The moment your little bundle of joy is placed in your arms, your life is changed forever. Your priorities have changed and everything you thought you knew about babies and childcare has suddenly gone out of the window.
It’s easy and completely normal to find yourself feeling overwhelmed throughout the early stages of your baby’s life. You’ll find that keeping them fed, warm and content is your primary concern, however, new parents should also take additional steps to ensure that their newborn is safe from potential dangers at home. Thousands of infants are rushed into hospital each year for emergency treatment often because of an accident in the place they’re supposed to be the safest. At home.
Here we’ll look at some simple safety tips all new parents need.
The car seat
It goes without saying that your baby should only ever travel in your vehicle if they’re in a car seat. However, a car seat that isn’t right for their age or fitted incorrectly can be just as dangerous as traveling without one. In the event of a car accident, your infants’ seat could save their life – if you and your family have been involved in a car accident, see these personal injury lawyers (Based in New York).
Where possible, have your car seat fitted professionally and have a demonstration so you can do it correctly every time. Ensure it’s in the correct facing position and never buy a secondhand car seat. You won’t know if it’s damaged, if it’s been previously recalled or if the seats’ safety technology is out of date.
Falls
It’s difficult to imagine a scenario where a baby could fall and hurt themselves, especially when they’re tiny! However, accidents like this are incredibly common. For example, a parent placing a baby carrier on a countertop or table instead of the floor, or a parent leaving the baby on the bed where they could roll-off. Even looking away for a second could mean your child is at risk.
Burns and scolds
That hot cup of tea you’ve been desperate for could cause serious burns to your infant should the worst happen. You could lose your balance, have your arm knocked or the baby could inadvertently pull the cup onto themselves.
Never warm your baby’s bottle in the microwave, as this causes heat-spots in the milk which could burn your infants’ mouth. Always test the temperature on your wrist!
And finally, bathing
Keeping your baby content and clean means lots of happy bath times! However, bathing an infant requires you to focus all your attention and energy on keeping your baby safe near water. So, avoid bath time if you’re distracted, overtired, or trying to do several things at once.
Before you place your baby in the bath, make sure you have everything you need around you. Such as towels, baby shampoo, a washcloth, and toys, etc. If you’re prepared, then you won’t be tempted to dash out of the room to grab something. It only takes a few seconds for a baby to drown, so never leave them unattended!