How to baby-proof your home

NOW PROMOTION Keep your tiny explorer safe

Thursday, 14 May 2009

Having a baby involves a steep learning curve for every new parent and just when you’ve mastered one new skill, along comes the next challenge.

You get to grips with breastfeeding just as it’s time to start whipping up gourmet, organic purees.

And just when your baby finally learns how to amuse themselves for five minutes, they learn how to crawl. Funny how those innocent house plants and electrical cables look much more sinister once the little ankle biter starts making moves towards them.

So what can you do to keep your tiny explorer safe, without curbing their adventurous spirit?

Luckily Sainsbury’s Finance is on hand with the facts about accidents in the home and some guidance on how to help to make your home safer for small people.

Falls
The facts: Been meaning to fit those stair gates for ages but haven’t found the time? This might be just the spur you need. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), falls are by far the most common cause of accidents around the home, accounting for 44% of all children’s accidents. And sadly, 10 children a year die as a result of their injuries.

What to do: The Child Accident Protection Trust (CAPT) recommend you use safety gates at the top and bottom of every stair case and start teaching your children how to go up and down as soon as possible. Baby Centre suggests that you check railings have openings wider than 10cm and block with plastic garden fencing if they don’t. Apart from stairs, many of the worst injuries to babies come as a result of falls from a bed or high chair, so never leave them unattended and make sure you strap them into their chairs using a five point harness every time.

Dangers in the living room
The facts: While the most serious accidents happen in the kitchen or on the stairs, the largest number of accidents actually happen in the living room, say RoSPA.

What to do: Not sure exactly what you need to baby proof? Get down on all fours and get a baby’s eye view of what your little one could pull down, put in their mouth or get their fingers into. Hide electrical cables behind furniture, use doorstops to protect your baby’s fingers, and put safety plugs in electrical sockets. Babies like to explore the world through their mouths, so get rid of any poisonous houseplants. Secure any tall, heavy items of furniture like bookcases or lamps to the wall. Your television should be pushed back as far as possible. For a more comprehensive list, take a look at this Baby Centre checklist.

Dangers in the kitchen
The facts: Every year more than 67,000 children are injured in the kitchen and 43,000 of these are aged four or under, say RoSPA. A large percentage of these accidents are burns and scalds or accidental poisonings.

What to do: Now’s the time to stop making hot drinks (or the evening meal) while holding your baby or those curious little hands could be in for a painful surprise. CAPT say that babies’ skin is 15 times thinner than an adult’s, while RoSPA has found you can cause a scald with a hot drink as much as 15 minutes after it was made. Fit an oven door guard and lock any cupboards that house cleaning products. To distract your baby away from forbidden places, fill a cupboard with lightweight, plastic cups and bowls and keep it unlocked.

Another way to protect your vulnerable little one is to take out life insurance so that they’re covered should anything happen to you. It needn’t cost the earth, either. Sainsbury’s Finance offers life insurance from as little as £5 a month.

Sainsbury’s offer a range of financial services including life insurance, pet insurance, home insurance, loans & savings accounts. Visit www.sainsburysbank.co.uk for quotes and more information.

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