Admittedly, babies are more prone to accidents than adults. They’re these helpless creatures who need you to do everything for them. If you’re a first-time mom, this task could be daunting. You may worry about everything. Even during bath and feeding time, you always expect for something bad to happen. While it is good to be careful, there is a fine line between caution and paranoia. You should make sure that you never cross it. Relax and enjoy his growing years instead.
You’re paranoid if you won’t even bring your baby to the home of anyone with a pool or a hot tub. While drowning is a very real danger and a tragic event, it’s almost entirely preventable. Just make sure you watch your child whenever he’s near the water. So, there’s no reason to avoid a friend’s pool or the beach as long as your little one is properly supervised. The most common place children drown is a family pool, but buckets, toilets, hot tubs, and bathtubs are also hazards. This, however, doesn’t mean that you shun away the real world. Danger is everywhere, and the best weapon you’ll have for it is your presence.
Water is one place where you should be extra careful. If your baby is very young, never ever leave him alone near any type of water. That includes bathtubs because a child can drown in the time it takes to answer the phone. Install safety locks on all toilet seats and keep the bathroom doors closed at all times. It only takes an inch of water for a baby to drown. So, never leave a bucket of water in the house or yard and empty your kiddie pool after every use. If you do have a backyard pool, take the necessary precautions. Enclose your pool with a high fence, at least high enough that your baby can’t pull himself up and topple over the other side. Around four feet might do the trick. Add in a self-locking gate with the lock facing the pool. You should also know CPR, and there should always be a phone by the pool area. When swimming anywhere, don’t rely on baby flotation devices because they will not always protect your child from drowning.
As for feeding time, consider yourself paranoid if you cut up cheerios for your 10-month old baby. It’s fairly rare for a baby to choke on age-appropriate food. This isn’t always the culprit in many of the choking deaths. Some of them were caused by nonfood items such as coins and even toy batteries. Just make sure that you don‘t leave your child alone with things that are small enough to be swallowed without chewing.
Once your baby starts eating solids, cut his food first into small pieces and make sure it’s naturally soft or cooked enough so that it can be mashed easily. Don’t give gum or any round firm foods such as hot dogs, popcorn, and cheese chunks just yet. Also, make sure that he sits up when he eats. A baby is more likely to choke if he is reclining in a bouncy seat or lying down. Most importantly, learn CPR and how to perform back blows on a choking infant.