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About Your Baby About
Your Baby - Main
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Baby & Toddler Safety
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Baby and toddler safety is a major issue in today's world. Whether you are protecting your baby from potential kidnappers or falling objects, you will need to be on alert at all times, especially once baby becomes mobile. Infants need to be protected from the environment, possibly from jealous siblings and rambunctious or pissed-off pets, not to mention cigarette smoke, improperly adjusted infant car seats, loose blankets that could cover their faces while sleeping, etc. Yeah, welcome to paranoia. ;-) The point is not to live in fear but to be cautious and aware of our surroundings and what our babies are exposed to. Look around the rooms in your home to spot potential child hazards, such as electrical outlets, visible electrical cords, staircases, drapery cords, lamps, vases and goodies within reach of a crawling, curious and eventually toddling young one. Yes, you will need to baby proof your home. As soon as you recover from sleep deprivation or before, if necessary. Another good idea before your baby becomes a crawler is to get down on all fours and crawl through each room your own self. You'll see things you never suspected were there, including wild dust bunnies, lost earring backs and that Dorito chip hubby dropped and didn't bother going after. :-) There are plenty of great baby safety products available to make this task less crazy-making. Some of the most important ones you'll need right away are: Appliance Gaurds, Corner and Edge Guards, Outlet Covers and Faucet Covers. If you have a pool or intend bring baby
along to the lake or beach, you absolutely need
infant water safety gear,
including but not limited to Sunscreen Pets and Your New Baby: When I became pregnant with my first child, at least half the people we knew asked when I was going to "get rid of the cats." Uhmmm ... I wasn't planning on getting rid of our current babies anymore than I was planning on getting rid of the one residing in my belly, thank you very much. One of our cats loved kids, the other one positively hated them. Turned out the one who hated kids fell in love with my daughter the minute he met her (upon entering the house we put her on the floor in her carrier to 'meet' them) and he guarded her bassinet like a dragon protecting a captured princess. He never hurt her once in the seven years he was with us and he adored my younger daughter from birth as well. The cat who loved kids? He was the baby in the family before daughter number one arrived and took immediate offense and resented her greatly, however, he never dreamed of hurting her. Probably because his older brother would have snapped his head off if he tried. Dogs and cats are usually very adaptable and will embrace the little one with loving devotion, however, if Fritz or Mimi is left out of the loop and forced to take a major back seat to baby (read: intruder! to your pet), you could have a potential problem on your hands. Best to understand a dog or cat's view point before catastrophe strikes. Please read as much as you can about this issue before you bring baby home. It will set the record straight and make everyone's life easier and safer, including your pet's. Here are excellent sites about bringing a new baby into a pet-loving home:
One very important safety tip that cannot be stressed enough is: Never leave a baby or small child unattended in a closed car. The inside of a vehicle can become a furnace within five minutes on a hot day and is potentially dangerous even on a mild-temperature day. I don't care how inconvenient it is to un-strap baby from the car seat and possibly wake him/her. Just do it and know you are doing the only thing that's right in the situation. Child abuse and sexual exploitation of children is another very real part of our world. Yes, it's sad, horrific and unfathomable, however it exists on a larger scale than you would care to imagine. I once read that one out of every 10 people we know is a child predator. Gee, in a room full of friends and family where the magic number is 10 or exceeds it, there just has to be a pervert among them! While I don't think this is an absolute understanding of that statistic, thinking about it will make parents more aware of the people in their lives, whether family or friends or babysitters. While we would like to bury our heads in the sand and not have to examine this issue, we do need to be cautious about with whom we leave our babies and toddlers, as well as older children. There are many web sites on the Internet dealing with baby and toddler safety. Read them, digest them and live by them. This information could very well save your baby's life. Here are some good ones to browse:
About Your Baby - Site Map This site provides general information and the author's opinions. It is designed for educational purposes only. Always consult with a healthcare professional if you have any concerns about the health of your child. |
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