7 Baby Safety Tips New Parents Often Overlook
First of all, congratulations for the baby and welcome to our squad. Parenthood is going to be a crazy rollercoaster right, so buckle up. I can understand how half the time you feel swayed with the joy of becoming a parent of a little angel, and the rest half goes by second guessing every single parenting decision.
I could write a 10-page essay on the chaos and confusion new parents go through but since none of us have all the time in the world, I will keep this post focused on one vital, frequently talked about topic.
As you have already guessed from the title of the post, this discussion will be based on safety tips many new parents either don’t know about or ignore.
Let me give you a low-down of 7 baby safety tips many parents sadly often overlook. Get ready to feel a mixed bags of emotions:
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7 Baby Safety Tips You May Not Have Known About or Might Have Overlooked
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1. Wrong Sleep Position
You may or may not have heard about an absolutely horrific phenomenon called Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or crib death. Although doctors haven’t found any definite reason behind this, certain mistakes e.g letting newborns sleep on their side, wrapping them in a thick blanket and putting things like soft or small toys in the crib only increase the risk of SIDS.
Always lay the baby on his back, make him wear light clothes or even better, a onesie. If it’s cold, snuggle him up in a sleep sack or blanket swaddle. It’s much safer than blankets or quilts which your little one can easily pull over his face. In worst-case scenario, that could result in death from asphyxiation.
2. Room Temperature and Humidity Level
Not a lot of parents realize that babies are 2x times more sensitive to temperature fluctuations than a teen or adult. Furthermore, an overheated room is way more dangerous than a cold room.
If you happen to live in an arid climate, the lack of enough moisture in the air can cause a number of health issues such as nose bleeding, nasal congestion, sinusitis, breathing trouble, chapped lips, rashes, and the list goes on.
Do your baby a favor and install a cool mist humidifier which is considered a much safer for small babies than hot mist devices. The soothing cool mist it releases will not only keep the room temperature at the optimum level but also provide relief from cold symptoms, dry skin conditions, and acute discomfort.
3. Choosing Wrong Clothes for the Car Seat
Many parents make the grave mistake of making their kids wear thick jackets or clothes in the car seat. The thick fabric creates a gap between the child’s body and the harness. In case of a collision or accident, your baby could be easily ejected from the seat.
You get the drift, right? I don’t want to paint a macabre picture with my words anymore. If it’s freezing outside, simply put on a blanket or comforter on top of the straps.
4. Keeping Battery-powered Devices Lying Around
Ever wondered why all the battery-powered toys for little kids have their batteries secured in the compartment tightened by screws? Because children are curious little beings who love to explore things (by putting random crap in their mouths).
Putting a battery in the mouth could cause a serious choking hazard. I see a lot of people keep the remote control for their T.V, AC or small clocks just lying around. If you just had a baby, time to get rid of this habit because when your baby grows old enough to sit, he will be able to take out the battery, followed by putting it in his/her mouth.
5. Furniture Proofing Mistake
While baby-proofing the apartment, many new parents often overlook the loose bolts or sharp protruded parts of certain furniture, appliances or electronics. There’s no mind in the world more curious than the mind of a toddler.
The small, sharp, protruded or easily removable parts of seemingly ordinary objects are bound to catch their beautifully curious eyes. You can either fix those protruding accents with an industrial-strength adhesive, get them removed or simply keep them somewhere out of your kid’s reach.
6. Leaving a Baby Alone with a Pet
Your pet dog or cat might be a sweetheart and will probably never even think of harming your baby intentionally. In fact, many studies have shown that children who grow up with pets, especially dogs develop a stronger immunity to common allergies.
However, no matter how sweet or docile your pet is, leaving a baby alone with it is a very bad idea. Babies can unintentionally and playfully hurt the animal which could naturally coerce the animal into biting or scratching him. Let your baby play with your pets all they want but never without an adult supervision.
7. Leaving Your Little One Alone in the Bathtub
New mommies and daddies, I think by now, we have well-established the fact that leaving your little one unsupervised with even the friendliest dogs or seemingly harmless objects can lead to nightmare scenarios. The same goes for baths. Rings or bath seats don’t guarantee 100% safety from drowning.
Don’t go out to take that call or switch off the oven even for a moment while the baby is in the tub. Also, if your baby has just learned to crawl or walk, keep the buckets empty when the restroom is not in use. And of course, put latches or a baby safety toilet lock on the toilet lid.
The Bottom Line: Keeping Baby Safe While Letting Them Learn
So, that was pretty much all the baby safety tips new parents often overlook or don’t know about. I am not saying you have to do parenting by the book, at least not every aspect of it. But when it comes to ensuring safety for your bub, playing by the rules is the best thing you can do.
Another important note, don’t confuse ensuring baby safety with hyper-parenting. Kids need to go out, play in the dirt, ride a bike, and face the world on their own when they reach a certain age. Don’t forget that kids grow up fast and the world out there doesn’t go easy on anyone. So, while you do your best to make sure they are safe, you also need to teach them to face the world head-on.
The bottom line is, keep baby safe but also teach them how to keep themselves safe as they grow.
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