Your baby will be on the move sooner than you think, and there are risks everywhere, when you start looking for them.

Take these sensible steps to protect your family and for child proofing your home to ensure child safety.

Around the house

• Stairs - You will need safety gates at the top and bottom.
• Windows - Fit locks or catches to any windows a child could reach.
• Glass in doors - Cover it with safety film.
• Cupboards - Fit catches to any cupboards that contain anything you would not want your baby to have; that cupboard under the sink, for example? Keep heavy, poisonous, breakable and sharp objects locked away in a cupboard or up out of reach.
• Plug sockets - You can buy reasonably cheap socket covers that will prevent your baby putting anything else in the socket.
• Electrical flexes - Secure any trailing cords which a crawling baby could get entangled in. When you are ironing, make sure the iron flex is well out of your baby’s reach.
• Open fires - A properly fitting fireguard is a must.

In the kitchen

A kitchen is a dangerous place for a baby. Get in the habit now of working safely to reduce the risk of accidents:

• Use the back rings of the cooker whenever possible.
• Turn saucepans so their handles face inwards.
• Do not carry hot dishes, pans or kettles when your baby is close by.
• Keep the kettle flex well out of reach.
• Avoid tablecloths that a baby could pull on, bringing everything on the table down on her head.
• Keep cleaning products out of reach.
• Fit childproof catches on low-down cupboard doors so your baby can’t get at heavy pans, breakable bowls etc that she could pull out on to herself.

In the bathroom

• Put medicines and cleaning products out of reach. As an extra precaution, buy products with child-resistant lids.
• Never leave your baby alone if you have run a bath; a child can drown in just a few inches of water.

Fire

Take these steps to guard against a potential tragedy:

• Put in smoke detectors.
• Keep a fire extinguisher in the house.
• Fit carbon monoxide detectors if you use gas or oil heating.

General safety tips:

• Put together a first-aid kit and consider taking a baby first-aid course.
• Pin up emergency telephone numbers next to your telephone.
• Put non-slip pads under rugs that don’t have non-slip backs.
• Set your water heater no higher than 49°C (120°F).