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Baby Safety Information |
Posted: September 20, 2002
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There are so many things to think about to keep your baby safe. Do you have questions about car seats? Are you worried that you may have lead paint in your house? Which shots does your baby need? Where can you go for medical care for your baby?
There are several programs within the Sacramento County Public Health Promotion and Education Division that offer a variety of services for you and your baby. Many of your questions can be answered by safety and health experts in the following programs:
| | | | | | In addition to the information on the sites above, here are a few tips to keep your baby safe:
Car Seat Safety
- Always put your baby in a car seat in the back seat, no matter how short the drive.
- 90% of the car seats that were checked in Sacramento last year were installed improperly. Having your child in a properly installed car seat reduces their risk of death or serious injury by 64%!
Preventing Falls
- Set baby gates and the top and bottom of stairs.
- Place cribs and beds away from windows.
- Make sure that the bars on stair and balconies are less than the width of a soda can apart. Young children can slip though stair and balcony railings.
Water Safety
- Never leave young children alone near bathtub, pool, pail or toilet. They can drown in only a few inches of water.
Poison Safety
- Keep household items such as cosmetics, medications and plants out of reach.
- Lock up cleaning supplies, lawn products and other chemicals.
- Buy medicine in bottles with childproof caps.
- Never refer to medicine as “candy.”
- Post the number for poison control near your phone.
Preventing Choking
- Keep floors clear of buttons, coins and other choking hazards.
- Cut grapes, carrots and other foods into small bites.
- Don’t give small children hard candy, nuts or popcorn.
- Avoid toys with small parts.
- Always spread peanut butter on bread, fruit or crackers. Eating peanut butter by the spoonful is a choking hazard. Some physicians recommend waiting until after your child is age 2 to introduce peanut butter to their diet. If you are concerned, discuss this with your child's doctor.
- Don’t let kids play with plastic bags or deflated balloons.
Fire Prevention
- Place a screen in front of the fireplace.
- Put guards around radiators and furnaces.
- Store matches and lighters out of reach or in a locked cabinet.
- Install fire and smoke detectors.
- Set your hot water heater below 120 degrees.
- Cover all electrical outlets.
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