Welcoming your newborn into your home from the hospital is going to be a big day, but much before that big day arrives, there are a few safety checks and remodeling options that every parent should consider. Check out the pointers below as we discuss the important details regarding how to make your home more secure before having a child.
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Get Your House Checked for Lead Toxicity
Lead is found most commonly in paint, and if you have inherited an old home or recently bought one, it’s imperative that you get a lead paint testing done first. Additionally, you should also call a plumber to replace the lead pipes if the house still has any left from the old days.
Ideally, all of this should be done even before moving into the house, but given how harmful lead can be for children in particular, it’s something that just has to be done months before the baby is born.
Checking for Asbestos
Lead is bad for children, and in high amounts it can be toxic for anybody.However, both asbestosis and mesothelioma are painful, incurable and deadly. Now, here is an important bit of information that people often miss out on; asbestos usage and imports have not ceased in the US. Although the chances of finding it in modern homes are rare, it isn’t impossible either.
The bottomline is that you should ignore the popular opinion regarding asbestos being banned since the early ‘70s, because the phase out plan did not manage to phase it all out just yet! Get your house checked, irrespective of its date of construction, before moving in and especially before having a child.
If there’s asbestos found and you can’t move because of financial commitments, ensure that the toxic substance is removed by professionals thoroughly, and well before your child arrives.
Install a Ceiling Fan Above the Nursery
It’s been found that a ceiling fan can proactively reduce or even eliminate the chances of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS in a lot of cases. As the fan will keep the air inside the room in circulation continuously, the chances of the child getting asphyxiated by breathing in carbon monoxide will be greatly reduced, if not completely eliminated.
Secure the Floor
Toddlers spend a lot of time on the floor, which is natural and should be allowed. Unfortunately, floors are not always the safest place for a child to be, unless you make it so. Make floor renovation a priority on your checklist, as cracked tiles and broken floorboards can lead to tragedies. At the same time, check to see if any floor level electric outlets could be covered.
Finally, don’t forget to build a proper nursery, complete with a baby monitor and the necessary guard rails in place. There’s only so much we can do to predict and prevent future incidents, but more often than not, these are enough for turning your home into a safe haven for your newborn.
