Keeping me safe
Providing a safe home is a very important part of caring for your baby and toddler.
When babies and toddlers are exploring, they do not know when something is not safe for them and need to be kept safe by the adults caring for them.
Accident prevention
The Royal Society for the prevention of accidents (ROSPA) has created a booklet Safe at home: tips for under 5's.
It has ideas to help prevent:
- falls
- burns
- suffocation and choking
- strangulation
- scalds
- poisoning
- drowning
- cuts
Safer sleep
Key safer sleep advice from the Lullaby Trust.
The safest place for a baby to sleep is in their own clear, flat, separate sleep space (e.g. a cot or Moses basket) in the same room as you.
- Lie baby on their back.
- Keep the cot clear.
- Use a firm, flat, waterproof mattress.
- Keep baby smoke-free.
- Avoid baby getting too hot.
- Sleep baby in the same room as you for at least the first 6 months.
The Lullaby Trust suggest an easy way to remember their advice is to think of your ABCs:
ALWAYS sleep your baby on their BACK in a CLEAR cot or sleep space.