A New Season Calls for more Childproofing
Although you may have baby-proofed your home, when a new season begins it is time to re-evaluate. Especially after summer when more time is spent indoors going through the home and double checking dangerous situations is important. Also in just a few months a baby can change drastically. Your baby that was not crawling last Fall may be cruising this year and has a whole new view of your home.
SafeKids.org states
- Each year, an average of 2,096 children ages 14 and under die as a result of a home injury.
- Fires, suffocation and drowning are the leading causes of unintentional home injury or death among children in this age group.
- In 2004, approximately 2,300 children ages 14 and under died from unintentional injuries that occurred in the home. Nearly 80 percent of these deaths were among children ages 4 and under.
The Many Uses of a Baby Gate
Protecting your child is simple as long as it is done properly. If utilizing a fireplace, be sure to use a baby gate to keep your baby from going anywhere near the hearth. Special doors can be installed on a fireplace to keep a safe barrier between fire and people and pets.
The best idea however is to use a separate baby gate that acts as a play yard. Keep your baby away from the fireplace all together by placing a curious child inside a stand alone baby gate with her toys.This type of baby gate will also come in handy to guard against holiday decorations being tugged at hurting your baby.