National Birth Defects Prevention Month

Important Dates

1/1  The New Year is Here!
1/4  World Braille Day
1/11 Human Trafficking Awareness Day
1/15 Museum Selfie Day
1/20 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
1/23 National Pie Day
1/27 Holocaust Memorial Day
1/31 National Hot Chocolate Day

Happy New Year! If you're still trying to think of a resolution, consider making a safer environment for your kiddos IT! We all get busy and sometimes safety falls down our list of priorities. Make this year the year to put safety at the top of your list! This month's blog will focus on some general safety tips to start 2020 off right... and SAFE!

January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month

Planning how to take care of your health conditions before you become pregnant can help keep you and your developing baby healthy!

• Protect yourself and your baby by getting your #flu shot every year! #Best4YouBest4Baby #pregnancy
• Trying to be your healthiest self before & during #pregnancy? Be sure to take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day. #Best4YouBest4Baby
• What is best for you is also best for your baby. Stop using harmful substances during pregnancy (including #alcohol & #tobacco) to avoid harmful effects on your baby. #Best4YouBest4Baby

Tips from NBDPN

General Home Safety Tips

1. Check/ replace batteries on smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
2. Create/ review your home's fire plan and have a fire extinguishers in the kitchen and bedrooms
3. Lower water heater temperature to 120 degrees F to avoid potential scalding
4. Add layers of protections such as alarms/ locks on doors and windows with access to your pool and a pool barrier around the pool itself
5. Check that your car seat is still properly installed as it can loosen over time and make sure you are using the proper seat and direction of the seat based on the manual and your child's height or weight
6. Put away all toxic/ harmful products (medicine, alcohol, batteries, chemicals, etc.) up high and in a locked cabinet
7. Create a plan for stranger danger and talk to your kiddos about what to do when approached by a stranger or what to do if someone tries to take them

For New Parents

For babies under 1 year old, remember BARE IS BEST! 
Following the ABCs of Sleep Safety will help reduce the risk of SIDS for your brand new little:

Alone- Baby should sleep alone whether it be in a crib, bassinet, pack n' play, etc. It is recommended that they sleep in the parent's bedroom for up to the first year, but in their own sleeping vessel.

Back- Baby needs to sleep on their back, not their stomach or their side. Research shows that this is the safest way for newborns to sleep. 

Crib- Baby needs an empty crib with just a firm mattress and tight-fitting sheet only. Bumpers, blankets, pillows, and toys are all potential suffocation hazards.

Smoke/ Pollutant Free- Baby needs a smoke/pollutant free areas. Babies exposed to smoke have a higher risk of SIDS.

Some cute, SAFE nursery alternatives are: fun decals over baby's crib and changing table, cute crib sheets, modern, minimalist furniture that is at least 3 feet away from crib and anchored to wall, and mount baby monitor on wall corner or on furniture 3 feet away from crib and cover with cord molding so it is safe and not an eyesore.

   

RECALLS:

December 6, 2019 CPSC; DaVinci Recalls Bassinets Due to Fall Hazard (Recall Alert)

December 18, 2019 CPSC; Hillsdale Furniture Recalls Five-Drawer Chests Due to Tip-Over and Entrapment Hazards

December 19, 2019 CPSC; BMC Recalls Bicycles and Framesets Due to Fall Hazard

December 19, 2019 CPSC; BCI Burke Recalls Merge Playground Climbers Due to Entrapment Hazard

December 19, 2019 CPSC; Toysmith Recalls Light-Up Magic Wands Due to Choking and Ingestion Hazards

* information from Consumer Product Safety Commission