When the newborn babies arrives, your house is probably a bunker and a good practices model of baby proofing strategies and techniques. However, this does not mean you do not have a lot to work. Baby safety has become a national priority in the United States and an issue of public policy concern, so no parent takes such matters lightly. Today we will discuss six tips that parents should implement to keep their newborn babies safe at all times.
1. Keep the Baby Sleeping on their Back
According to new research and policies issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents should always put the babies to sleep on their back until one year of age for all sleep times, including quick naps. Evidence shows that babies are safer if they sleep in their bassinets or cribs on their backs.
Do not be afraid of choking hazards, as even preemies will be safer at home this way after NICU specialists solve the health problems.
Speaking of cribs, they come with their quality criteria and safety rules and do not for a second trade security for looks or price. An excellent resource for in-depth analyses and reviews is Mom Crib. Take your time and check the database for the safest new mattresses on the market for newborns and older children, along with bassinets, cribs, and other baby accessories reviews, comparisons, and discussions. From experience, you do not always know what is best for your baby until you read the reviews and learn about unique features and standards.
Keep the crib in the same room you sleep in (for the first year) and make sure you can reach your child in seconds. However, you should not spend the whole night guarding them and rolling them on their back if they sleeps on the tummy or the side.
Newborns roll, and it is not a problem as long as the crib is empty of any pillows, blankets, toys, or other items that can become an obstacle and cause airflow blockages.
2. Do not Microwave the Baby’s Bottle
Preventing burns in a newborn is not an easy feat, as your baby will grab and touch anything you can and cannot imagine, thus burning risks are high enough. Besides becoming a control freak with the hot beverages you carry or leave around the baby and with checking the warm tap water temperature at all times, one thing you need to consider is microwaving the bottle.
Microwave ovens do not have the reputation of being the safest items in your household. Moreover, microwave heating, while extremely fast, efficient, and clean, produces “hot spots.”
As you probably know, most microwaves heat unevenly and hard, and they may create high differences in the temperature inside the baby bottle, with such hot spots able to burn your baby’s mouth.
Instead, while time-consuming and sometimes messy, use a pot to warm some water and submerge the bottle in the warm water. Make sure you shake the bottle afterward to even the temperature.
3. Play Safe
Yes, the baby is the cutest thing in the world, and you want to hold them, squeeze them, play with them, and call them your own. Well, they are yours, but not to play too hard. No parent wants to harm the child, but some enthusiasts unknowingly and unwillingly may apply too much force or make moves that can hurt the child. Here are some things to never make when you play with the little one (or hang out with them during the day):
- Do not shake them when they cry, when you are moody, or when you want to express overboard affection – the Shaken Baby Syndrome is an unfortunate reality, and many parents, grandparents, siblings, or nannies endanger the health or even the life of the child by exaggerating with the shaking.
- Do not throw the child in the air, no matter if this was your parents’ form of entertainment when you were a newborn. Besides the fact that you risk hitting the child against the ceiling (true story) or not be able to catch them back, you risk brain damage or blindness.
- If you have pets, play with the child and the pet safely and gently, paying equal attention to the child and the pet. When the fun is over, do not leave the child alone with the pet no matter how many cute YouTube videos you have seen so far.
Do we have to remind you that the little critters put everything in their mouths? Therefore, be very careful with the toys and the balloons during the first few years!
4. Use Baby Sunscreen
We use baby shampoos, and soaps, and many other child-safe items, but few parents consider using dermatologically tested, safe baby sunscreen. Back in the day, we all needed a well-covered stroller and the cutest baby hat and blanket for our park or city rides with mom, but you should never skip sunscreen on the exposed skin areas of your child when you take him outside.
The UVs are getting stronger, pollution is getting out of hand, and there is not enough we can do to keep newborns’ sensitive skin safe. You can also use Mom Crib database to look for the best baby sunscreen products to use for your little one.
5. Reconsider your Green Thumb Activities
Parents hide all medicine and keep all substances as far as they can from their babies. Newborns are not likely to search the medical cabinet in the bathroom on their own, but if you drop a pill on their bed when you put them to sleep, you will have your plate full in a matter of minutes.
However, we want to highlight an issue not many parents tackle: houseplants, flowers, spores, pollens, allergens, plant mites, and the works. Keeping poisonous plants outside the house sounds like a no-brainer, but not many people know that their plants are toxic for the tiny humans with extra-sensitive skin and very vulnerable airwaves and internal organs.
If you did not do an inventory on your houseplants yet, it is time to check them, remove all those probable to cause skin, eye, airwave irritation, remove the more dangerous ones, and keep the child away from pollen, plant pests, and so on. You do not want allergies, asthma, and other problems.
6. Take First-Aid Classes
It sounds a little edgy at first, but just as you took breathing lessons to prep the labor, you should also consider such classes. They will help you keep your cool in any situation, help your baby in case something happens, and even assist another member of your family.
You should take at least a certified CPR class and work only with CPR-certified child caregivers. A first-aid class will help you manage and solve little everyday accidents for many years.
When the child grows, you can pass on the information, so the child can properly care for his/her person and others.
As you probably figured it out, these six tips on baby safety are just the tip of the iceberg, and we are sure you know and implement many more. However, some things skip even the most cautious of parents and a good reminder never hurts. Nevertheless, do not raise your baby inside a crystal bubble, as it will make thing complicated for them when they grow up. Some cuts and bruises make the best childhood memories ever, so stay safe but not paranoid!
