Updated December 15, 2014.

Safety

Accidents are the leading cause of death for children. Most of these deaths could easily be prevented and it is therefore very important to keep your child's safety in mind at all times. Here are some tips to keep your toddler safe:

• According to the latest car seat guidelines, you should use a rear facing infant or convertible car seat, and place it in the back seat until your baby is two years old or outgrows the rear-facing weight or height limits, and never place your baby in the front seat of a car with a passenger side airbag.

• Make sure his crib is safe: have no more than 2 3/8 inches between the bars; the mattress should be firm and fit snuggly within the crib; place it away from windows and drafts; avoid placing fluffy blankets, stuffed animals, or pillows in the crib as they can cause smothering.
• Make sure that used or hand-me-down equipment, such as car seats, strollers and cribs, etc, haven't been recalled for safety reasons. Call the manufacturer or the Consumer Product Safety Commission for an up to date list of recalled products.
• To prevent choking, never leave small objects or plastic bags in your baby's reach.
• Correctly use a harness when he is seated in a high chair.
• Avoid exposing your child to too much sun (use sunscreen).
• Back To Sleep: put your baby to sleep on his back (alternate positions) to reduce his risk of SIDS and never put him down alone on a waterbed, bean bag, or soft blanket that can cover his face and cause choking.
• Prevent falls by not leaving your baby alone on a bed or changing table.

• Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and use flame retardant sleepware.
• If you must have a gun in the house keep it and the bullets in a separate locked place.
• Practice water safety: teach your child to swim, do not let your child play around any water (lake, pool, ocean, etc.) without adult supervision (even if he is a good swimmer), always wear a life preserver or safety vest when on a boat, and childproof the pool by enclosing it in a fence with a self-closing, self-latching door.
• Be cautious of certain dog breeds (Rottweilers, pit bulls, German Shepards) that account for over fifty percent of fatal dog bites and closely supervise children when in the presence of animals.
• Clean his teeth with a soft toothbrush with just a smear of a fluoride toothpaste (to prevent fluorosis) until he learns to spit out the toothpaste.
• Child Proof the House (Set the temperature of your hot water heater to 120 degrees F, use gates on stairs, covers on electrical outlets and latches on cabinets, keep household cleaners, chemicals and medicines completely out of reach and always store them in their original container and know the Poison Control Center number (1800-222-1222), do not carry hot liquids or food near your child and do not allow your child near stoves, heaters or other hot appliances (especially curling irons), and when cooking, use the back burners and turn pot handles inward, to prevent drowning, empty all water from bathtubs and pails, keep the door to the bathroom closed and never leave your child alone near any container of water, keep a list of emergency numbers near the phone, and lock rooms that are not child proof).

For more information on your infant's safety:

• What safety seat to use for a big baby or toddler?
• Baby Walkers - Are they safe?
• Car Seats
• Childproofing
• Hidden Dangers
• Poison Control
• Home Safety Quiz
• Child Safety Quiz
• Kids in Hot Cars Alert
• Dog Bites
• Backover Safety Alert
• Preventing Shopping Cart Injuries
• Ten Safe Plants For Your Home
• Tips about Your Baby's Playpen