Our little ones love to explore. They learn about the world by exploring the objects and places around them. They touch things, they taste things, they walk into things, they jump off of things, all kinds of exploration. That keeps us parents busy keeping them safe!
The National Safety Council has declared the month of June National Safety month to increase the awareness families have about child safety and safety guidelines. There are many safety guidelines out there! Here are a few key ones to pay attention to for young kids at different ages.
Prenatal:
- Practice safe sleep. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the leading cause of death in infants between 1 month and 1 year of age. Following the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Safe Sleep guidelines are an important step to reducing these risks.
- Choose a pediatrician for your baby. Be sure to consider the location, office hours, on-call options, and insurance coverage.
Zero-Six Months:
- Newborns cry a lot, but some can be harder to comfort than others. If you feel yourself getting frustrated lay the baby down in a safe place and leave the room to take a few deep breaths, or call a family member of friend. Never shake a baby! You can also call the Fussy Baby Network at 1-877-627-9227 for support, and information about ways to calm the baby.
- Practice tummy time with baby. Tummy time while babies are awake is important for the development of their neck and shoulder muscles. The AAP recommends doing tummy time for three-five minutes at a time two-three times a day.
- When you introduce solid food, introduce one food at a time and then wait a few days to make sure baby doesn’t have an allergy.
- Take an infant CPR class. It can take some time for babies to get used to eating solid food. Make sure you know what to do if your baby chokes.
Six-Twelve Months:
- Baby-proof and supervise your child. As baby becomes more mobile, baby-proofing your home is important to give your child a safe place to explore, but nothing can substitute for your attention. Always supervise your baby to ensure their safety.
- Make sure your baby fits in their car seat. As baby grows, it might be time a for a new car seat. The AAP recommends babies remain rear facing until they are two.
One-Five Years:
- Keep up with well child doctor visits. Taking your child to doctor on the recommended schedule will help keep them healthy, and make sure their development is on track.
- Watch children carefully around water. Children can drown in less than two inches of water. Stay within an arm’s length of your child when around water. Empty buckets after use, and close the door to the bathroom when not in use.
- Make sure your child wears a helmet when on a bike, trike, skates or scooter. Emergency rooms see more bicycle and head injuries than any other childhood injury. Helmets prevent head injuries, especially when they fit properly and are worn consistently.
All Ages:
- Never leave your child alone in the car. Children have died from being too hot in the car in outside temperatures as low at 60 degrees. Cracking the windows doesn’t help. Cars can reach 125 degrees in just minutes.
- Use sunscreen every time your child is in the sun. Even if it’s cloudy and cool. Just one bad, blistering sunburn in childhood more than doubles a person’s chances of developing deadly skin cancer (melanoma) later in life.
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Author: Mile High Mamas
