For new moms and dads, bringing home a newborn baby is surely an exciting time! It's also a time that comes with a few preliminary cautions. Make steps to ease your worries by keeping these four safety tips in mind.
1. Beware Of SIDS
SIDS, also known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, is a sudden and unexplained death of a baby younger than 1 year of age that occurs during sleep. To decrease the risks, it’s important to place your baby on their back for naps, including bedtime.
Be sure you only place your baby on a firm mattress that is safety-approved. By placing a baby on soft surfaces like water beds, soft mattresses, sofa cushions, and pillows, the risk of SIDS gets higher. Never use any toys, loose bedding, baby blankets, or pillows in the crib with your baby at any time.
2. Pay Attention To The Temperature
Just as difficult as it may be for adults to find an enjoyable temperature within the home, it is common for parents to wonder what a proper temperature should be to keep their baby safe and comfortable too.
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Experts recommend maintaining a room temperature between 65 to 74 degrees. By maintaining a comfortable temperature, your little one will breathe better and ultimately sleep better too. This goes for taking your little one outside or into a hot car as well. Avoid any temperatures over 74 degrees.
3. Never Leave Your Baby Alone For Any Period Of Time
Do not leave your baby alone on changing tables, infant swings, car seats, couches, beds, or with any pets to avoid falls and injuries. Also, look for areas of your living space that you can soften up, like the sharp edges of the coffee table, chairs, side tables, and even some couches. Now is the time to baby-proof to avoid any knicks or cuts that come with a busy baby.
Lastly, don’t forget about your television! According to the CPSC, approximately ten children die each year due to falling TVs. Take precautions with unstable heavy electronics and consider mounting your flat screen or television to the wall or securing it to a cabinet with a TV anchor.
4. Car Safety Is Highly Important
It is not uncommon to want to see your little one’s glowing face in your rearview mirror while driving, especially when they are fussy. However, before a child hits one year of age, their head is substantially disproportionate to their body, causing harm if facing forward during an accident. During impact, their head will fall forward more dramatically, increasing the likelihood and severity of spinal cord and neck injuries.
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Ensure your child’s safety by keeping them in a rear-facing car seat until they are at least 1 year old and 20 lbs. Also, never under any circumstances leave your baby in the car unattended, ride with your infant in your lap, or put your baby in the front passenger seat of your car, not even in a car seat.
Tia Muhammad, BS, is an award-winning freelance content & media creative, copywriter, blogger, digital designer, and marketing consultant. She owns the boutique content and digital media company, jackieGLDN|studio.
