September is National Baby Safety Month and what's more important than baby's safety? In our house we try to keep our little guy as safe as possible. Here are a few basic things you can do to keep your baby safe as well.
First: We use Munchkin Easy Close Metal Gate on our stairs. Now that our little guy is crawling we need to keep him from taking a fall down the steps. Also, my daughter is 3 and can use it with ease when she needs to go up and down the stairs. Second: As soon as your little one is sitting up and not using the lay down bath tubs, such as Safer Bather, you can get him into a bath seat such, as the Ultimate Safe and Soft Bath Seat. This is safer then putting your little one straight into the bath tub with out any support. The most important bath safety rule is NEVER LEAVE YOUR BABY ALONE IN THE BATH TUB. Third: Outlets are very close to our baby's eye level and they are learning to pick things up. We would like to keep them away from plugs but if they are in sight they should have some kind of plug cover over the outlet. Fifth: Keeping those little hands out of cabinets with Child Proof Cabinet Lock is very important. We need to keep their little hands away from cleaning products, garbage bags and other hazardous things. Here's a few more tips to keep your little ones safe:
Chemicals and Household Toxins
There are about 80,000 chemicals in the marketplace today – more than enough to make parents who are concerned about chemicals pull out their hair. Simplify and pay attention to just 3 ways your child might be exposed.
1) What goes in the mouth. Choose clean food and drinks, and pay special attention to the plastics that go in the mouth, especially those used to store, heat, or serve food and drinks. Chemicals in the plastics can leach out and enter your child. Notice the recycling symbols on the bottoms of many plastics. Opt for symbols 1, 2, 4, or 5. Or choose brands like BornFree, where the entire line of toddler sippy cups, pacifiers, baby bottles and plastic water bottles are free from BPA, phthalates and PVC. Or skip plastic, and go with something like glass or stainless steel. 2) What goes on the skin. Chemicals in lotions and creams can be absorbed through the skin. We read the ingredients on food; it’s time to learn to read ingredient lists on skin products as well, and choose those you trust. Sunscreen is a great place to start. I prefer sunscreens that rely on minerals, like zinc or titanium, rather than relying on chemicals that might act as hormones in the body.
3) What goes in the nose. Clean air may seem overwhelming. After all, you don’t have much control over other people’s exhaust pipes and smokestacks. But the air that matters most is the air in your own home, where your child sleeps at night. Indoor air is usually more polluted than outdoor air, so you can often make a big difference just by opening the windows. Replace cleaning products that have harsh fumes or artificial fragrances (anything that says, “Use in a Well-Ventilated Space” probably isn’t good for your child). And you might consider houseplants or an air filter to help clean your air.
Dr. Greene is the author of Raising Baby Green, Feeding Baby Green, and is a consulting pediatrician for BornFree.
~Tracy~
