Baby Safe Homes® Provides Top Five Child Safety Tips for the Holidays

Contact: Tara Cooper
Baby Safe Homes
619-992-1781
tara.cooper@babysafehomes.com

For Immediate Release

BABY SAFE HOMES® PROVIDES TOP FIVE CHILD SAFETY TIPS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
National Child Safety Consulting and Installation Group Reveals What Every Parent and Holiday Host Needs to Know

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (October, 22 2010) – Each year in the United States approximately 6,000 children die and another 120,000 are seriously injured or permanently disabled due to preventable household accidents, making these accidents the number one cause of infant and toddler death. Baby Safe Homes®, a national, full-service child safety and professional home babyproofing company offers tips to keep babies safe inside and outside the home, just in time for the holidays.

“Babies are curious by nature which exposes them to many household hazards,” said Robert Lockheimer, Founder of Baby Safe Homes. “Parents or anyone caring for a baby in their home must take proactive measures to keep their baby safe. With the holidays around the corner, anyone hosting children in their home should be aware of these key safety tips.”

The following are tips on how to prevent the most common causes of household injuries amongst toddlers and infants:

1. Block staircases and secure furniture – Children falling down stairs or furniture tipping over is the number one preventable household injury. Proper safety gates should be installed at the top and bottom of each staircase. Choosing the proper gate and installing it correctly is crucial for your child’s safety and is best left to a professional. Never install a pressure gate at the top of the stairs. Properly secure all furniture, bookshelves and television sets to the wall to prevent them from tipping.
2. Prevent burns – Burns can be caused by flame, heat, chemicals or electrocution. Always keep children away from open flames while cooking or enjoying your fireplace. Lock your oven door or limit access to the kitchen while cooking or baking. Keep all chemicals out of reach of children and locked in a secure place. Limit access to electrical cords and install self-closing outlet covers.
3. Keep poisons out of reach – For babies and toddlers, poisons are found everywhere. Household cleaners, medicines (including baby medicines), vitamins, pesticides, plants, toothpaste and some foods can be poisonous. All these dangers should be kept out of reach and securely stowed away. Keep the number for Poison Control handy in case your baby ingests a hazardous material. The National Poison Control Number is: 800-222-1222.
4. Safeguard anything that contains open water – Children can drown in as little as an inch or water. While swimming pools are the most obvious drowning hazard, jacuzzis, bathtubs, toilets, buckets, pet bowls, fountains, ponds, lakes and the ocean can be equally dangerous. Children drown quickly and silently – in a matter of seconds. Supervision is the best prevention and most of these hazards can be safeguarded with locks or barriers.
5. Keep anything that can cause choking, suffocation, and strangulation out of reach – Babies and toddlers put everything into their mouths. Items that fit into a cardboard toilet paper roll should be considered choking hazards and should be kept out of reach. The little white tips on your “springy” doorstops are the biggest choking hazard in your home and should be replaced. Never line trashcans with plastic trash bags as these pose a suffocation hazard. Anything a child can get their head caught in is a strangulation hazard. Blind cords, electrical cords, and strings should all be shortened and kept out of reach of children.

Interviews and live segment demonstrations with Robert Lockheimer, Founder of Baby Safe Homes, are available upon request.

About Baby Safe Homes
Founded in 1998, Baby Safe Homes® is a privately held, family-run company headquartered in San Diego, Calif. To fill a growing need, the company has developed unique baby proofing systems and techniques to create the safest environment for babies and children across the United States. Along with offering a wide variety of quality products, they ensure that customers receive installation services specific to each home and thorough enough to offer parents peace of mind. Since its inception, Baby Safe Homes has helped thousands to ‘babyproof’ their homes and has become the most trusted name by pediatricians and parents throughout the industry. For more information, please call (888) 481-SAFE or visit www.babysafehomes.com.

###