Baby Safety

The first 9 months of your child
 
The first 9 months of your child's life can be some of the most memorable. It is here when you will see all the first steps for the rest of their life, from talking through to walking. You will no doubt long for the days in the future when your child was at this age through its early development so it's always important to make the most of it while you can and remember some important safety tips along the way!
 
Safety concerns amongst children in the first 9 months

• Rolling off objects such as cot or table and onto the floor
• Choking on smaller items that have been given to the child as they start to put things into their mouth for the first time
• Burning themselves on a hot drink given to them
• Taking too much medication and being poisoned
• Dropped babies or being injured whilst being held or carried
• Babies falling off chairs and other furniture
• Infants falling from a baby walker down stairs and from other high points

 
It's always important to keep an eye out for potential dangers to prevent anything bad happening, so always be weary during the above events to make sure you have your eye on them. There are some other tips to take on board when going through some daily, everyday activities with your new child.
 
Bathing & Dressing

• Always have clothes ready nearby the bath so you can dress your baby straight away and put non slip mats nearby so the bath won't fall off the table
• Check the temperature to make sure the water isn't too hot and will burn the baby. You should always run cold water first followed by hot then cold again
• Stay with your baby whilst it is in the bath and keep it away from items such as the tap which may still be hot
• After the bath don't leave the baby alone on the table and never use clothes with long drawstrings that the baby may choke on
• Choose clothes that have a low fire danger when dressing your baby

 
Feeding Time

• If you are bottle feeding always check the temperature when you get the bottle out of the microwave and shake it to spread the heat through the bottle
• Don't let the baby feed itself, always hold the bottle to your baby
• Put a hot drink down when feeding your baby so you don't spill it on your baby and burn it
• Mash foods up very finely when starting on solid food
• Give babies medicine only if it's suitable for young children

 
Sleeping

• Use cots that meet all relevant Australian standards and position the cot away from windows where cords may be of a danger
• Never put pillows or cushions in the cot and always put your baby on it's back
• Take off all bibs and anything with cords on them
• If it is a rocking cradle make sure the rocking function is turned off

 
Playtime & Toys

• Make the play area safe away from all heaters and other items such as chairs and also away from all choking hazards
• Put all medications away and out of reach of the child. This includes your handbag as children may get into handbags and take the medicine out
• Put lids on all poisonous products and make sure all animals are well away from your baby
• Put a bouncer on the floor and not on a high surface
• Fence your pool or close it off in case your baby wanders away and empty all items with water in them that your baby can fall into
• Give your baby lots of water
• Make sure all toys are suitable for your child's age
• If they are playing with a stuffed too make sure things such as fur and other items can't be removed and easily choked on

 
These are just some general tips to help you on your way, you should always follow these 5 basic tips all the time to help out your child:
 

1. Be good yourself and generally your baby will follow suit if you set a good example
2. If you have a car restraint then get it installed professionally
3. Put stair guards, stove guards and guards in front of your oven and heater so your child doesn't burn itself.
4. Put a smoke alarm in every room you think appropriate
5. Fence your pool with a fence that is met to Australian standards

 
Keeping your child safe should always be your number one priority no matter what you do and hopefully these tips can help you achieve that!