How to childproof your home

Minimise the risk of household hazards and keep your little ones safe. 

It’s not easy keeping an eye on your kids all the time. They move fast and are always exploring their surroundings, and even when you think they can’t possibly run into trouble, something happens and they end up hurting themselves.

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for children to injure themselves at home, says Dr Lughen Harikerishnan, a general practitioner at Raffles Medical.
 

“Young children are more accident-prone and more likely to injure themselves compared to older kids  because their motor skills are not quite as developed. Plus they’re naturally more curious and less aware of the dangers around them,” says Dr Harikerishnan.

The best way to prevent these accidents is by familiarising yourself with the most common hazards and taking the appropriate steps to keep the home a safe space for your precious ones. 

Danger ahead:

How to minimise accidents Here, Dr Harikerishnan shares his top tips for preventing littles ones from getting hurt at home.

 

Danger: Sharp table edges/corners

What to do: Kids can’t help but run into furniture sometimes. Avoid buying sharp-ended furniture or cover sharp edges with corner guards.

 

Danger: Small or sharp items

What to do: To prevent choking and cuts, keep small and sharp items out of your children’s reach. For example, store them on a high shelf that your kids cannot access, or lock them away in a cabinet.

 

Danger: Hot items or liquids (like food, oil and water)

What to do: These can scald and burn the skin and potentially even cause disfigurement. Make sure your tots stay away from the kitchen or install a gate to block their entrance to the kitchen. Keep hot items and liquids out of their reach and always test the water temperature before showering or bathing them. Install stove and oven guards to prevent little hands from touching these appliances when in use.

 

Danger: Slippery surfaces

What to do: Use anti-slip mats and ensure that your floors are dry at all times.

 

Danger: Loose, unsecured items

What to do: Secure furniture to the wall so that it doesn’t tip over and fall on your kids. Use childproof locks on drawers. Replace tablecloths with nonslip place mats and put small stools away when not in use. 

 

Danger: Household chemicals and medication

What to do: Store all medication and detergents, disinfectants and other cleaning agents in a cupboard and lock the cupboard with a childproof lock.

 

Danger: Open containers of water

What to do: Prevent drowning by keeping toilet seat covers down and never leaving containers of water unattended.

Danger: Slamming doors

What to do: These can crush small children who are in the way. Use a door stopper. 

How to handle accidents if/when they do happen While waiting for medical attention, you may need to give your tot acute care. Dr Harikerishnan shares

some tips and advice:

• Always keep a first-aid kit at home and replenish its contents accordingly.

• If your child is bleeding, clean the injury site with a clean cloth and apply pressure/compression to the site.

• Learn what to do in case of choking – if you take a first-aid course, for instance, you’ll be taught to give five blows to your child’s back when he’s choking or to do chest compressions, and so on.

• Learn how to do simple CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on infants and children. This knowledge will come in handy if your little one loses consciousness.

• If your child has fallen from a height, do not move them if you suspect that his neck or back is injured unless there is an immediate danger. Keep your child still and calm until help arrives.

• In the event of a burn injury, run cool water over the burn site for at least 20 minutes and then apply clean dressing to the burn.