• Never leave your child unattended. Keep supplies within arm's reach and always use the safety belt to help prevent falls. Try to keep a hand on your child at all times, even when using the safety belt.
• Make sure drapery and blind cords are out of reach. Loose cords can strangle children. Keep the cords tied up high with no loops. Check the cords in other rooms as well.
• If you use baby powder, pour it out carefully and keep the powder away from baby's face. Published reports indicate that talc or cornstarch in baby powder can injure a baby's lungs.

• Lower the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). All healthy babies younger than 1 year should sleep on their backs at nap time and at night. The safest place to sleep is in a crib with a firm mattress with a fitted sheet. Keep pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, and stuffed toys out of your baby's crib. They can cover your baby's face,even if she is lying on her back. Also, bulky items left in the crib could be used as a step for climbing out when your baby is able to stand.
• Don't hang anything with strings or ribbon over cribs.
• Make sure the crib has no raised corner posts or cutouts. Loose clothing can get snagged on these and strangle your baby. Also, the slats on the crib should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart. Widely spaced slats can trap small heads.
• Use a mattress that fits snugly in the crib so your baby cannot slip in between the sides of the crib.
• Tighten all the screws, bolts, and other hardware securely to prevent the crib from collapsing.

• Night-light. Keep night-lights away from drapes or bedding where they could start a fire. Buy only cool night-lights that do not get hot.
• Smoke alarms. Install smoke alarms outside every bedroom (or any area where someone sleeps), in furnace areas, and on every level of your home, including the basement. Buy alarms with long-life lithium batteries. Standard batteries should be changed every year. Test alarms every month to make sure they are working properly.

Published online: 1/09

Source: Home Safety Checklist (Copyright © 2008 American Academy of Pediatrics)
Healthcare professionals may order this publication in multi-copy packs.

Parents can find more information on this topic in Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5.

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The information contained in this publication should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.