Sunday 27 October 2013

How to keep babies and toddlers safe

Having a new arrival in the house is a big worry. This little bundle of joy is completely dependent on you for their safety and well being. Its inevitable that accidents will happen and when they become toddlers, they will inevitably  get a few cuts and bruises as they learn to walk.But here are a few tips to help keep them safe.

New born Babies
Never leave a cat or dog alone with a baby. Although rare, dogs previously believed to be friendly have been known to maul a baby and cats may settle on the babies face for warmth.

Place newborn babies on their back in the cot as this has been found to reduce the incidents of cot death. For more cot death tips read this NHS article on cot death and how to prevent it. 



Crawling Babies
When your baby starts to crawl, watch out for anything they might pick up and put in their mouth that could be a choking hazard.

Also put child locks on all cupboards containing chemicals or medication.In fact both are best kept totally out of reach as older children may work out how to get past the child lock.

Fit child gates on stairs or anywhere that you do not want your child to go. Child gates can also be used to keep animals out of a babies room.

Toddlers
Once your baby starts walking you need to look out for any objects that may cause injury if they fall. Fireplace hearths can be particularly dangerous. Use this fire place edge guard to cover the hard edges.

Clevamama edgeguard available from Bunny Bumpkin.

Baby walkers are a great way to let your toddler practice walking without falling over.

Keep all outside doors locked. As soon as toddlers can reach the door handle they are likely to open the door and go out to explore.

Older children



Once they are walking, they are soon running and traffic can be a real danger. It is particularly difficult if you have more then one child. Use child harnesses or wrist links to prevent them wandering too far.

Backpack Harness and Rein 




Wrist link
Even with all the precautions, children will take a few knocks and its not unusual to have a least one trip to casualty for a few stitches or a check over in the early years. Don't feel guilty though as you can be sure that your child will not be the only one in the hospital waiting room.

You can find more great childrens health and safety products here






Sunday 6 October 2013

Teething



If your baby seems to be crying a lot for no reason, he or she may be teething. As the teeth start to cut through the gums it can be quite painful for baby so its no surprise that they get grumpy.

Teething generally starts between 4 and 7 months but some babies start as young as 3 months. Some have even been known to be born with a tooth or two.

The bottom front teeth are often the first to appear and within a month or so the front upper teeth will start to appear.

Then the babys lower lateral incisors will appear followed by the molars (grinding teeth at the back) and finally the canines (sharp pointy teeth).

Irritability, dribbling and a tendency to chew anything they can get hold of (including you) are all signs of teething. It may affect their sleep and appetite.

Wipe your babies mouth regularly if they are dribbling otherwise it could lead to rash around the mouth.

Teething rings can help relieve some of the discomfort and help the teeth break through the gums.

There are all sorts of teething rings available including rings that can be kept in the fridge so that they are cold and soothing on the babies gums.


teether


There are also a wide range of teething necklaces and bracelets available which mum can wear around her neck or wrist. This means babys' teether is always available and doesn’t get lost. It is also handy if baby has started biting. Encourage her to bite on the teething necklace rather than mum.

teething necklace


Beware of cheap teethers. Buy a reputable make like Gummigem. Cheap teethers may seem attractive but you don't know what they are made of and be particularly careful of cheap teethers with objects inside. If they break they can be a choking hazard.

Once the teeth start coming through you will need to start looking after them. Baby and toddler toothpastes are readily available from shops like Boots the chemist.

Even before the first teeth appear you can help keep babies gums and palate clean with products like these Oral Care rabbits.


oral care rabbits



This also helps babies get used to the idea of having their teeth cleaned.

Establishing patterns of good oral hygiene as a baby will help your child have a full set of healthy teeth for the rest of their life.