Home Safety for Infants and Toddlers

Babies and young children can drown in just 1 to 2 inches of water. Never leave them alone in a bathtub, hot tub, or backyard pool. If you must leave, take them with you.

• When giving your baby a bath, use a sink or infant tub with a non-skid mat. Most of their body and all of their face should be out of the water.
  • Do not use bath seats when bathing your baby. They can tip over easily once your baby can pull themselves up or stand.
  • Keep the supplies you need within reach so you can always keep 1 hand on your baby.

• Set your hot water heater temperature below 120° Fahrenheit (F) or 48.9° Celsius (C). Hot water can burn a baby’s skin at lower temperatures than an adult. Check the temperature of your baby’s bath water before it touches their skin. You can dip your elbow in the water (Picture 1).
• Be careful around water outside. Do not leave things out that have water in them, like:
  • Buckets
  • Trash cans
  • Inflatable pools

  • Recycling bins
  • Coolers with melted ice
  • Large water bowls

Furniture

• Crib - The safest place for your baby to sleep.
  • Do not use drop side cribs. Babies and toddlers can easily get trapped in them.
  • Do not incline your baby's crib past a 10-degree angle. An angled mattress is not safe.
  • To avoid suffocation, never put these items in your baby's crib:  soft bedding, comforters, loose sheets, blankets, pillows, sheep skins, toys, and bumpers.
  • Use tight-fitting sheets to cover the crib mattress.
  • Make sure no cords hang from window blinds, lamps, or mobiles near the crib.
  • The space between crib spindles cannot be more than 2 and 3/8 inches apart. This is about as wide as a soda can.
• Highchair - When your baby can sit up without support, they can use a highchair.
  • Do not place the highchair near tables or countertops. They could push off the table or countertop and tip the highchair over.
  • Make sure the tray latches securely.
  • Always use a 5-point harness when your baby is in the highchair, and never leave them alone in the chair.
• Infant swing - A baby that cries a lot may be calmed by an infant swing.
  • The swinging movement often soothes the baby.
  • Always use a 5-point harness when your baby is in the highchair, and never leave them alone in the chair.
  • If your baby falls asleep in the swing, gently remove them from the swing and place them in their crib, on their back.

Equipment

• Car seat - An approved car seat is the most important piece of equipment you can have for your baby's safety.
  • Babies must ride in a properly fitted rear-facing car seat in the back seat until they’re at least 2-years-old or they reach the weight or height limit of their rear-facing seat.
  • Do not let your baby sleep in a car seat when not traveling. If it’s being used as a carrier, place it on a hard, flat floor where there is no danger of it falling over.
• Playpen - If using a playpen or Pack ‘n Play^®, make sure the sides are locked. Playpens should be free of pillows, comforters, blankets, bumper pads, and stuffed animals.
• Baby walkers - These are very dangerous and must not be used.
  • Children don’t need them to learn to walk
  • Each year, many babies are seriously injured from falls while in walkers.
• Baby gates - Use these to keep children from getting into unsafe areas. Place them at the top and bottom of the stairs.

Clothing

• Take strings off of sleepers so babies can’t wrap them around their neck or toes.
• Check all clothing for loose buttons that could be swallowed or strings that could get wrapped around your baby’s neck, fingers, or toes.
• If your baby uses a pacifier, do not tie it to their clothes or around their neck.

Home Safety for Infants and Toddlers (PDF)

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