Child Safety Tip

Automobile accidents account for most injuries and deaths in American children. The use of child safety seats that confirm to safety laws can go a long way in enhancing safety levels. Every parent must ensure that the house is safe for children. Look up our guide to child home safety and find out how you can make your home secure for your little one. Read child safety tips to prevent accidental fires at home and how alarms and child monitors can keep a parent abreast of the child's activities within the house.

Child Safety Seat

Child car safety laws differ from state to state. Car seats for the child are mandatory but they need to be installed and used correctly. You need to choose the right child safety seat to suit the make and model of your car. It has been observed that in nearly 80% of cases, child safety seats in cars are incorrectly placed.

An infant child seat must not be used in a front seat where there is an airbag. The infant safety seat must be placed in the rear seat and facing the rear. The infant must be seated at a recline of about 45 degrees. Older children can do with a lower incline. A child must be placed in a rear-facing seat until reaching its maximum weight and height.

The harness straps must be placed snug to ensure maximum child car safety. Slightly older children can use booster seats as a safety precaution. Booster seats enhance car safety for children by providing a raised platform so that the child can be fitted with the adult safety belt. Without a booster seat, the seat belt rides over the stomach and exposes the child to serious abdominal or neck injuries. An important safety tip for children is to never buckle up more than one person in a single seat belt.

Child Safety Seat Buying Guide

A 5 point harness provides best fit and works well for children due to the reduced chance of ejection. Choose straps for child seats that do not twist easily. Use the infant carrier base that comes along with the infant car seat. The new LATCH system allows car seats for children to be installed without seatbelts. The recent models of cars come equipped with this system. Some car seats come protected with special plastic or EPS foam to provide cushioning against side and rear impacts. If you have a taller child, see that the car seat has higher slots than others. Look for car seats that offer wide padded wings on either side for protection when a child falls asleep.

Child Safety Products

Make your house child proof. Though nothing takes the place of constant parental supervision, you can make use of child safety devices to enhance the safety levels. After all, the well being of your child is paramount! Nearly 4.5 million children are treated in emergency rooms in hospitals around the U.S. for injuries suffered in home accidents.

Child safety gates can be installed at the top of staircases, at swimming pools and other areas of the house where the child's movement is to be restricted. Child proof gates come in different ranges and are easy to mount. Choose child furniture that is safe for kids - furniture that is created with kids in mind with no sharp edges and painted with non-toxic material. Cribs, high chairs and stools must adhere to child safety laws.

Fire Safety for Child

It is alarming to note that nearly 20% of all fire deaths are children. Home fires can be set even by kids as small as two years and very often these fires can be fatal. Inculcating fire safety habits in children is essential so that they are aware of the pitfalls of handling matchsticks, candles, lighters and electrical equipment. Educate your children on fire safety in the house and practice a fire escape plan with them. Fire safety education for children includes training them to remain safe in case of a home fire. Teach them to drop and roll if their clothes catch fire. But prevention is the better part of valor and it is essential that you take all precautions to prevent a fire from breaking out.

• Beware of fires during the Christmas season. Electrical lights and various lighted window ornaments can a potential source of danger, unless inspected carefully before use. Instances of home fires are known to be on the increase in the holiday season. Be careful with decorative candles.
  
  
• Ensure that your electrical appliances and cords are in good condition. Use GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) or AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter) to prevent fires due to faulty circuits. Do not run electrical wires under rugs.
  
  
• Do not let kids use appliances without adequate supervision. Use electric blankets with care. Be vigilant about portable heaters. Do not place them in locations where they can be knocked down by kids and ensure that they are away from fabrics and newspapers.
  
  
• The need for safety in the kitchen cannot be overemphasized. Practice safe cooking habits and teach them to your kids too. Do not leave kids near a fire in the fireplace that is unattended. Cigarettes are the primary cause for most fire deaths in the U.S. Do not leave matches and lighters around for children to play with.
  
  Smoke alarms can be invaluable in the house and can nearly double your chances of surviving a fire. Keep your smoke alarms in good condition by testing them periodically and replacing the batteries at right intervals. A smoke detector is your best alarm. It will buy you time to make your escape.
  

Child Safety Harness

Imagine a situation when you and your toddler are in a crowded shopping mall, the curious kid takes a few steps away from you…and before you know it, the kid is lost! This can happen on a city street or a crowded airport. A child harness is designed to support the child's torso and still keeps him close to you. Though there are differing opinions on the use of child harnesses, many a kid store stocks different types of harness straps. They are available in a range of sizes too.

Child Safety in the Home

Bathrooms: Store chemicals and medicines in locked bathroom cabinets and out of easy reach of children. Place child locks on all toilets. You can cushion the bathtub to prevent injuries in case of fall. Remove soaps, shampoos and razors and other personal care products from the edge of bathtubs and sinks. Ensure that the bathtub spout is covered to prevent injury to the child. Babies can drown in even a few inches of water - It is essential that you never leave a baby unattended in a bathroom.

Kitchen: Latch up all the drawers and cabinets and place all pot handles out of reach of inquisitive kid fingers. Place toxic materials out of reach of children. Ensure that the gas range and stove knobs are child proofed with child safety locks.

Child Safety Tip

Children are curious by nature and it is reasonable to expect that if it is possible to get one's fingers into something, the child is most likely to! We bring you child safety tips to ensure that you baby proof your house against potential hazards.

• Do not place wall hangings above a crib. If it were to come down, the child can be badly hurt. Remove mobiles once the baby is about 6 months old.
  
• Keep all trash containers locked and out of the kid's reach.
  
  
• Beware of poisonous plants placed inside the house. Children can eat leaves or choke on pods or stems.
  
  
• Children can pull down tablecloths and bring down everything from the top.
  
  
• This is an important child safety tip for those who have pets at home - Feed the animals in another part of the house so the child cannot get at it.
  
  
• Cover plugs with covers that come with insulating gaskets.
  
  
• Prevent a toddler's access to the panty and closets.
  
  
• Never place the baby's crib close to the window.
  
  
• Set your hot water heater temperature to 49 degrees Celsius. Children's skin is easily burned.
  
  
• Keep hot liquids, like coffee or tea, out of a child's reach. Be sure a child cannot pull a table cloth and spill hot liquid.
  
  
• Keep matches and lighters away from children
  

Child Safety Lock

The use of safety locks to keep out the curious fingers and thereby prevent accidents is a child safety tip that every parent must follow. Safety locks are available for locking drawers and cabinets, toilets, cupboards and even appliances such as ovens. Pick up locks for drawers and cabinets which prevent them from being opened easily. You can go in for electromagnetic cabinet locks for children. They are activated through remote control.

Child Safety Alarm

Child safety alarms come in different options to suit different needs. A safety alarm on a child's nursery door will alert you in case the kid gets up in the middle of the night. Such an alarm is also invaluable in case an intruder comes in the nursery. A typical child safety alarm is made of 2 units - The Transmitter and the Receiver.

The transmitter is place on the child while the parent keeps the receiver. This works best with active older children. Transmitters are available in cartoon shapes and the ICs are hidden within it. When a child goes beyond a prescribed distance, the child alarm is sounded off and the parent is alerted. A door alarm for a swimming pool door can go a long way in ensuring child safety in the house. This alarm is sounded if the swimming pool door is left open or not closed within a few seconds.