Childproofing your home should be your first priority. Why? About
2-1/2 million children are injured or killed by hazards in the home each year. The good news is that many of these incidents can be prevented by using simple child safety products on the market today. Any child safety product you buy should be sturdy enough to prevent injury to your child, yet easy for you to use. It's important to follow installation instructions carefully. In addition, if you have older children in the house, be sure they re-secure safety products. Remember, too, that no child safety product is completely childproof. Determined youngsters have been known to disable them.

As soon as your baby begins to crawl, life takes an exciting and terrifying turn. Suddenly, your sweet, manageable infant is transformed into a curious, fearless explorer who is everywhere and into everything. And that's just the beginning!...Just wait until your baby learns to walk...run...and climb!

Parents, Be Prepared!

Here are some child safety products that can help prevent many injuries to your young children.

OUTLET COVERS and OUTLET PLATES can help protect your children from electrical shock and possible electrocution.

Be sure the outlet protectors cannot be easily removed by your children and are large enough so that your children cannot choke on them.


CHILD SAFETY GATES can help keep children away from stairs or rooms that have hazards in them.

Look for child safety gates that children cannot dislodge easily, but that adults can open and close without difficulty. For the top of stairs, gates that screw to the wall are more secure than pressure gates."

New child safety gates that meet safety standards display a certification seal from the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). If you have an older child safety gate, be sure it doesn't have "V'' shapes that are large enough for your child's head and neck to fit into.

CHILD SAFETY LATCHES and LOCKS on cabinets and drawers can help prevent your children from gaining access to medicines and household cleaners, as well as knives and other sharp objects.

Look for child safety latches and locks that adults can easily install and use, but are sturdy enough to withstand pulls and tugs from children. Safety latches are not a guarantee of protection, but they can make it more difficult for children to reach dangerous substances. Even products with child-resistant packaging should be locked away, out of reach; this packaging is not childproof.

 
CORNER and EDGE BUMPERS can be used with furniture and fireplace hearths to help prevent injuries from falls or to soften falls against sharp or rough edges.

Be sure to look for bumpers that stay securely on furniture or hearth edges.

DOOR KNOB COVERS and DOOR LOCKS can help keep your children away from places with hazards, including swimming pools.

Be sure the door knob cover is sturdy enough not to break, but
allows a door to be opened quickly by an adult in case of emergency. By restricting access to potentially hazardous rooms in the home, door knob covers could help prevent many kinds of injuries. To prevent access to swimming pools, door locks should be placed high out of reach of young children. Locks should be used in addition to fences and door alarms. Sliding glass doors, with locks that must be re-secured after each use, are often not an effective barrier to pools.


DOOR STOPS and DOOR HOLDERS on doors and door hinges can help prevent small fingers and hands from being pinched or crushed in doors and door hinges.

Be sure any child safety product for doors is easy to use and is not likely to break into small parts, which could be a choking hazard for your young children.

WINDOW GUARDS and SAFETY NETTING for balconies and decks can help prevent serious falls.

Check these safety products frequently to make sure they are secure and properly installed and maintained. There should be no more than four inches between the bars of the window guard. If you have window guards, be sure at least one window in each room can be easily used for escape in a fire. Window screens are not effective for preventing your children from falling out of windows.

WINDOW BLIND CORD SAFETY TASSELS on miniblinds and tension devices on vertical blinds and drapery cords can help prevent deaths and injuries from strangulation in the loops of cords.

For older miniblinds, cut the cord loop, remove the buckle, and put safety tassels on each cord. Be sure that older vertical blinds and drapery cords have tension or tie-down devices to hold the cords tight. When buying new miniblinds, verticals, and draperies, ask for safety features to prevent child strangulation.

SMOKE DETECTORS are essential safety products for protection against fire deaths and injuries.
  Check smoke detectors once a month to make sure they're working. If detectors are battery-operated, change batteries at least once a year or consider using 10-year batteries.

A CARBON MONOXIDE (C0) DETECTOR can help prevent CO poisoning.

Consumers should install CO detectors near sleeping areas in their homes. Households that should use CO detectors include those with
gas or oil heat or with attached garages.

ANTI-SCALD DEVICES for regulating water temperature can help prevent burns.

Consider using anti-scald devices for faucets and showerheads. A plumber may need to install these. In addition, if you live in your own home, set water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help prevent burns from hot water.
 
 
CORDLESS PHONES help you watch your child continuously, without leaving the vicinity to answer a phone call. Cordless phones are especially helpful when your children are in or near water, whether it's the bathtub, the swimming pool, or the beach.

Just imagine how many little lives could be saved and how many accidents could be prevented if each and every parent would take the time to install these child safety products. Let's eliminate these avoidable tragic statistics by childproofing your home.

This is a "Shareware" Article
(what's that?  read on...)

This article is shareware.  Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article is left intact including this notice.

Click on the graphic to vote for this
page as a Starting Point Hot Site.