Safety in Your Baby's Nursery

Baby Nursery Safety

It’s never too early to begin the process of decorating a baby nursery. Nursery safety is probably on your list of top priorities as a new parent, so we’ve compiled some suggestions to make decorating a baby nursery with an eye toward safety a little easier.  First of all, make sure that your baby cannot reach mini blind cords or anything that has loose wires or cords. Windows may be drafty, so avoid putting the crib near a window. Some baby nursery themes include cute matching pieces of furniture, so make sure that, if decorating your baby nursery includes multiple pieces of furniture, you keep anything baby could climb on away from the window, to avoid an accidental fall. Also, make sure that the window is securely latched at all times when you are not in the room. You may be tempted on warm days to let in a little fresh air, but don’t forget that a screen will not save your baby from falling out the window.

Along with your well-thought-out baby nursery décor, you can even match the electrical plug covers on all electrical outlets that you are not in use in your baby nursery. For optimum nursery safety, you’ll also want to install a smoke detector - and don’t forget to change its batteries every six months. Just as well, anchoring any heavy furniture to a wall with furniture safety brackets is an important part of the baby-proofing process. If your house was built before 1978, check to make sure that the paint on your walls does not contain lead paint. If you are uncertain as to whether or not your walls contain lead, you can buy a test kit at your local home improvement store or hire a trained professional to come in and test the paint. Lead dust and chips from peeling paint can be dangerous to babies and children. Just as well, don’t hang shelves, artwork, or wall hangings directly above the crib. They could potentially harm your baby if they fall or are pulled off the wall. If you use bumper guards on the crib, make sure to remove them once the baby is able to stand. This will prevent them from falling out of the crib. Also, check out the various manufacturers before you purchase a crib, so that you know what to look for in a safe baby crib.

4/27/2007 5:10:33 PM