September is national Baby Safety Awareness Month – the perfect opportunity to share tips on how to protect infants, empower parents and strengthen the entire family.
Here are five important reminders:
- Tipovers are a leading cause of injury to children. Secure to the wall televisions and furniture that can easily topple over, like bookcases and dressers.
- Soft bedding including blankets, pillows and bumper pads pose strangulation hazards to infants and are linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Follow the ABCs of Sleep Safe to reduce the risk of sleep-related deaths:
- A stands for Alone. Baby should sleep alone in a separate space for every sleep, including naps.
- B stands for Back. Baby should sleep on their back, not their stomach or sides.
- C stands for Crib. Baby should sleep in a crib (or safety-approved Pack-and-Play) with a firm mattress and fitted sheet.
- Keep choking hazards out of reach, such as loose change, small refrigerator magnets and button batteries like those found in TV remotes or flameless candles, which can pose serious risk if ingested.
- In Florida, it can be particularly important to protect your baby from sun and heat. Apply sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 and limit the time your baby spends outside on hot days to 30 minutes or less.
- Thousands of children each year are poisoned or suffer eye injury injured from laundry and dishwasher detergent packets easily mistaken as candy. Keep these packets out of reach of children or opt for more traditional detergent products.
Every new stage of child development brings new safety risks as babies learn to reach, grab and crawl.
At Children’s Home Society of Florida, we believe that support, encouragement and community can empower parents to tackle each new milestone with confidence to create a safer, stronger household for their family.
All CHS Early Childhood programs are free, convenient and tailored to each family’s unique needs.
Learn more and apply to enroll today: For Parents.
