How to Baby-Proof Your Home

Home sweet home can be a dangerous place for a baby. But by taking some simple steps, you can protect the little ones you love from harmful accidents. As your infant learns to crawl walk and climb consider the following:

How far can the baby move?

How high can the baby reach?

What will the baby be able to do soon?

To make sure that infant safety begins at home - your home - use the three checklists in this site.

Before the baby comes home

In the nursery:

Choose a crib that has slats at least 2-3/8 inches apart, a solid head- and footboard, and no high corner posts. Also, make sure the crib was painted with a lead-free paint. Cribs manufactured after 1974 are required to meet these safety standards.
Choose a firm mattress that fits tightly inside the crib. Remove the plastic covering from a new mattress.
Hang any mobiles out of the baby's reach.
Secure a crib bumper around the sides of the crib. Use at least six straps to secure the bumper. Make sure these straps are less than 6 inches long to avoid strangling accidents.
Do not put pillows, comforters, or sheepskin covers into the crib. These can mold around a child's face, blocking air passages. Also, leave out toys or pacifiers with long strings.
Select a sturdy changing table with a guardrail and a safety strap.

In the bathroom:

Put cushioned covers on the tub faucets.
Set the water heater no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid scalding the baby during baths.

Before the baby starts crawling

Throughout the whole house:

Put safety plugs in all electrical outlets.
Attach cords from blinds and drapes to floor mounts, or wrap them around wall brackets to prevent strangling accidents.
Unplug all appliances when they're not in use so your child cannot accidentally turn them on.
Post poison center and other emergency phone numbers near every phone in the house.
Carpet all stairs, if possible.
At the tops and bottoms of staircases, install safety gates with horizontal slats no more than 2-3/8 inches apart.
Regularly check your floors, and pick up any buttons, coins, or other small objects.
Move cleaning supplies and other dangerous substances to a high, locked cabinet.
Get rid of poisonous house plants. Poison control centers can provide a list of plants that are potentially toxic if consumed.
Move furniture with hard edges and sharp corners out of areas in which your child is likely to play. Or attach cushioned protectors to dangerous corners and edges.
Test the stability of lamps, television sets, bookshelves, and other furniture and appliances to make sure they will not fall on your child. Restrict the baby's access to unstable pieces.
Move chairs, sofas, and low tables away from windows so the baby cannot climb on top of them to look outside-and potentially fall.
Block the baby's access to fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators, and heating vents.
Install window guards on all windows above the first floor.
Store plastic bags and balloons out of reach. Knot plastic bags before tossing or recycling.

In the nursery:

Keep the crib's side rail at the highest position whenever possible.
Position the crib away from windows to avoid possible falls.

In the kitchen:

Store matches, knives, and other dangerous kitchen items out of the baby's sight and reach.
Install child-resistant locks on low cabinets and drawers that contain sharp objects or dangerous substances.
Store appliances with blades—such as blenders or food processors—out of reach or in a latched cupboard.
Make sure your trash container has a child-resistant cover or is kept in a latched cabinet.
Avoid letting electric cords dangle where the baby can pull them, bringing appliances tumbling down.

In the bathroom:

Store all medicines, cosmetics, and cleaning supplies in child-resistant containers in a locked cabinet.
Store toothpaste, soap, and shampoo in a hard-to-reach cabinet with a child-resistant safety latch or lock.
Keep the toilet lid closed. Also, empty water from the bathtub or any pails immediately after each use.
Install a latch at adult height on the outside of the bathroom door and keep it closed.

In the garage, yard, and basement:

Unplug power tools when you're not using them.
Store paints, varnishes, thinners, pesticides, and fertilizers in clearly labeled containers in a locked cabinet.
Put tools in a hard-to-reach area.
Lock the garage and basement doors, so the baby cannot access these areas.
Store your automatic garage door opener out of the baby's reach.
If you have an unused refrigerator or freezer, get rid of it or remove the door.
If you have a swimming pool, install a fence—and keep the gate locked.

Before the baby starts walking

Throughout the whole house:

Lock doors to the outside and to rooms you do not want the baby in. Make sure the latches are out of the baby's reach.
Store alcohol in a locked cabinet.
If you have firearms, lock them up unloaded and store the ammunition separately.

In the nursery:

Set the mattress at its lowest position, so the baby cannot accidentally fall or climb over the railing.
Remove crib bumpers and any objects large enough for the baby to use to climb out of the crib.

In the kitchen:

Remove the knobs from your stove, if possible, and store them out of the baby's reach.

In the bathroom:

Make sure the bathroom door's inner lock can be unlocked from the outside.
Apply non-slip strips to the bottom of the bathtub.