Did You Know?
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DID YOU KNOW?
September is Baby Safety Month!
Nearly 12,000 children’s lives are lost each year due to preventable accidents and tragedies to children ages 1-18.
In addition, unsafe sleep and SIDS are the leading cause of death in infants between one month and one year of age, with most deaths occurring when a baby is between two and four months of age. Unfortunately, it can happen to anyone, anywhere, and in a matter of seconds.
In addition, unsafe sleep and SIDS are the leading cause of death in infants between one month and one year of age, with most deaths occurring when a baby is between two and four months of age. Unfortunately, it can happen to anyone, anywhere, and in a matter of seconds.
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Charlie’s House, a safety organization based out of Kansas City, is changing that! |
Many families are unaware of the dangers in and around the home, which is why Charlie's House created a resource that the community needed with the opening of the nation's first Safety Demonstration House - Check it out here: Virtual Tour.
Families, health professionals, and community organizations (including temporary housing programs) are encouraged to schedule a tour of a typical home, where they can explore a typical house with a room-by-room experience that demonstrates "How" and "Why" to childproof. The rooms include a nursery, bathroom, bedroom, outdoor deck, family room with stairs, kitchen, laundry room, and the garage/driveway area.
Families, health professionals, and community organizations (including temporary housing programs) are encouraged to schedule a tour of a typical home, where they can explore a typical house with a room-by-room experience that demonstrates "How" and "Why" to childproof. The rooms include a nursery, bathroom, bedroom, outdoor deck, family room with stairs, kitchen, laundry room, and the garage/driveway area.
September is Baby Safety Month!
Founded by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) in 1983, Baby Safety Month (BSM) occurs every September and offers a great chance for parents and retailers to brush up on baby-proof safety standards and tips. Charlie’s House has partnered with JPMA to support the mission of Baby Safety Month in helping educate parents and caregivers.
Every year, JPMA offers toolkits (Click for toolkit) to manufacturers, retailers, doctors, and parents to help educate them on childhood safety. Babies aren’t the only ones going through a huge learning curve in life – the rest of us often need to brush up on our skills in order to ensure no accidents occur.
Parents and caregivers have many responsibilities but keeping baby safe and healthy is a number one priority! Whether you are expecting your first baby, adding to your growing family, or are a grandparent, now is an ideal time to put into action some simple steps to keep baby safe.
By following the guidelines below, you can ensure you are creating a safe space for your baby to grow, learn and play
Every year, JPMA offers toolkits (Click for toolkit) to manufacturers, retailers, doctors, and parents to help educate them on childhood safety. Babies aren’t the only ones going through a huge learning curve in life – the rest of us often need to brush up on our skills in order to ensure no accidents occur.
Parents and caregivers have many responsibilities but keeping baby safe and healthy is a number one priority! Whether you are expecting your first baby, adding to your growing family, or are a grandparent, now is an ideal time to put into action some simple steps to keep baby safe.
By following the guidelines below, you can ensure you are creating a safe space for your baby to grow, learn and play
Bathroom Safety
- Babies can drown in one inch of water, and it only takes seconds for a tragedy to occur.
- NEVER leave a baby or young child alone in the bathtub for any reason
- Did you know that the medicines are the leading cause of child poisoning? Nearly five children under the age of 6 go to the ER every hour because they got into medicine. Help keep your kids safe by sharing medicine safety information with family, friends and caregivers. Medicine should always be safely locked up (out of reach & out of sight) from children.
- Set the hot water heater no higher than 120° F
- Install non-slip strips on the bottom of the tub or use a bath mat
- Place a cushioned cover over the water faucet
- Install toilet lid locks if there are toddlers in the home and keep the lids closed when not in use
- Install cabinet locks on bathroom cupboards and drawers
- Lock medicine cabinets when children are able to reach them
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Playtime Safety
- Always check to see if any of your baby’s nursery products have been recalled (click for recall list) that includes any second-hand products you may have.
- Small Parts--whether they are from toys, other items found around the home (such as coins, buttons, batteries, etc.), or pieces of food such as hot dogs, grapes, etc.—can pose a risk to children under three and those who tend to mouth items. Keep those items away from small children.
- Never leave a baby unattended while using entertainment products such as infant swings, bouncers, or activity centers. ALWAYS secure the restraining straps on baby gear like infant swings and bouncers
Child Passenger Safety
- Before you can leave the hospital or birth center you must have an infant car seat installed in your car. However, it’s estimated more than half of car seats are installed incorrectly or not used properly.
- Use Baby Safety Month as a reminder to double or triple-check that your baby’s car seat is installed correctly. Check to make sure your car seat is installed correclty. Safe Kids has several options, including virtual and online (Click here for more information).
General Safety
- Place your baby’s crib and other furniture away from windows to avoid falls or strangulation. Your baby is safer without any strings or cords within reach.
- Use cordless window coverings in all homes where children live or visit. If you can’t get a cordless window blind, reach out to Charlie’s House for a cord wrap at NO COST!
- Do not place cribs, beds and furniture close to the windows because children can climb on them and gain access to window blind cords.
- Install working smoke alarm AND a carbon monoxide alarm on every level of your home, and in all sleeping areas. This is an important tip for not just baby safety, but family safety as well. Please test the alarms regularly to make sure they work.
Safe Infant Sleep
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Follow the ABC’s of Safe Sleep - Safe Sleep - Everytime - YouTube
Alone: put your baby in their crib without any loose blankets, pillows, or stuffed animals Back: lay your baby down on their back Crib: your baby should always sleep in their own crib or bassinet (without other people or pets) |
- Before putting your baby down for a nap or for the night, remember that a firm mattress and fitted sheet are all you need for your baby’s crib. Remove blankets and toys from the crib and use a sleep sack on colder nights.
- Use a crib, play yard and bassinet that meet current CPSC standards.
Get #BabySafetyMonth trending with other parents or professionals who work with babies, and you may just save a life.
Babies grow rapidly and so do their needs, so spreading awareness of this month is helpful for all parents struggling to keep up and maintain a safe environment for their child.
Charlie’s House is a non-profit safety organization with a mission to prevent accidents and injuries to children in and around the home. We strive to make Kansas City and the nation a safer place. Caregivers, community organizations and medical professionals of all levels are encouraged to schedule a tour of our Safety Demonstration House. In addition, we encourage you to check out our website, where anyone is welcome to learn about safety education and utilize all of the resources that we have to offer.
Don’t live in or near Kansas City area? Using a 3-D experience, one can tour the same rooms and view safety links/videos, by visiting our Virtual Tour.
Don’t live in or near Kansas City area? Using a 3-D experience, one can tour the same rooms and view safety links/videos, by visiting our Virtual Tour.
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By Melissa Roach, Charlie’s House Program & Community Relations Manager
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