Childproof your child's room

18 August 2003

Childproof your child's room

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	Danger	Prevention

Child's room

Hot water bottles	Burns	Always cover hot water bottles to prevent burns and remove them from the bed before your child gets in

Toys	Choking and suffocation	Don't use toys with small parts Follow safety warnings and age limit guidelines Keep older children's toys away from the under-threes Cot toys should have strings no longer than 20cm Throw away or repair broken toys and games Get rid of small pieces of crayon Don't allow small children to play with beads, buttons, coins, bits of torn plastic or broken balloons

Walking ring	Falls	Choose a wide wheel base for stability The seat must be strong and non-detachable A walking ring that folds must have a locking system to prevent it from accidentally folding or collapsing The wheels should not lock sideways Child's weight must not exceed the manufacturers' recommended maximum Never carry the walking ring with child in A child that cannot sit up without assistance must not use a walking ring Use on a flat surface free from electrical cords, etc

Changing mat	Falls	Make use of a sturdy changing table. Never leave a child on a high surface. The table should have shelves or compartments for storing everything you'll need. This prevents you from taking your eyes off your baby while you look for that hard-to-find item.

Cot	Strangulation	Bars of cots and playpens should be vertical Gaps between bars should be smaller than 68mm or larger than 70mm so that a baby can't slip its head through the bars and be strangled Remove ribbons and strings that might get wound around a child's neck.
	Falls	Remove bulky toys or cushions that the child could stand on and then topple out of the cot.

Bedding	Burns	Always use flameproof materials for bedding and clothing.
	Suffocation	Don't use pillows for small babies
	Overheating	Prevent overheating of infants under one – avoid using duvet's or sleeping bags. Rather use sheets and blankets

Dummies	Choking and strangulation	Check regularly for holes and tears Don't affix a dummy to a pram/pushchair or clothes with string or ribbon

Bunk beds	Falls	Don't allow small children to climb or sleep on bunk beds. The top bed should have railings right around

Pram	Falls	Always use safety harnesses Prams should be stable and not tip over easily Do not overload a pram; avoid hanging shopping bags from handles

Door	Fractures and bruising	Use doorstoppers at the top of the door to prevent children from closing doors and trapping fingers