.�۝��Just what does that entail? While the baby is still only weeks old, some precautions may not be as urgent. But before baby begins to crawl and creep, it�۪s time to take a walk around the house -- on your hands and knees, of course! A reassessment of your home from your child�۪s perspective is the best way to see where baby�۪s eye-level falls. Colorful and shiny things are interesting to a baby.��Openings in walls and places they can crawl into heighten their curiosity. Where to begin? Here are some tips on what to do to make the home a safe place for baby.

Cabinets

Probably the most commonly known health problem related to ergonomics is carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a medical condition that arises from repetitive stress injuries; most commonly typing. Also, numerous back and knee injuries can arise from working in a space that does not pay proper attention to ergonomics. Many of these are easily preventable with proper ergonomic equipment that comforts areas of repetitive stress, and also forces users to work in ways that reduce stress to sensitive areas.

• Cabinet Locks
• Cabinet Safety
• Great Ideas For Promoting Safety
• Gates, Locks, and Latches
• What to Look for to Childproof the Home
• Child Safety Latches
• Safe Home Checklist

Outlets

Tiny fingers explore tiny things that are at their level…like the tiny openings in electrical outlets. Consumer Product Safety Commission states the chances are minute that a baby could be electrocuted from an outlet. In household electrocutions, wiring is far more to blame. But while infants may be unable to put their fingers into an outlet, they may be able to put other objects inside them, and that’s a real problem. Here are some links to sites that not only give information about electrical outlet safety, but different types of outlet covers are shown, as well.

• Outlet Covers
• Re-Thinking Common Practices
• Electrical Outlets
• Baby-Proofing

Stairwells

Depth perception and walking in a descending manner is way beyond the capacities of an infant. When standing at the top of a flight of stairs, getting to the bottom may look to him or her to be pretty simple when the reality is quite different. A baby should never be left unattended, even for a moment, when stairs are nearby. Placing obstacles like filled laundry baskets or toy bins is not enough. A gate or similar stationery barricade is essential. Here are some links to information about how to protect babies from stairs.

• Protect Baby From Stairs
• Which Gate for my Baby?
• Great Advice on Gates
• Different Types of Baby Gates

Doors

Babies are curious ��� period. Doors to rooms, cabinets, and even the outside need a parent�۪s close study. Can the door be easily opened, and if so, will the child be able to lock him- or herself into that room? Are there dangerous chemicals or items that can somehow injure a curious child? If the door is slightly ajar, can baby�۪s fingers get pinched? Little fingers will find little spaces to get into. Here are some thoughts on how to keep baby from opening doors to rooms or other places he or she should not be.

• Doorway Ideas
• Doorknob Covers
• Door Locks

Heaters

To save on heating costs, space heaters are popular items in colder temperatures. But these portable items have a set of dangers all their own. Add small children to the equation, and improper usage without attention to safety details can be disastrous. Here are some links to invaluable information on portable heating devices for the home.

• General Space Heater Safety
• Portable Heater Safety
• Using Space Heaters Safely
• Safe Operation of Portable Heaters

Sharp Edges Around the House

Once baby begins taking steps, balance will be very unsteady. That means there will be lots of falls, and grabbing for support on the way down. Furniture on wheels is an accident waiting to happen. Pieces without wheels but that are not fastened to the floor or wall could topple onto the baby. Simple non-skid ���feet�۝ can help keep furniture in its place. For pieces with sharp corners or protruding edges, here are some ideas for making those edges softer.

• Softening the Edges
• Sharp Corners in the Home

Making a home baby-proof requires constant vigilance. As baby grows and becomes more mobile, he or she will find that the big red door leads to the basement stairs that end on a concrete floor. That curtain that sparkles has a bathtub behind it, and the water that comes out of the wall gets really hot! There are dangers all over the average household. Here are some additional links to information new parents might find helpful for making home a safer place for baby.

• Baby Product Recalls
• Protecting Baby
• General Childproofing
• Crib and Sleep Safety
• Toy Safety
• Immunization Safety