The first year with a new baby is an exciting, joyful time. It's also a time when new parents have to think about the safety of their baby. Children from birth to age 1 are more likely to die from accidents than older children. The leading causes of deaths from accidents at this age are suffocation, motor vehicle crashes, drowning, home fire or burn injury, falls and poisoning. September is Baby Safety Month, led by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association.

“The arrival of a new baby means big changes for the whole family, especially when it comes to making sure the home and car are safe for the baby,” said Susan Helms, director of Injury Prevention and Safe Kids Mid-South at Le Bonheur.

Babies spend most of their time sleeping, so creating a safe place for a baby to sleep is a top priority for Safe Kids Mid-South.Two out of three babies who die from injury in their first year of life die from suffocation.  Many of these deaths happen when babies sleep in an unsafe way, and  research shows that almost all of these tragedies can be prevented. 

“Just remember the ABCs of safe sleep for babies,” says Helms. “Babies should sleep ALONE on their BACKS in a CRIB.  The crib should be in the parents’ room, if possible.  It should meet all safety standards and have a firm mattress with a tight-fitting sheet. The crib should be empty except for the baby. No pillows, no comforters, no soft bedding or stuffed animals.  These can suffocate a baby.”

Here are five important things that all new parents should do to help keep their babies safe:

1. Make a place for babies to sleep by themselves. This can be in the parent’s room to make things like breastfeeding easier.  This is called room sharing. But parents should not let a baby sleep in their bed. Bed sharing is not safe for babies.

2. Put the baby in a safe place when you are cooking or carrying hot foods and liquids. Most scald burns in young children are from spilled hot foods and liquids. This is especially true for children ages 6 months to 2 years. The safe place can be a high chair, crib, play yard or any other safe environment.  If possible, use a travel mug with a top to protect children in case your hot drink tips over.

3. Keep babies away from water.  A baby can drown in as little as an inch or two of water. Babies younger than 1 year who drown often do so in bathtubs, five-gallon buckets and toilets. It can happen the moment your back is turned. Put outside locks on all bathroom doors. Use toilet latches. Empty buckets and wading pools after using them, and store them upside down. Never leave a baby alone in or near water – not even for a second. You need to protect them from drowning and also from being burned by hot tap water.

4. Keep babies and toddlers in rear-facing car seats. There are new rules for baby safety in cars and other vehicles. Recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) say that babies and toddlers will be safer if you keep them in a rear-facing child safety seat in a back seat for as long as possible – until they are at least 2 years old AND weigh at least 20 pounds. Also, never leave your child alone in a car –  even for one minute. Heat stroke can injure or kill them.

5. Be prepared for what your baby will do NEXT.  The trick to keeping children safe is to stay one step ahead of them. A baby will wiggle, kick, roll over, chew a toy, move around, pull up, crawl, take first steps and walk. Even if your baby can’t do all of these things right now, there’s always a first time. As babies grow, they will learn to do new things that could hurt them. You should take steps to keep your baby safe today. But you should also think about what you need to do now to keep the baby safe tomorrow.  This is true for anyplace your baby spends time, so make sure safety is in place wherever they go.