Dr. John LaCount has been a pediatrician for 27 years – 20 of those with St. Elizabeth Physicians’ Florence office – and he’s also the father of five children himself, so he knows a few things about babies and baby safety.
Here, in conjunction with September as Baby Safety Month, LaCount shares his top nine tips for new parents on how to keep their babies safe:
1. Make sure you have a car seat that fits appropriately and is installed appropriately.
That’s No. 1, LaCount said. If you aren’t sure how to do this yourself, take it to your local fire department; they’d be happy to help.
2. Make sure your crib is current and safe.
LaCount’s advice is to not take the hand-me-down crib or use the family heirloom, as nice (or as cost-efficient) as it may be.
“Everything that’s been sold since June of 2011 has to meet certain federal requirements,” he said, “so you want your crib to be up-to-date.”
When in doubt, LaCount said, throw it out.
3. Make sure you don’t leave your child in the car unattended.
More than 200 kids have died already this year in cars, LaCount said. Take appropriate measures to ensure your child isn’t left behind.
4. Make sure your blinds aren’t a choking hazard.
Most houses have blinds and most blinds have cords, of course, LaCount said, but if your cords don’t have a separator on them or aren’t designed to break apart, they could be dangerous to your baby or toddler.
5. Make sure your electrical circuits are rewired or covered.
No matter how vigilant you are, accidents can happen in the blink of an eye, so either rewire your house with plugs so your baby or toddler won’t get shocked or cover the circuits.
6. Make sure your stairs are covered with a gate, and your windows are covered if they’re above the second floor.
7. Never leave your child in the bathtub unattended.
Water safety is a big one, LaCount said. Never walk away and leave your child in the bathtub at any point.
8. Make sure you have working smoke detectors.
LaCount said that many families, when asked, don’t know if they have a working smoke detector in their home. If you don’t know, he advises, check.
“The fire department doesn’t want to come out to your house at 2 o’clock in the morning any more than you want to get up at 2 o’clock in the morning, so call them proactively to make sure you have a smoke detector and it works,” he said. “Fire departments will give you a smoke detector if you don’t have one.”
9. Lock up any medications.
Although your 2-month-old baby probably isn’t going to get into your medicine, your 2-year-old might.
“They’re going to think it’s candy,” LaCount said, “but adult medicine in a baby or toddler is extremely potent, so make sure everything is safely locked away.”
You can’t keep your child from having accidents, but you can keep him or her safe from serious danger, LaCount said. And, if you have questions, there are now websites you can refer to for help, such as KeepingBabiesSafe.org, which is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and allows families to sign up for the latest safety alerts and recalls.
