Child Safety for All Ages

Birth to 8 months

• Never leave a child alone on a changing table, bed or sofa. Children can fall as soon as they can roll over.
• Use gates on stairways and install window guards on all windows above the first floor as soon as your baby can crawl.
• Never leave small objects within your baby’s reach.
• Put your baby to sleep face up to prevent suffocation and reduce the risk of SIDS.
• Never carry hot liquids or food while holding your child.
• Verify the water temperature before putting your child in the bathtub. The safest temperature is below 37C (100F)

8 to 12 months

• Keep pins and other sharp objects off the floor and out of your baby’s reach.
• Install safety plugs in wall sockets.
• Remove easily overturned lamps and dangling electrical cords.
• Place soft adhesive bumpers on the corners of sharp-edged furniture.
• Place a gate across stairways to keep the baby from falling downstairs.
• Keep medicines and poisons in a locked cabinet. Install child locks on cabinets.
• Be sure baby furniture and toys are painted with lead-free paint. Buy age-appropriate toys that are too large to swallow.
• Keep blind and drapery cords out of reach
• Place furniture away from windows.
• Secure furniture such as bookshelves, wall units and televisions to the wall.
• Never leave your baby alone in the bath; keep one hand on the child at all times.

12 to 36 months

• Secure doors that lead to stairways, driveways and storage areas.
• Never leave a child alone in a bathtub or wading pool or other body of water.
• Lock medicines away immediately after use.
• Lock kerosene, pesticides and toxic cleaning products in a safe place.
• Buy age-appropriate toys that are too large to swallow.
• Don’t leave your child alone around burning fireplaces, heaters or other hot appliances.
• Provide constant supervision.
• Store dangerous tools and gardening equipment in a locked shed or cabinet.
• Keep matches and cigarette lighters locked up and out of sight.
• Maintain adult supervision around backyard play equipment.
• Remove drawstrings from your child’s clothing.

3- to 6-year-olds

• Teach your child the right way to use simple kitchen tools and appliances.
• Teach bicycle safety rules and traffic dangers.
• Start swimming lessons. Never leave a child unsupervised around a pool or other body of water, even if the child has had swimming lessons.

6- to 12-year-olds

• Insist that your child wear a helmet when cycling or other appropriate times. Children should wear helmets and wrist and kneepads while inline skating and skateboarding.
• Teach proper use of more complex kitchen appliances.
• Be sure your child uses well-fitting, well-maintained sports equipment when practicing or playing a game.
• Teach your child basic first-aid and what to do in an emergency.

• 11 Ways to Raise a Healthy Child
• Kitchen safety
• Safety Checklist: How Does Your Family Rate?

Reviewed by Trauma specialists at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
Last updated: January 2014, october 2015