Securing a baby's safety should be of the utmost importance. While many parents are already aware of this concept, there are just as many who seem to overlook this. This is an easy mistake to make as not everybody shares the same idea of what's safe and what isn't.
Baby Safety Importance
One of the most common mistakes made by parents when it comes to baby safety is making assumptions about something without doing the homework. In a world where common sense seems to be in shorter supply than ever before, it's smarter to work with a checklist than to simply assume you have all the bases covered. Even among parents who already seem prepared, sometimes going over that checklist will have something mentioned that wasn't considered before.
Baby's Car Safety
As important as it is for your baby's safety to be top priority, you also need to be a realist. Things happen. While it is true most accidents are preventable, sometimes situations come about that are beyond our control. One such situation includes certain road hazards that can lead to braking suddenly or swerving to avoid a collision. This is assuming you're defensive driving skills was enough to avoid an accident.
Your baby's safety while in a vehicle depends on how well you have it equipped. It also depends on how well you've kept up with your vehicle's maintenance needs. How reliable is it? Are you confident it can get you everywhere you need to go without worrying about breakdowns or safety issues? Baby-proofing your vehicle should also include whatever it needs to make sure it is a reliable form of transportation.
Car Seats
For parents who travel by vehicle, baby car seats are the most essential item to have starting from the day they bring their new bundle of joy home. Unlike adults and older kids, relying on standard seat belts alone won't be enough to ensure the baby's optimal safety should the unthinkable happen. Babies (and toddlers) are too small to be properly held in place while on the road without extra padding and reinforcements.
These are provided by quality car seats that have been designed specifically for babies in mind. Now, not all car seats are necessarily created equal. Some have more standard features than others. There is also the materials involved. Some manufacturers may "cheap out" in areas such as fabric, fasteners, and plastics. Others will "go all out."
Among parents, it boils down to affordability and practicality. While purchasing what's considered the top of the line baby car seat would be ideal for most, not everybody can afford the big bucks involved. Usually, they'll have to settle for something that's a bit friendlier on their wallets. In many cases, baby car seats will be added to a baby registry, perhaps with the hope enough people will pool their resources together so one can be afforded.
Public Transportation Safety
Not every parent has access to their own vehicle to get around. Some rely on public transportation. While strapping a baby car seat won't work in this scenario, there are some great baby carriers that will do the trick.
What's great about these baby carriers is how easy it is for a parent or caregiver to still go about their daily routine. While on a bus that's probably crowded already, this is a great space saver.
Walkabout Safety
When traveling by foot, a baby's safety should still be top priority. Between baby carriages and strollers, there are many different options to choose from. Again, it boils down to personal preferences and how far the spending dollar can go.
Even the baby carriers could work here but the extra weight the adult carries around may become an issue. This is especially the case as the baby gets older. Furthermore, the practicality of a carriage serves as more than just a baby taxi. Some of the best carriages and strollers have storage capabilities that let you and your baby spend more than just an hour or two out and about on foot.
Home Safety
The most common security issues that put babies at risk is at home. Unless a baby is confined to a safe zone such as a crib or playpen, there is nothing stopping them from reaching certain danger zones. Such zones include sharp-cornered furniture, stairs, and any area that hasn't officially been baby-proofed.
What also constitutes a danger zone is a baby's access to objects they can reach and put into their mouth. Among the incident reports submitted involving baby safety issues, choking hazards come out on top. Poisoning and suffocation also rank high as unfortunate situations that occurred in the home. All three of these incidents usually happen when your baby comes into contact with something they shouldn't.
Today, there are folding playpens that are quick and easy to set up then can be folded up and put away when not in use. This is great for homes that don't have much space to work with. If you live in a small apartment, these are great.
Additional Home Safety
While cribs and playpens do the job to help keep your baby confined to a safe zone, there are also other home safety measures to be considered. Like cats, babies sleep a good portion of the day. Until they become more active, babies will spend much of their time in bassinets, cribs, and cradles.
While your baby sleeps off much of the day, you don't have the same luxury. You have things you need to do at home, like daily chores. Sometimes, the two of you won't be in the same room together.
If it's laundry day or you have a sink of dirty dishes that need cleaning, odds are your baby won't be in the same room with you here. Maybe as your baby takes their nap, you need one as well on the couch. For situations like these, there is the practicality of baby monitors.
Baby monitors can be as simple as audio only. There are also some that offer visual technology so you can see what's going on. The choice should come down to what you feel works best for you and your budget.
Food Safety
The importance of food safety for the baby comes down to nutrition value and the quality of the ingredients involved. While most labels admit to offering natural products, many of them hold back certain truths parents need to know. What some may see as perfectly natural others will see as today's concept of what natural means. Believe it or not, they're not the same thing.
Today, corporations who manufacture various food items involve genetically modified organisms (GMO) in an effort to maximize production. As the global population continues to grow, so does the need for food. While not everybody agrees with the practice of GMOs, this has been part of the grocery food chain for decades.
GMOs have been fed to babies that have increasingly become a source of controversy. Among parents opting for nonGMO options, there are baby food and formula products that meet all dietary requirements. The same can be said for product lines that do contain GMOs. This is where you, as a parent, decide what you want to put inside your baby's body.
While weighing between GMO and nonGMO, don't forget the allergens. Even as babies, they may have allergies that prevent them from eating certain foods. When in doubt, always seek information from the medical team you trust most.
Safety Matters
For a woman, becoming a mother is one of the most joyous occasions she will ever experience. Most women with a functional moral compass have a desire to raise a little version of themselves. Ideally, these women want their child to grow up to be an even better version of who they are as a person. This is usually the goal of most parents.
When it comes to baby safety, taking shortcuts is out of the question. Whether you're at home or away, making sure your baby stays on top of your priority list is most important. This typically boosts your baby's odds of growing up to become a healthy kid.
Safety shouldn't be limited to protecting your baby at a physical level. This should also include your baby's mental and emotional health. The more stable the home is, the better. When taking advice about your baby's well being, rely only on tried-and-true sources. With so many people having so many varied opinions about how a child should be raised, your main focus should be on what really works.