Safety Corner for Seven-Month-Olds

Here are some tips for keeping your baby safe and healthy:

Basic safety tips

• Check the temperature of your baby’s bath water before you put him into the tub.
• If you can, set your hot water heater to 120 degrees or less. Hot water can burn your baby’s skin.
• Never leave your baby alone in the bath. Never leave him alone in water, even in a small amount of water. Never leave him alone near any water, not even a mop pail or a basin with water in it.
• Never shake or hit your baby.
• Never smoke around your baby.
• Never sip from a hot drink while holding your baby.
• Never cook at a hot stove while holding your baby.

Crib safety

• Crib mattresses should fit snugly. There should be no gaps between the mattress and the sides of the crib.
• The mattress should not be covered with plastic of any kind.
• The slats on the sides of the crib should be 2 3/8 inches apart, or even closer.

To learn more about safety, you can call the Consumer Product Safety Commission at 1-800-638-2772 or visit their Web site at www.cpsc.gov/.

Car safety

• Make sure the car seat is used properly.
• Buckle your baby in his car seat in the back seat of your car. The child seat should face the rear of the car.
• Babies should never ride in the front seat of a car.
• Never hold your baby in your lap while you are driving.
• Never leaver your baby in a car alone.

Families who cannot afford a car safety seat can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They can provide information on resources that help low-income families purchase or borrow child car seats. You can call them at 1-800-424-9393 or visit their Web site at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/.

Safety with pets

• Never leave your baby alone with a pet, even if the pet is gentle.

This content has been provided freely by CMC. Click Healthy Start, Grow Smart—Your-Seven-Month-Old for your free download. Click GreatDad Free Ebook to download the entire Health Start, Grow Smart series.

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