News release from Allen County Safe Kids:
Top Five Mistakes New Parents Should Avoid
Safe Kids Allen County provides important tips to keep babies safer for Baby Safety Month
(September 7, 2011) – The first year with a new baby is an exciting, joyful time. However, it’s also a time when new parents have to think about the safety of their baby. Children from birth to age one are more likely to die from accidents than older children. The leading causes of deaths from accidents at this age are suffocation, motor vehicle crashes, drowning, home fire or burn injury, falls and poisoning. “The arrival of a new baby means big changes for the whole family, especially when it comes to making sure the home and car are safe for the baby,” said Carmen DeBruce, Safe Kids Allen County coordinator.
Babies spend most of their time sleeping. So creating a safe place for a baby to sleep is a top priority for Safe Kids Allen County during September, which is Baby Safety Month. Two out of three babies who die from injury in their first year of life die from suffocation, which prevents them from breathing. Many of these deaths happen when babies sleep in an unsafe way. Research shows that almost all of these tragedies can be prevented. “Just remember the ABCs of safe sleep for babies,” says DeBruce. “Babies should sleep ALONE, on their BACKS, in a CRIB. The crib should be in the parents’ room, if possible. It should meet all safety standards and have a firm mattress with a tight-fitting sheet. The crib should be empty except for the baby: no pillows, no comforters, no soft bedding or stuffed animals. These can suffocate a baby.
Here are five important things that all new parents should do to help keep their babies safe:
1. Make a place for babies to sleep by themselves. This can be in the parent’s room to make things like breastfeeding easier. This is called room sharing. But parents should not let a baby sleep in their bed. Bed sharing is not safe for babies.
2. Put the baby in a safe place when you are cooking or carrying hot foods and liquids. Most scald burns in young children are from spilled hot foods and liquids. This is especially true for children ages six months to two years. The safe place can be a high chair, crib, play yard or any other safe environment. If possible, use a travel mug with a top to protect children in case your hot drink tips over.
3. Keep babies away from water. A baby can drown in as little as an inch or two of water. Babies under one year who drown often do so in bathtubs, five-gallon buckets and toilets. It can happen the moment your back is turned. Put outside locks on all bathroom doors. Use toilet latches. Empty buckets and wading pools after using them and store them upside down. Never leave a baby alone in or near water – not even for a second. You need to protect them from drowning and also from being burned by hot tap water.
4. Keep babies and toddlers in rear-facing car seats. There are new rules for baby safety in cars and other vehicles. Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) shows that babies and toddlers will be safer if you keep them in a rear-facing child safety seat in a back seat for as long as possible – until they are at least two years old AND weigh at least 20 pounds. Also, never leave your child alone in a car– even for one minute. Heat stroke can injure or kill them.
5. Be prepared for what your baby will do NEXT. The trick to keeping children safe is to stay one step ahead of them. A baby will wiggle, kick, roll over, chew a toy, move around, pull up, crawl, take first steps and walk. Even if your baby can’t do all of these things right now, there’s always a first time. As babies grow, they will learn to do new things that could hurt them. You should take steps to keep your baby safe today. But you should also think about what you need to do now to keep the baby safe tomorrow. This is true for anyplace your baby spends time, so make sure safety is in place wherever they go.
“Parents often think about keeping things out of the baby’s reach but forget about keeping the baby safe from falls,” said Lorri Rowe, SCAN program director. “Parents sometimes forget how easily babies can fall from stairs, changing tables and shopping carts.”
Baby Safety Month is an annual observance led in September by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. If you would like more information about baby safety topics please visit www.safekids.org.
Safe Kids Allen County is a coalition of local organizations dedicated to preventing accidental childhood injury, the leading killer of children 14 and under. The lead organization for Safe Kids Allen County is Lutheran Children’s Hospital. Safe Kids Allen County is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing accidental injury. Safe Kids Allen County was founded in 1999.
Safe Kids USA is part of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability to children ages 1 to 14. More than 600 coalitions and chapters across the U.S. and 19 member countries across the globe bring together health and safety experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments and volunteers to educate and protect families. For more information visit www.safekids.org.
The Safe Kids Allen County coalition includes these member organizations:
Allen County Sheriff’s Department
American Red Cross
Community Action of Northeast Indiana (CANI)
Early Childhood Alliance
Family & Children’s Services
Fort Wayne Fire Department
Fort Wayne Police Department
Governor’s Council on Impaired Driving
Indiana State Police
Lutheran Children’s Hospital (lead organization)
Lutheran Hospital
New Haven Police Department
New York Life
Parkview Hospital
RSVP
Safe Kids Volunteer Corps
St. Joseph Regional Burn Center
Stop Child Abuse & Neglect (SCAN)
Three Rivers Ambulance Authority (TRAA)