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Home › Articles › Home Safety Issues › Safety First

Safety First

At Home and on the Road

Part 2 of 2

By Belinda Clarke

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

In addition to sleeping and eating, which babies seem to do most of the time, there are times when your newborn will be alert, and at some point, moving around. Getting out of the house is a good idea, too. Just remember that providing a safe environment is a must everywhere at all times, not just at home.

Changing
It seems so obvious, but even the most careful parents can sometimes forget: Never leave your infant alone on the changing table. Even though companies now make contoured changing pads to help prevent babies from rolling around – and off – changing tables, it's not worth the risk. Like at bath time, it helps to have your diapers, ointments, clothes, etc. located within arm's reach of the changing table or changing area.

Bouncing
Bouncy chairs are extremely popular with parents of infants because they are lightweight, portable and soothing for babies. Unfortunately, because they are so portable, some parents tend to put them where they should never go: on tabletops. "Fisher Price is extremely aggressive about its warnings on bouncy chairs regarding tabletop use," says Kitty Pilarz, director of product safety for Fisher Price. Furthermore, because bouncy chairs are designed for infants who are for the most part immobile, parents need to be diligent about not using them after the recommended weight and/or developmental level, as recommended by the manufacturer.

"Because babies tend to vary so much in weight by age, Fisher Price makes a point of putting developmental levels on its products," explains Pilarz. For example, a baby should not be put in a bouncy chair after she is able to sit up unassisted. The reason for this is that once babies reach a certain developmental level, they can sit up and reach out of the chair, putting them at risk for falls. To help parents make the transition to different products as their babies grow, Fisher Price makes equipment that graduates from infants to toddlers. One example is the Infant-to-Toddler Soothing Rocker

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

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