Holidays are a special time, even more so when a little one joins your family. Help keep your infant safe this holiday season by remembering some simple but important safety recommendations.
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, keep these infant safety tips in mind this holiday season:1
Travel Safely with Infants
- Check your infant’s car seat before any holiday travel. Conduct the tests buckleupforlife.org recommends to make sure your car seat is safe and secure. Conduct the tests buckleupforlife.org recommends. Contact a certified child passenger safety technician if you have any questions.
- Prepare for the possibility of winter weather. Access the National Safety Council’s resource "Be Prepared for Winter Driving” for tips on how to ready your car for winter and drive safely in wintery conditions.
- Never drive after drinking alcohol. There are generally more motor vehicle traffic crash fatalities during the holidays than during non-holidays periods.
Decorate Safely
- Keep harmful plants like mistletoe and holly berries out of reach of children. In case of accidental poisoning, contact the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.2
- Keep glass, ceramic, and heavy decorations out of infants’ reach.
Keep Your Family Safe from Fires
- Water your tree and turn off any decorative lights before you leave or go to sleep. A dehydrated tree can quickly become a fire hazard.
- Keep candles, lighters, and matches out of your little one’s reach.
- Make sure your smoke alarms are working properly.
Ensure Your Kitchen is Infant-Safe
- Keep infants three or more feet away from where you’re cooking, especially if they are crawling or mobile.
- Keep hot foods and liquids out of children’s reach.
- Do not leave sharp kitchen tools lying on the counter (e.g. knives, carving equipment, etc.)
- Ovens and stovetops can be extremely dangerous for mobile infants.
Ensure Your Kitchen is Infant-Safe
- Keep infants three or more feet away from where you’re cooking, especially if they are crawling or mobile.
- Keep hot foods and liquids out of children’s reach.
- Do not leave sharp kitchen tools lying on the counter (e.g. knives, carving equipment, etc.)
- Ovens and stovetops can be extremely dangerous for mobile infants.
Ensure Your Kitchen is Infant-Safe
- Read all instructions and warning labels of your infant’s gifts.
- Stay up to date on toy recalls. Sign up for Safe Kids Worldwide's bi-monthly email alerts to stay up to date on child-related recalls.
- Make sure toys and gifts are age appropriate. Toys and gifts with small parts may be appropriate for older children, but for infants prone to putting things in their mouths these gifts can be extremely hazardous.
When you have an infant, vigilance is key over the holidays, so make sure to keep these safety recommendations in mind to help ensure you have a happy, safe holiday season.
For more information on holiday safety for children, visit safekids.org.
Categories: Home Safety/Childproofing, Safety Tips