Thierry Boudan Photography Resource / Articles
How To Baby Proof Your Home - Part 1
Every time I am teaching a domestic helper childcare course in my home I set the class a task. I tell the helpers to imagine that in my house lives a boy of around 2 years of age and a crawling 8 months old baby. We discuss what developmental milestones we would expect of each child and I send them off to produce a list of what would be needed to baby-proof my home. Each month their findings are different and, scarily, more extensive. You would think, therefore, that my home is, by now, completely baby friendly: not at all. Each time my friend comes to visit me her very curious 2 year old roots out yet another potential disaster waiting to happen. Both crawling babies and toddlers seem to have an innate ability to sniff out the most dangerous activity whilst your back is turned just for a second. And whilst I wouldn’t recommend hiring your neighbour’s lively 2 year old as a quick baby -proofing exercise it’s certainly a good idea to try and imagine what is in the head of your baby/toddler and anticipate their adventurous thoughts before they happen.
Injuries are the number one health problem for children in the developed world. Most accidents occur in the home and over half of all injuries occur to children under the age of five. Tragically, about 5,000 children die every year in the US from their injuries and tens of thousands more have permanent disabilities resulting from their injuries. It is estimated that 90% of all injuries to infants and children could have been prevented.
Common Childhood Injuries
• Falls
• Struck by/against
• Overexertion
• Bite/sting
• Cut/piercing
• Poisoning
• Motor vehicle occupant /Bicycle injury
• Airway obstruction from foreign object
• Fire/burn
(Adapted from National Safety Council, injury Facts, 2005-2006 edition).
According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign (US), the following are the most common injuries leading to death in children at different ages:
Infants (0-1 years)
• Choking
• Vehicle occupant
• Drowning
• Fires and burns
Children (1-4 years)
• Drowning
• Vehicle occupant
• Pedestrian injury
• Fires and burns
• Choking
Consider how to prevent the above injuries and baby-proof your home by physically getting down to the level of your baby or toddler. Look under settees and cupboards. Visually search out what looks interesting at their appropriate line of vision. Ask yourself what their NEXT developmental stage will be (you should have baby -proofed their current stage long ago) and how this could be dangerous to them. So, for example, if you have a 4 or 5 month old baby assume they will soon start crawling, pulling themselves up on furniture, putting objects in their mouth and biting hard on them, sucking everything in sight and manipulating things (open/shut, push/pull, fill/empty). Remember that babies from this age will quickly learn that things exist when earlier they were out of sight.
From around 9 months anticipate that your baby will soon begin walking, running, climbing, opening cupboards, throwing things and banging objects on glass and hard surfaces. He will continue to put objects in his mouth but will now, even more dangerously, run around at the same time. Soon he will begin to imitate adults or anything he has seen on the TV. He will have little sense of fear and no anticipation of danger. All children, from 6 months to teenagers have a natural curiosity for water and fire. They also have a great inclination to put their head and fingers into things.
Never assume that your child will remember your warnings from a previous instruction or that “he won’t do it twice”. Babies roll off changing tables onto the floor time and time again. Children do touch hot appliances and get burned over and over again. They do break their arms from falls more than once (and I speak as a mother of a son who has had 3 broken arms!) and they put things in their mouths and swallow them, repeatedly. Some children, in fact, seem to be born to be accident prone. It is the parent’s job to anticipate problems and make their environment a safe but fun place to be
However, it needs also to be said that children need to explore and learn about the world around them so try not to be too overprotective. Allow a little supervised risk taking and exploration.
Consider also taking a first aid and CPR course so that you will be equipped to act, should an injury or incident occur. Make sure that you have a well stocked first aid kit and that every person in the home knows how to call the emergency services.
Next time I will identify potential danger spots throughout the house and discuss how to prevent specific accidents.
Resources
National Safety Council, Pediatric First Aid, CPR, and AED course notes. Second Edition
by Yvonne Heavyside, The Family Zone HK
Home
|
|