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Welcoming a new child into your home brings numerous considerations, with ensuring a safe bedroom environment ranking among the most crucial. Since children typically spend much of their unsupervised time in their cribs or bedrooms, it’s imperative that these spaces are devoid of hazards. Begin by outfitting the crib with safety features and then modify other elements in the bedroom to minimize potential accidents.
Key Measures
Safeguarding Against Bedroom Mishaps
Opt for cordless window treatments. Traditional blinds or curtains with pull cords pose a significant risk, as they can easily become entangled around a child’s neck. Cordless window treatments, such as “honeycomb” blinds, not only enhance child safety but also offer superior insulation for your home.
- If your window coverings have cords, either remove them entirely or utilize cord shorteners, safety tassels, or wind-ups to keep them out of children’s reach.
- Since November 2000, all window blinds sold in the United States are mandated to include safety features on pull cords to prevent loop formation between slats if pulled by a child. If you own blinds purchased before this regulation, you can request a complimentary retrofit kit by calling (800) 506-4636.
Install window guards and safety netting. Window guards feature bars spaced approximately 4 inches (10 cm) apart to prevent children from falling out of open windows. They are secured by screwing them into the window frame. Safety netting is essential for balconies or decks to prevent falls.
- Regularly check the security of window guards and netting.
- You can purchase window guards and safety netting at most hardware stores.
Assess the window opening mechanism. Windows that open from the top are safer as they are out of reach for children to push through screens. For bottom-opening windows, install window guards limiting the opening to 3 inches, equivalent to the size of an adult fist.
- Windows near ground level or with window seats require window guards to prevent accidents.
- For casement windows, remove the crank and store it securely out of reach.
Secure outlets with outlet plates. Outlet plates with sliding covers are preferable over outlet covers, ensuring adult access while safeguarding against child injuries. Conceal wires in wire guards for added safety.
- Use plastic outlet covers for infrequently used or out-of-reach outlets.
Utilize commercial door guards. Door knob covers and locks are effective for round and levered doorknobs, preventing children from accessing other areas of the house. Pinch guards prevent cabinet doors from slamming on fingers.
- A “door monkey” allows limited door opening while restricting child access.
- Install pinch guards to prevent cabinet doors from closing completely.
Improvise door guards. In the absence of commercial door guards, a washcloth or similar material can serve as an effective door guard.
- Place the washcloth between the door and frame, adjacent to the door handle, to create pressure preventing the door from opening.
- To open the door, pull the washcloth tight with one hand while turning the knob with the other.
Craft a makeshift door shield using cardboard. Fashion a piece of cardboard approximately 3 inches wide, long enough to encircle your doorknob. Wrap it snugly around a round doorknob and secure the ends with duct tape or a similarly sturdy adhesive.
- When attempting to turn the knob, the child will only grasp the cardboard, which will rotate without affecting the knob.
- Note that this method is not suitable for levered knobs.
Equip each bedroom with a smoke alarm. For enhanced safety, install a smoke alarm in every bedroom of your home, including those designated for children. In multi-story homes, ensure at least one smoke alarm is present on each floor.
- Regularly test batteries and replace smoke detectors as needed, typically every 10 years.
Position carbon monoxide detectors near bedrooms. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, toxic gas, necessitating the installation of CO alarms in every home to provide early detection and evacuation alerts.
- CO alarms are readily available at hardware stores.
- Coordinate CO alarm battery replacements with smoke detector maintenance. Some detectors offer dual smoke and CO detection capabilities.
Exercise caution with space heater placement. Ensure space heaters are positioned at least 3 feet (1 meter) away from beds, window coverings, combustible materials, and potential obstructions.
- Avoid placing heaters in areas accessible to children or pets, minimizing the risk of accidental tipping.
- Prioritize familiarizing yourself with the heater’s operational guidelines outlined in the product manual to mitigate potential hazards associated with improper use.
Anchor heavy furniture to prevent accidents. To prevent toddlers from inadvertently toppling heavy bedroom furniture, such as dressers or changing tables, secure them to the wall or floor.
- Utilize robust nylon straps, such as Mommy's Helper Tip-Resistant Furniture Safety Brackets, to affix furniture securely to wall studs.
- Brackets and braces serve as additional measures to stabilize furniture and minimize the risk of tipping.
Avoid keeping piggy banks in your child’s room. Coins pose a choking risk to young children, who may inadvertently ingest them. Additionally, ceramic piggy banks can easily break, scattering coins and sharp ceramic fragments.
- Be cautious of plastic coins, as well as small game tokens that older siblings might leave within reach of younger children.
- Smaller crayon pieces can also pose choking hazards. Opt for larger, round crayons to minimize the risk of accidental ingestion.
Keep latex balloons away from the bedroom. Both uninflated and popped balloons can pose choking hazards, particularly for children under 8 years old. Prevent access to balloons in children’s bedrooms to mitigate the risk of suffocation.
- Objects that can fit through a toilet paper roll are potential choking hazards.
- Store all plastic bags, including dry cleaning bags and grocery bags, out of reach of young children.
Opt for a lidless toy box. Traditional toy boxes with heavy lids can pose injury risks to children. Choose a lidless toy box to prevent accidents, and consider using a lightweight covering if toys need to be concealed.
- Plastic lids that can be securely fastened are a safe option for toy boxes. These lids are lightweight and unlikely to cause injury if accidentally accessed by a child.
Setting Up a Crib
Ensure proper crib design. A safe crib should have slats spaced no more than 2 3/8 inches apart, ensuring that a child’s head cannot become trapped between them. Look for JPMA Safety Certification and ensure the mattress fits snugly without excessive space between the slats.
- Verify the crib lacks any decorative cutouts in the headboard or footboard that could pose entrapment hazards.
Ensure your crib is in optimal condition. Inspect all surfaces to ensure they are smooth, sanded (if wooden), and devoid of sharp edges or splinters. Verify that the sides latch securely and all screws are tightly secured, with no missing parts that could be accessed by your child.
- Check for any missing or damaged slats on the crib.
- Ensure the sides cannot be released from inside the crib by a child.
- If your child can stand, adjust the crib mattress to its lowest position to reduce the risk of falling.
Limit items inside the crib to essentials only. Avoid placing blankets, soft toys, comforters, or pillows (including adult pillows, throw pillows, or infant donut pillows) in the crib to prevent suffocation risks for young children. Use a firm, flat mattress.
- If necessary, remove items once the baby is asleep.
- Avoid using crib bumpers, as they pose a risk of entrapment and falling.
- Follow AAP recommendations for safe sleepwear and consider using a sleepsack instead of a blanket.
Position mobiles at least 7 inches above the crib. While mobiles provide entertainment and aid visual development, ensure they are placed at a safe distance from the baby's reach.
- Remove the mobile when the baby begins to push up on their hands and knees or reaches 5 months of age.
- Once the baby can grasp the mobile, it becomes a strangulation hazard.
Place the crib in a safe location. Ensure the area surrounding the crib is free from potential hazards such as lamps, wall decorations, cords, and furniture that the baby could grab or climb.
- Avoid positioning the crib near heating sources like vents or radiators.
- Securely anchor any décor above the crib to prevent items from falling onto the baby.
- Due to the amount of time a child spends unsupervised in the crib, prioritize safety measures.
Helpful Tips
Important Reminders
- Ensure you maintain a readily accessible, well-equipped first-aid kit at home. Regularly inspect its contents and replenish any items used.
- Display emergency contact numbers (such as poison control, primary care physician, etc.) prominently in a central location within your home for easy access during emergencies.
