In-house accidents are more likely to form the bulk of the safety threats to your child's wellbeing than outside factors that you cannot control. You can take a proactive role in keeping your child safe by undertaking a few precautionary measures around your home and childproofing your house as much as possible. Keep in mind that the only guarantee you can have of keeping your child safe is constantly supervising it wherever it goes.

How to Begin

Get down on your hands and knees and survey each room from a child's-eye-view. You'll be able to identify potential sources of danger and attractive but risky objects and areas. As your child grows you should repeat this step to determine new sources of danger that he or she might be able to reach.

Strangulation & Choking Threats

• Make sure that your child's toys don't pose a choking hazard.
• Keep small items that your toddler can put in its mouth and possibly choke on them out of reach. This includes beads, paper clips, coins and other items you might find on low tables or in low drawers and cupboards.
• Tie cords of blinds, shades, draperies, and curtains up out of reach, as they could get wrapped around your child's neck while it plays with them or passes under them.
• Use drapery cord shorteners or wind-ups to keep cords out of reach if your toddler's crib or bed is located next to a window.

Safety Gates

• Use safety gates to keep your child out of rooms that contain dangerous objects or areas.
• Place safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs to protect your child from falling.

Securing Windows & Doors

• Apply window stops to prevent windows from being opened more than a few centimeters to protect your child from falling out.
• Consider installing window guards, as window screens alone aren't strong enough to prevent falls.
• Use door stops on doors to keep them from closing on your toddler's small hands and injuring them.
• Never place furniture close to high windows, as your toddler might climb onto windowsills.
• Use doorknob covers to keep children out of rooms that can't be childproofed or contain hazardous objects or areas. Make sure adults can use these easily in case of emergencies.

Miscellaneous

• Never keep a loaded gun in your house. If you must have a gun, store its bullets separately in a different and secure location that your child can't get to.
• Certain dog breeds like Rottweilers, Pit Bulls and German Shepherds are more aggressive than others, and can be the cause of fatal dog bites. Always supervise your child when in the presence of an animal.
• Buy toy chests with very light removable lids or lids that remain attached to the chest to avoid injury to your child.
• Keep visitors' bags, jackets and other items out of your toddler's reach, as visitors might be carrying dangerous medicines or small objects that your child might play with or place in its mouth.
• Never place objects, appliances or knives close to a table's edge; move such items further in towards the middle of the table.