7 Safety Mistakes Mums Are Making at Home

As prepared as you may be, there are still about 10,000 children who visit the emergency room every year from common injuries in the home. Read more here.

How safe is your home? You may have babyproofed the kitchen area and the bathroom, but have you really prepared your house for the baby? As prepared as you may be, there are still about 10,000 children who visit the emergency room every year from common injuries in the home. And Safe Kids Worldwide recently surveyed 1,010 parents to better understand the major household safety mistakes parents are making.

Source: iStock

Here are the most unsafe things in the home and the biggest no-nos parents are making in the home:

1. Toxins in reach:

7 Safety Mistakes Mums Are Making at Home

Source: iStock

3 out of 10 parents who have a toddler in the home reported that they keep medicines, cleaning supplies, and other toxic items on a low shelf in the home, or in an unlocked cabinet.

2. Smoke alarm battery checks:

About 14 percent of parents said they never check the batteries in their smoke alarms. Yet the scary statistic also shows that smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a fire in the home in half! You should, actually, check smoke alarm batteries every six months to confirm they’re working.

3. Bad bed sheets

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Proper crib attire says that baby beds should not contain blankets, bumpers, pillows, and toys. Unfortunately, 73 percent of parents reported that their nursery bed still has all those additions.

4. The numbers don’t lie

The SKW reports that 819 babies under 12 months suffocated or strangulated in their bed in 2013 alone. So when it comes to keeping baby safe at nighttime, eliminate those added decorations.

5. Solo bath time

Ever leave your baby alone in the bath tub? One in 8 mums admitted that they have left a young child alone in the bath for at least five minutes. Unfortunately, the SKW also reports that drowning is the number one injury-related cause of death in the house in children under four.

6. Appliance safety:

When you installed your television, did you secure it properly? The SKW notes that just about half of parents (48 percent, to be exact) have not secured their TVs or furniture to keep them from tipping over.

7. Stair scare:

Source: iStock

If you have stairs in your home, better take extra precautions. From gates to handrails, make them as safe and walk-able as possible because more than 93,000 kids under the age of 5 end up in the emergency room for stair-related injuries every year.

Are you guilty of any of these safety mistakes?

This article was first published on CafeMom and was republished on theAsianparent with permission.

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