Baby - Safety; Newborn Common Sense

Lola Rose - Newborn

We have babies and we love them, so why do parents make careless mistakes that result in injury and death? If you are a parent of a baby or know parent's of a baby please use your common sense to avoid unnecessary risk to innocent babies, toddlers and children. Keep babies safe and alive; follow the rule of 5:

1). If your baby is not in a cot/bassinette, other safe sleeping area or within your reach; leave him/her on the floor. Your baby is not safe lying on your bed, the couch or some chair, no matter what age it is. The only way to ensure your baby can't fall to the floor is for you to place him or her there gently. Newborns can wriggle their way to a boob, so the time to be diligent starts from birth.

2). Do not leave your baby unsupervised in a car at any time. This will ensure that your baby isn't the victim of death by heat exhaustion, kidnapped by a passerby, or stolen by accident in a car jacking. Also regarding cars, use a properly fitted age and weight appropriate baby restraint at all times and more importantly use them according to the instructions provided. Report anyone who endangers the lives or babies and children in cars; it is your duty as caring adult to protect all children.

3). Step up and be responsible for your baby from the moment it is born. Teach your baby to self settle; note that you weren't hugging them until they fell asleep in the womb, or feeding them until they fell asleep. The gift of independence that you give your baby and the freedom you have to rest and be a better parent is worth the effort. Be accountable for your baby's behaviour, if you can't take charge of a small bundle that can't walk or speak, think of the issues you will have later.

4). Baby strollers, prams and push chairs all have wheels, these are built to roll; if you have a hand strap use it. They all have brakes as well, so ensure you put that brake on every time you stop or plan to let go of your chosen travel system. Do not blame the manufacturer or style of stroller if it rolls away; there is only one person who is in charge of your chosen form of perambulation; you, so get it right. Other people have made tragic mistakes, learn from these poor people and ensure that these types of accidents stop occurring.

5). Never ever leave your baby or toddler unattended near any body of water. Baths, pools, sinks, basins, buckets, dams, ponds, beaches, rivers, you name it, if there is water in it, you must have your child in sight. There are no second chances, drowning is permanent, get it right first time every time. Be aware of your surroundings when you go somewhere new and never ever leave babies in the bath. Unsupervised children drown and it happens fast; let's eradicate drownings, they are avoidable and so very, very sad.

These are 5 simple things that can make a difference; take them seriously and accept a cyber high 5. Ignore them and you really deserve the prize of a 5 knuckle sandwich. If common sense really were common; then these 5 things would be uncommon issues... Unfortunately that is not the case; we need to remember that it is the children who are the true victims when adults make 'mistakes.'  Click here for more Baby Safety Tips.

© 2010 Luisa Foliaki – Proud Mumma of MicroMe & MissyMe


Further reading on this topic:

Why Do We Allow Innocent Children To Drown - llmunchkin


The Concept Of Supervision - Josierm


Kids Child Restraint Conundrums - llmunchkin


When Babies Hit Their Heads - Mindy Hudon, M.S., CCC-SLP