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| September is Baby Safety Month |
September is National Baby Safety Month
Baby Safety Month started in 1983 when JPMA initiated "Expectant Mother's
Day." In 1986, it was extended to a week long celebration, until 1991, when
JPMA sponsored the first "Baby Safety Awareness Month." Since then, every
September has been designated as Baby Safety Month.
The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association is a national trade
organisation of more than 250 companies in the United States, Canada and
Mexico. JPMA exists to advance the interests, growth and well-being of North
American prenatal to preschool product manufacturers, importers, and
distributors marketing under their own brands to consumers. It does so through
advocacy, public relations, information sharing, product performance
certification, and business development assistance conducted with appreciation
for the needs of parents, children, and retailers.
For more information on JPMA, Baby Safety Month or to order the Safe and Sound
for Baby brochure, contact JPMA at 856.638-0420 or visit the Web site at
www.jpma.org.
In honour of this special month and its 30 days, Lisa Carter and Lori Marques have
compiled a 30-day plan to tighten up your safety belts in and around the house. Set
aside a small amount of time every day, mark it on your calendar and then follow this
plan to a safer environment for your baby.
September 1: Commit to taking care of all those little safety items around the house
that have been nagging at you.
September 2: Car seat safety check. Is it properly installed (refer to installation
instructions and vehicle owner's manual)? Centre of back seat whenever possible -
never in front passenger side when there is an airbag. Rear-facing for infants less than
one year and 20 pounds. Your child must still be in a car seat until they are four years
old and weigh at least 40 pounds.
September 3: If you have a pool or hot tub, is it surrounded by a locking 5 foot fence
or a completely covered with a safety cover? Are there alarms on all doors leading
from the house to the pool area? Are all toys removed from the pool and the
surrounding area?
September 4: Have you talked to your children about guns? Tell them they are never
to touch or play with guns, even if someone wants to only show them a gun, they are
to leave and tell another adult immediately. If you own a gun: put the ammunition in a
separate, locked place. Always unload the bullets from a gun. Keep the unloaded gun
in a locked gun safe and the keys stored in a separate location unknown to your child.
September 5: Do you have a fire escape plan? Write one out with your mate or other
adults in the house today and share the plan with your kids so they know what to do.
September 6: Check all fire safety equipment. Are smoke alarms working? Fire
extinguishers are full and adults and older children know how to use them? Flashlights
are strategically placed in your home with extra batteries available?
September 7: Play the stop, drop & roll game with your kids. If their clothes catch on
fire teach them to stop, drop and roll. Practise yelling out "I'm in here!" in case they get
trapped in a room and the fire fighters need to find them.
September 8: Check baby's crib. Are the slats less than 2-3/8 inches? All slats are
secure? The corner posts should not be any higher than the end panels and never
should they extend over the end panels. No holes in the mattress? Stuffed animals
removed? Crib is not near any windows, electrical outlets, lamps, no pictures over the
crib, etc.? Mobiles have been removed if baby can pull up? For more information on
crib safety visit http//www.dannyfoundation.org.
September 9: Check condition and sturdiness of toys. Discard any with sharp edges or
are broken or falling apart.
September 10: Check children's clothing for loose buttons and remove strings.
September 11: Is baby's pacifier still in good condition. Be sure it isn't coming apart.
Never use strings to attach the pacifier to baby's clothes or crib.
September 12: Is sleepwear fire retardant? Check the labels to be sure.
September 13: Review safety gates and play yards. Do not use older accordion style
safety gates (top looks like XXXXX): These are a strangulation hazard. Check the CPSC
recall list on our web site for your model.
September 14: Where do you set baby's carrier when she's in it? Not on the counter
please, or any high surface. Babies can wiggle and tip themselves over.
September 15: Are you using an old walker? It's time to throw it out. Walkers can be
dangerous (especially old ones that don't meet today's safety standards), they allow
baby to move very quickly and reach things they normally can't. Never use around
stairs.
September 16: Stroller check. If your stroller is collapsible, be sure latches are secure
before putting baby in. Always check that your child's arms are out of the way when
reversing handle directions so they won't get pinched. Be sure to use that safety strap.
Don't hang overloaded or heavy bags on the handle of the stroller, this may cause it
to tip over.
September 17: Review your cooking habits. Are you using the back burners first and
turning the pot handles to the back of the stove? Use the back burners for frying and
boiling foods.
September 18: Talk to your children about stove and oven safety. Teach them they
are hot and never to touch them.
September 19: If you have an unused freezer or refrigerator stored in your garage or
yard, have it removed. Be sure to store it with the door towards the wall until it's gone.
Children can climb inside and suffocate.
