Safety is must for everyone and more cautions should be taken when it comes to infants, especially in babies six to 12 months old. Some very important safety precautions during the first year of baby’s life include:

• Never leave your baby on a bed, counter or changing table unattended.
• Never leave your baby in an infant seat unattended on a countertop or in a grocery cart.
• Always strap baby in high chair or stroller.
• Avoid using walkers, especially near stairs.
• Place gates at stairs.
• Do not prop the bottles to avoid choking.
• Do not tie the pacifier on a string around baby’s neck.
• Keep small objects out of reach, including sibling’s small toys. Check toys for small removable parts.
• Do not feed nuts, popcorn, hard candy, raisins, grapes, round chunks of any hard food, etc., to avoid choking.
• Avoid balloons – a choking hazard when they break.
• Do not hold your baby when drinking hot liquids or cooking.
• Avoid or use caution when warming formula in microwave oven. Always check temperature of liquid before feeding.
• Always check bath water. Turn hot-water heater down to 120 F.
• Do not leave the infants in the sun for more than a few minutes, apply a sunscreen whenever exposed to sunlight (over six months recommended).
• Never leave your baby in parked car due to risk of overheating.
• Never leave your baby alone in a bathtub or pool nor unattended with siblings.
• Do a home safety check – use electrical outlet covers, electrical cords or hanging tablecloths out of reach, toxic substances (cleansers, insecticides, medications) stored out of reach, preferably locked.
• Keep poison control center number near to you.