Prepare for a New Addition During Baby Safety Month
The Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association (JPMA) initiated the Baby Safety Month campaign in 1983. This annual public safety awareness campaign helps parents understand crucial safety tips for the home, the car, and sleep environments.
Each year, JPMA focuses on a specific theme for the campaign. For 2024, Baby Safety Month addresses the top five best practices all new parents should do before bringing their baby home. Mehlville Fire Protection District supports this annual campaign and shares the best safety tips for new parents preparing to welcome their new baby home. Learn important safety best practices for crib safety, car seat safety, and ways to keep babies safe throughout the home.
Table of Contents:
Safe Sleep Environment for Babies
Many parents are familiar with the Back to Sleep campaign; this safety awareness campaign began in 1994 and aimed to address the importance of safe sleep positioning for newborns and infants. The campaign was simple: place baby on their back when sleeping. Stomach sleeping was believed to increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and many parents at that time placed sleeping babies on their stomachs.
Today, the Back to Sleep campaign is known as the Safe to Sleep campaign. Recommendations have expanded beyond just placing a baby on their backs to sleep. The campaign focuses on numerous tips and habits that can help minimize the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related deaths. These recommendations include breastfeeding, removing soft objects from cribs and other sleep environments, sharing a room with baby (until six months of age), placing baby on flat and firm sleep surfaces (only covered by a fitted sheet), avoiding drugs and alcohol, not smoking or vaping near the baby (and when pregnant), as well as many other safety and lifestyle tips.
Baby Crib Safety Tips
Many parents use a standard crib for their baby’s sleep environment. Parents must abide by sleep safety best practices when preparing a crib for a baby’s arrival. Follow these safety tips to create a safe sleep environment:
Say “No” to Crib Bumpers, Blankets, and Pillows
Crib bumpers are cute and add a decorative touch, but parents need to understand that these are a safety hazard for a baby. Crib bumpers are designed as long soft pillows and were meant to cushion a baby from hitting their head on crib slats. Unfortunately, crib bumpers could lead to suffocation.
Keep bumpers, blankets, pillows, and plush toys out of a crib or other sleep environment. Only use a fitted sheet for the crib and ensure the mattress fits snugly inside the crib (no gaps).
Use a Baby Sleep Sack to Keep Baby Warm
Blankets pose a suffocation risk to babies, but during cold winter nights, parents still need to keep their baby warm. Instead of a blanket, use a baby sleep sack to keep the baby warm and protected from a winter chill. Sleep sacks are wearable blankets that zip over a sleeper. Baby stays warm and sleeps safely!
Be Mindful of the Spacing of Crib Slats
Parents should opt for a new crib or portable sleepyard whenever possible. Unfortunately, older cribs or used cribs might have been impacted by a safety recall, posing a risk to a baby. Antique cribs also feature unsafe crib slat spacing. Checking slat spacing is simple. If a soda can fits between the slats, the crib is unsafe to use!
Baby Safety at Home
The home hides many dangers for babies and young children. Before baby arrives at home, parents need to babyproof each room. Each baby develops at a unique pace; some may crawl or walk sooner. Parents do not want to be caught off guard by a suddenly mobile infant. Childproof the home early and be proactive.
Child Proof Door Locks
Special childproof door locks ensure that young infants don’t pull up on door knobs and accidentally open the door. Childproofing doors with special locks also prepares the home for inquisitive and explorative toddlers.
Child Proof Drawer Locks
Drawers hide and store many household items, including chemicals, small batteries, and knives. Childproof drawer locks require adults to push down on the lock to open a drawer. These locks are easy to navigate for adults but very difficult for children.
Child Proof Door Knobs
Childproof door knobs are another safety feature for homes. Door knobs are easy for tiny hands to turn. A childproof door knob is a protective cover that only allows the knob to turn when a side button is pressed.
Child Proof Latches for Cabinets
Childproof latches can be installed on cabinets or drawers. They effectively lock away all dangerous items.
Child Proof Sliding Door
Sliding doors can lead to the backyard, stairs, or a pool. Protect vulnerable babies, toddlers and small children. Install child proof sliding door locks. These are available in different designs. One style features a bar that acts as a security bolt for the door.
Fireplace Bumper Pad
Babies walk, pull up, and learn to crawl in a blink. The corners of tables and fireplaces can lead to bumps, bruises, or serious injuries. Bumper pads protect pointy corners and provide a soft landing area for tiny heads and bodies.
Tips for Safer Car Seats
Nearly half of all infant car seats are installed incorrectly. Improper installation leads to children being vulnerable to serious injury in the event of a collision. In addition, safety recommendations for car seat placement have changed through the years. It is now recommended that infants and toddlers sit in a rear-facing car seat until age three (when possible).
Benefits of a Convertible Car Seat
Many parents prefer to purchase a convertible car seat as it grows with the infant. These car seats are safe to use for newborns, infants, and toddlers. Each convertible seat is styled differently, and parents can find them in a range of price points.
Free Car Seat Installation
Don’t guess about car seat safety. Let the professionals install your car seat! Mehlville Fire Protection District offers free car seat installation for parents. Our crew installs the seat and teaches parents the correct way the seat should be installed; we show parents how to adjust straps, buckles, and tethers. Schedule a car seat installation with us!
The Importance of Product Registration
The Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association recommends that parents register all their baby products with the manufacturer. This step is crucial, as registration allows parents to receive information about product safety recalls. Every product includes a registration card or instructions on how to register; do NOT skip this important safety step!
Additional Resources from Mehlville Fire Protection District
Mehlville Fire Protection District encourages all parents to sign up for free car seat installation services. We want all newborns, infants, and toddlers to be safe on the road! Parents can also contact our crews about CPR classes; visit our website regularly to learn more safety tips and find additional resources.
