One of the greatest fears a parent has is to have something happen to their baby on account of carelessness or because of lack of attention to the hazards that are present both within the home and outside for a young child.
Take for example the case of young Diana, whose grandmother was about to bathe her.
The grandmother stepped out of the bathroom for a mere twenty seconds to fetch a towel, and Diana turned on the hot water faucet , letting severely hot water splash on to her. The young child, whose first birthday was a week away, died of burns a week later.
More than 2,000 young children die ever year because of an unintentional injury at home, and the tragic part is that these accidents could have been prevented with some careful consideration of the hazards that are inherent in every home.
1. Most parents are aware of the dangers of an unprotected staircase, and they are careful to put up a baby gate at the top of the stairs, but fail to put up another at the bottom.
As a result, the baby can climb up the stairs and tumble down backwards, risking severe injury and even death.
Also, there are gates with wide gaps between them, through which a baby can either crawl through, or put his head in and get stuck.
Parents must therefore make sure that they fit gates both at the top and the bottom of the staircase, and that the gaps are too small to let the baby put his head through them.
2. Baby walkers are another cause for serious hazards. A baby can fall down and have the walker collapse on him, injuring himself.
The same thing can apply to baby carriers, which must never be left unattended, especially on a high surface or in a car where there is always a danger that the baby can wriggle himself out of it and fall down, or cause grievous harm while he is left unattended inside the car.
3. Beware that you do not leave small objects inside your baby crib. A baby can always pick up a small object and try to swallow it, bringing on a choking hazard.
Similarly, a parent must make sure that the gaps between the bars of the crib are not too wide: the baby can either slip out of the gaps or fall down, or he may try to put his head through the gaps and choke or strangle himself.
Make sure that there are no loose cords left dangling in the vicinity of your baby’s crib. He may hold onto these cords and loop them around his neck.
With a little awareness and a lot of close attention, a parent can make sure that the home is a safe and a hazard free place for a baby.