September 20: How are the latches on your cupboards holding up? Have any broken
off and need to be replaced?
September 21: Can you name the 12 most common choking foods for kids under five?
*Answers listed at the end.
September 22: Don't leave toddler's alone while eating, if they begin to choke you
need to be nearby to assist.
September 23: Get a piggy bank: this is a great place to put coins so they don't end
up on the floor, in the couch cushions and then baby's mouth.
September 24: Flush old/expired prescriptions and medications down the toilet. Be
sure that medications are placed up high where little ones can not get access to
them, keeping in mind, that they can climb. Don't call medication "candy". They are
unable to discern the difference.
September 25: Never leave your child unattended in the bathtub. If the phone rings,
let the machine get it, or bring a cordless phone into the bathroom with you. Wait
until baby can sit alone to give baths in the tub. It's easier in the sink until then. Check
that the hot water heater is not set any higher than 120 degrees.
September 26: Do a quick survey of your yard every time the kids are going out to
play. Is there any yard equipment that they have access to? Trimmers, lawnmowers,
etc. cause injury to children every year.
September 27: Check the cords on your mini blinds and draperies. These have caused
many strangulations among young children. Be sure they are tied up or cut off and
kept out of your child's reach. The loop of the cord should break apart if you slide your
hand between the two cords.
September 28: Bolt bookshelves to the walls. Climbing little ones can bring the entire
unit toppling over on them.
September 29: Enrol in a infant/child CPR and first aid class. This will be a valuable
investment of your time.
September 30: Get down on your hands and knees and crawl through your house. See
what your child is seeing. Have you missed anything?
Congratulations! You made it through the whole month and your child's environment is
a much safer place. There is still work to be done though. Be sure to check our web
site regularly for the latest safety information and recalls.
*Answers to 21: Common choking foods for children under five years: Popcorn, hot
dogs, chunks of meat, raisins, ice cubes, chunky peanut butter, peanuts (nuts of any
kind), hard candy, grapes, raw carrots, potato chips and corn chips.
About the authors: Lisa Carter and Lori Marques are real sisters and California natives.
Together, they have five children. Their book, Child Safety Made Easy, is a compilation
of three years of research on death and injury to children and is available in English
and Spanish. Also known as The Paranoid Sisters, Carter and Marques frequently speak
at parent conferences, on radio programs and are resources for newspaper and
magazine articles. Visit their site at http://paranoidsisters.com.
Baby Safety Month started in 1983 when JPMA initiated "Expectant Mother's
Day." In 1986, it was extended to a week long celebration, until 1991, when
JPMA sponsored the first "Baby Safety Awareness Month." Since then, every
September has been designated as Baby Safety Month.
The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association is a national trade
organisation of more than 250 companies in the United States, Canada and
Mexico. JPMA exists to advance the interests, growth and well-being of North
American prenatal to preschool product manufacturers, importers, and
distributors marketing under their own brands to consumers. It does so through
advocacy, public relations, information sharing, product performance
certification, and business development assistance conducted with appreciation
for the needs of parents, children, and retailers.
For more information on JPMA, Baby Safety Month or to order the Safe and Sound
for Baby brochure, contact JPMA at 856.638-0420 or visit the Web site at
www.jpma.org.
In honour of this special month and its 30 days, Lisa Carter and Lori Marques have
compiled a 30-day plan to tighten up your safety belts in and around the house. Set
aside a small amount of time every day, mark it on your calendar and then follow this
plan to a safer environment for your baby.
September 1: Commit to taking care of all those little safety items around the house
that have been nagging at you.
September 2: Car seat safety check. Is it properly installed (refer to installation
instructions and vehicle owner's manual)? Centre of back seat whenever possible -
never in front passenger side when there is an airbag. Rear-facing for infants less than
one year and 20 pounds. Your child must still be in a car seat until they are four years
old and weigh at least 40 pounds.
September 3: If you have a pool or hot tub, is it surrounded by a locking 5 foot fence
or a completely covered with a safety cover? Are there alarms on all doors leading
from the house to the pool area? Are all toys removed from the pool and the
surrounding area?
September 4: Have you talked to your children about guns? Tell them they are never
to touch or play with guns, even if someone wants to only show them a gun, they are
to leave and tell another adult immediately. If you own a gun: put the ammunition in a
separate, locked place. Always unload the bullets from a gun. Keep the unloaded gun
in a locked gun safe and the keys stored in a separate location unknown to your child.
September 5: Do you have a fire escape plan? Write one out with your mate or other
adults in the house today and share the plan with your kids so they know what to do.
September 6: Check all fire safety equipment. Are smoke alarms working? Fire
extinguishers are full and adults and older children know how to use them? Flashlights
are strategically placed in your home with extra batteries available?
