Baby Proof your Home with an Eye to Hidden Dangers

DangerSpot Books are children's picture books helping to prevent accidents within the home and elsewhere.

Baby proofing becomes an issue about the time the baby reaches six months of age. This is when some babies crawl and other babies can roll around and get into things. Some things a parent uses to help raise the baby, however, are really not very safe and can cause problems or injuries to the baby if he or she gets into them. Let’s take a look at the top five baby proofing items that are dangerous for babies—items you would not think would be problematic.

Sippy Cups

Parents use sippy cups to help baby get off the bottle. In reality, they are too much like a bottle and can cause bacteria to collect on the baby’s back teeth. Right around the time the baby turns one year of age, you should get rid of the bottle and use a regular cup, helping them so they don’t spill it. The American Dental Association believes that this is better for baby’s teeth and teaches him or her how to learn to drink from a regular cup without sucking on a sippy cup.

Wipe Warmers

These are just as dangerous as electric blankets and can cause a fire even if used correctly. Many wipe warmers have been recalled by the government because cracks in the inside of the warmer can allow moisture to come in contact with electricity. Just don’t use these items.

Plastic Outlet Covers

They seem like a good when idea baby proofing your home but many babies can pull them right off and can choke on them when they put them in their mouths. Mums, too, can take a plug off and then forget to replace it, making the plug itself a hazard. Try instead to use safety outlets that have sliding plastic covers over the outlet socket. They are very convenient and infinitely safer than plugs.

Pillows, Fluffy Blankets or Stuffed Animals

Fluffy blankets, crib bumpers and pillows or stuffed animals can be cute in a crib but can suffocate a child. Such things can lead unnecessarily to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Cribs should be relatively bare so the baby can sleep without danger of suffocating. Experts recommend dressing the baby up warmly and foregoing blankets and pillows.

The Sleep Positioner

These are foam devices that prevent a baby from rolling over in its sleep. Babies, as you probably know, should always sleep on their back. While a sleep positioner was designed to keep baby safe, it can also cause suffocation and the issue of rebreathing the baby’s own carbon dioxide, a cause of SIDS. It is a better choice to tightly swaddle the infant in the first few months of life so it can’t move from back to stomach in its sleep.