Tag Archives: baby safety

Babies Are Most Likely to Get Bitten By a Dog

According to a 2006 study published by the Journal of Pediatrics, children less than one year of age were the most likely group to be bitten by a dog. What is even more disturbing, is that children less than nine years old are more likely to be bitten in the head or the neck area. In that same study, that same group (they used 341 children that were bitten), a full 85 percent of these children suffered deep wounds. There were more boys bitten than girls. So what does this tell us as parents? We need to take extra precautions … Continue reading →

Household Swallowing Hazards

Babies have a tendency to put everything in their mouths. And while we, as parents, are diligent about baby proofing our homes, sometimes things get missed, such as a small toy from an older child, loose change that has fallen out of someone’s pocket, a stray piece of lint that looks particularly interesting, etc. While many of these objects may not be choking hazards, they still aren’t things you want you baby to ingest. Here are the most common household hazards that a baby might swallow and some information on whether or not you should start to panic. Coins There … Continue reading →

Dry Drowning and Water Safety

Summer is a fun time for babies and their parents, but there are lots of dangers, too. You may have heard the tragic story of a young boy who drowned hours after he left his first experience at a pool. The story was featured today on NBC’s Today show. Although this boy was 10, the danger of dry drowning most often occurs in younger children, very often in the bathtub. What is it and how can you protect your little ones? I have to admit that when I heard about dry drowning, I had a fear response. Here is another … Continue reading →

Is Your Baby’s Bottle Safe?

It has long been agreed upon by scientists that breastfeeding is the way to go when it comes to feeding your baby. Breastfeeding has been linked statistically to numerous health benefits including making your baby smarter, being developmentally advanced, reduced allergies, reduced risk of cancer and just about everything else under the sun that could be healthy and good for your baby. While formula cannot come close to mimicking breast milk perhaps another variable in the “breast is better” statistics is that hard plastic bottles have now been found to leak a dangerous chemical into the bottle’s liquid. An independent … Continue reading →

Developing a Taste for Literature

There’s nothing like handing a book to a toddler and watching them literally tear through the pages to bring tears to the eyes. Common sense says that if you provide your toddler with something that makes a great sound like tearing paper – well, that’s exactly what they are going to do. But don’t despair, you can still engage your toddler with books galore – you just have to approach it from their level. Board Books Are Best Cardboard or board books are virtually indestructible. They’ll withstand juice being spilled on them, teeth marks being sunk into them and the … Continue reading →

The Dangerous Shopping Cart

When you go shopping do you put your baby in a shopping cart? Now the AAP along with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is saying that if you have a reasonable alternative–use it. Some 24,000 children are rushed to the emergency room each year as a result of shopping cart injuries. Children stand or are strapped in improperly and fall onto the hard grocery store floor resulting in head and neck injuries, fractures, and even concussions. The AAP also points out that most shopping carts are designed with a high center of gravity which makes them prone to tipping … Continue reading →

Safety in Diaper Changes

A recently published study indicated that about 2,000 babies end up in an emergency room every year after falling while having their diaper changed. Moms and dads know how wiggly even their youngest ones can be during a diaper change. Their legs wiggle and jerk, their bodies rock from side to side and before they are only a few months old, they are rolling. Diaper changing is a time ripe for accidents and it’s important to take precautions when it comes to changing their diapers. If you use a changing table, make sure it has raised sides. If the table … Continue reading →

Baby Safety Seminar? Part II

See also: Baby Safety Seminar? Part I So far readers, you have learned that my husband and I were sent a postcard inviting us to a baby safety seminar and that we chose to RSVP and attend. The man conducting the seminar, who we call Mr. Bob, told us about all kinds of horrible accidents that can happen to a child in the “wrong” kind of crib. In the meantime, he pushed the notion that the crib he was selling was safer and more convenient than other cribs. Let’s find out what happened next. Apparently a crib is not the … Continue reading →