September is Baby Safety Awareness Month

Babies need us for almost everything. A big need is to protect them. There are many safety issues to consider when caring for an infant. This month we wanted to focus on safe sleep, poison safety, and water safety. Here in Indiana, we have unfortunately had a significant rise in infant deaths due to unsafe sleep habits or lack of supervision around water. Let’s review a few steps for making our children safer:

1.Place babies on their backs to sleep. Deaths due to positional asphyxiation and SIDS has decreased by 30-35% just by sharing this message. Babies should have “belly time” during the daytime when you and they are very awake, and when they are practicing their crawling skills.

2.NEVER sleep with a baby. Infants can suffocate due to caregivers accidently rolling over them, or babies may get caught between the wall and bed. There are any number of scenarios that make this practice dangerous. Room sharing is wonderful, but please reconsider co-sleeping. It’s just too dangerous to risk.

3.Many “slings” for babies have been banned due to their risk of suffocation. So beware of slings that are wrapped around the caregiver with baby in tow.

4.ALWAYS supervise young children around ANY water. Children should never be left in a tub, near a pool or pond, or out where there are uncovered wells or cisterns. There should always be adult supervision.

5.Insure that all medicines, cleaning supplies, or household plants are securely out of reach from your children

6.Don’t allow children to get into peoples’ purses or luggage.

7.Never store antifreeze or any poisonous liquid in a container that it is not intended to be it, e.g. a juice container or water bottle.

Protecting babies is a big job, but one that has HUGE and WONDERFUL returns. They’re worth our time and effort!