Before the Baby Starts Crawling

Throughout the whole house:

• Put safety plugs in all electrical outlets.
• Attach cords from blinds and drapes to floor mounts, or wrap them around wall brackets to prevent strangling accidents.
• Unplug all appliances when they're not in use so your child cannot accidentally turn them on.
• Post poison center and other emergency phone numbers near every phone in the house.
• Carpet all stairs, if possible.
• At the tops and bottoms of staircases, install safety gates with horizontal slats no more than 2-3/8 inches apart.
• Regularly check your floors, and pick up any buttons, coins, or other small objects.
• Move cleaning supplies and other dangerous substances to a high, locked cabinet.
• Get rid of poisonous house plants. Poison control centers can provide a list of plants that are potentially toxic if consumed.
• Move furniture with hard edges and sharp corners out of areas in which your child is likely to play. Or attach cushioned protectors to dangerous corners and edges.
• Test the stability of lamps, television sets, bookshelves, and other furniture and appliances to make sure they will not fall on your child. Restrict the baby's access to unstable pieces.
• Move chairs, sofas, and low tables away from windows so the baby cannot climb on top of them to look outside-and potentially fall.
• Block the baby's access to fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators, and heating vents.
• Install window guards on all windows above the first floor.
• Store plastic bags and balloons out of reach. Knot plastic bags before tossing or recycling.

In the nursery:

• Keep the crib's side rail at the highest position whenever possible.
• Position the crib away from windows to avoid possible falls.

In the kitchen:

• Store matches, knives, and other dangerous kitchen items out of the baby's sight and reach.
• Install child-resistant locks on low cabinets and drawers that contain sharp objects or dangerous substances.
• Store appliances with blades—such as blenders or food processors—out of reach or in a latched cupboard.
• Make sure your trash container has a child-resistant cover or is kept in a latched cabinet.
• Avoid letting electric cords dangle where the baby can pull them, bringing appliances tumbling down.

In the bathroom:

• Store all medicines, cosmetics, and cleaning supplies in child-resistant containers in a locked cabinet.
• Store toothpaste, soap, and shampoo in a hard-to-reach cabinet with a child-resistant safety latch or lock.
• Keep the toilet lid closed. Also, empty water from the bathtub or any pails immediately after each use.
• Install a latch at adult height on the outside of the bathroom door and keep it closed.

In the garage, yard, and basement:

• Unplug power tools when you're not using them.
• Store paints, varnishes, thinners, pesticides, and fertilizers in clearly labeled containers in a locked cabinet.
• Put tools in a hard-to-reach area.
• Lock the garage and basement doors, so the baby cannot access these areas.
• Store your automatic garage door opener out of the baby's reach.
• If you have an unused refrigerator or freezer, get rid of it or remove the door.
• If you have a swimming pool, install a fence—and keep the gate locked.