Child Safety Devices

Types of Child Safety Devices

Parents will begin using safety devices as soon as they leave the hospital, so it’s smart to begin buying needed items (or requesting them as baby shower gifts) as soon as possible.

• Car seat: One of the first items all moms and dads will use is a car seat to transport their new baby home. Car seats aren’t a luxury; they’re a requirement by law. Studies have shown that fewer children are injured or killed in car accidents when car seats are used correctly. Be sure and check with your state to see what the age and weight requirements are for car seat use. Usually, once a child reaches a certain age, a booster seat is acceptable for car riding.
• Cabinet locks: When a baby begins exploring, parents know that he can get into just about everything. This includes kitchen or bathroom cabinets. While it’s always a safe practice to keep chemicals and poisons completely out of a child’s reach (preferably high enough or in a locked compartment), even seemingly harmless items like lotions and powders can cause a mess or injury if eaten. To prevent your baby from getting into bottles and jars kept under sinks, cabinet locks are useful.
• Toilet seat locks: Many children drown every year and not only in swimming pools. A lot of children drown in shallow bathtubs, toilets and even buckets. This is because a child’s head weight is heavy in proportion to the rest of their body. Also, children are notorious for being curious and dropping items into toilets; because they might not understand why this is a no-no and to save yourself a possible expensive plumbing bill, buying an inexpensive toilet lock to keep your child out of this bathroom area.
• Stove guards: Once a child can reach high enough to touch a stovetop, using a guard to keep his hands from hot burners can prevent serious burns. This safety device shields against little hands by putting up a barrier that a parent can reach over. Likewise, it’s always good practice to use back burners whenever possible and turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, where little hands can’t reach and pull hot food and pans down onto themselves.
• Electrical outlet plugs: Babies and toddlers are curious by nature. When looking at an electrical outlet, they may wonder what the holes are for and if they can fit anything in them. Plastic plugs can be inserted into outlets that are easily removable when adults need to plug something in. For outlets that are rarely used, keeping them blocked with these inexpensive plugs is a good idea.
• Stair gates: If you live in a home with stairs, using gates to keep a child from climbing them can prevent the accidental fall. Even babies who have just learned to crawl may try to tackle stairs; toddlers undoubtedly will. These gates are removable and can sometimes be used in doorways as well to keep children confined to one safe area.
• Bed guard rails: Once your child graduates from a crib to a bed—whether it’s a twin size bed or toddler bed—installing guard rails on it will prevent falls in the middle of the night. Some toddler beds come equipped with these rails, whether they run the entire length of the bed or only halfway. If a bed doesn’t come with rails, they’re easy to find and install.

Practicing Safety

While many child safety devices exist to help parents, none of these take the place of proper supervision. Knowing that your child is naturally curious and will want to explore will help keep your frustration level down when he does something that puzzles you. Keep your child free from injury by taking steps to keep harmful substances and items out of his way.