September 7: Play the stop, drop & roll game with your kids. If their clothes catch on
fire teach them to stop, drop and roll. Practise yelling out "I'm in here!" in case they get
trapped in a room and the fire fighters need to find them.
September 8: Check baby's crib. Are the slats less than 2-3/8 inches? All slats are
secure? The corner posts should not be any higher than the end panels and never
should they extend over the end panels. No holes in the mattress? Stuffed animals
removed? Crib is not near any windows, electrical outlets, lamps, no pictures over the
crib, etc.? Mobiles have been removed if baby can pull up? For more information on
crib safety visit http//www.dannyfoundation.org.
September 9: Check condition and sturdiness of toys. Discard any with sharp edges or
are broken or falling apart.
September 10: Check children's clothing for loose buttons and remove strings.
September 11: Is baby's pacifier still in good condition. Be sure it isn't coming apart.
Never use strings to attach the pacifier to baby's clothes or crib.
September 12: Is sleepwear fire retardant? Check the labels to be sure.
September 13: Review safety gates and play yards. Do not use older accordion style
safety gates (top looks like XXXXX): These are a strangulation hazard. Check the CPSC
recall list on our web site for your model.
September 14: Where do you set baby's carrier when she's in it? Not on the counter
please, or any high surface. Babies can wiggle and tip themselves over.
September 15: Are you using an old walker? It's time to throw it out. Walkers can be
dangerous (especially old ones that don't meet today's safety standards), they allow
baby to move very quickly and reach things they normally can't. Never use around
stairs.
September 16: Stroller check. If your stroller is collapsible, be sure latches are secure
before putting baby in. Always check that your child's arms are out of the way when
reversing handle directions so they won't get pinched. Be sure to use that safety strap.
Don't hang overloaded or heavy bags on the handle of the stroller, this may cause it
to tip over.
September 17: Review your cooking habits. Are you using the back burners first and
turning the pot handles to the back of the stove? Use the back burners for frying and
boiling foods.
September 18: Talk to your children about stove and oven safety. Teach them they
are hot and never to touch them.
September 19: If you have an unused freezer or refrigerator stored in your garage or
yard, have it removed. Be sure to store it with the door towards the wall until it's gone.
Children can climb inside and suffocate.
September 20: How are the latches on your cupboards holding up? Have any broken
off and need to be replaced?
September 21: Can you name the 12 most common choking foods for kids under five?
*Answers listed at the end.
September 22: Don't leave toddler's alone while eating, if they begin to choke you
need to be nearby to assist.
September 23: Get a piggy bank: this is a great place to put coins so they don't end
up on the floor, in the couch cushions and then baby's mouth.
September 24: Flush old/expired prescriptions and medications down the toilet. Be
sure that medications are placed up high where little ones can not get access to
them, keeping in mind, that they can climb. Don't call medication "candy". They are
unable to discern the difference.
September 25: Never leave your child unattended in the bathtub. If the phone rings,
let the machine get it, or bring a cordless phone into the bathroom with you. Wait
until baby can sit alone to give baths in the tub. It's easier in the sink until then. Check
that the hot water heater is not set any higher than 120 degrees.
September 26: Do a quick survey of your yard every time the kids are going out to
play. Is there any yard equipment that they have access to? Trimmers, lawnmowers,
etc. cause injury to children every year.
September 27: Check the cords on your mini blinds and draperies. These have caused
many strangulations among young children. Be sure they are tied up or cut off and
kept out of your child's reach. The loop of the cord should break apart if you slide your
hand between the two cords.
September 28: Bolt bookshelves to the walls. Climbing little ones can bring the entire
unit toppling over on them.
September 29: Enrol in a infant/child CPR and first aid class. This will be a valuable
investment of your time.
September 30: Get down on your hands and knees and crawl through your house. See
what your child is seeing. Have you missed anything?
Congratulations! You made it through the whole month and your child's environment is
a much safer place. There is still work to be done though. Be sure to check our web
site regularly for the latest safety information and recalls.
*Answers to 21: Common choking foods for children under five years: Popcorn, hot
dogs, chunks of meat, raisins, ice cubes, chunky peanut butter, peanuts (nuts of any
kind), hard candy, grapes, raw carrots, potato chips and corn chips.
About the authors: Lisa Carter and Lori Marques are real sisters and California natives.
Together, they have five children. Their book, Child Safety Made Easy, is a compilation
of three years of research on death and injury to children and is available in English
and Spanish. Also known as The Paranoid Sisters, Carter and Marques frequently speak
at parent conferences, on radio programs and are resources for newspaper and
magazine articles. Visit their site at http://paranoidsisters.com.
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