They say that prevention is the best cure. What many parents to be seem to forget before the actual birth day comes is that they should choose function over design in the nursery.
So, if you have doubts about how to make your nursery baby proof, here is what you should pay special attention to.
First line of defence: the crib
No matter if you are making the nursery according to your own liking or if you copied a ready-made one from a baby magazine, the nursery has to be fully equipped and child proof at all costs. The first thing you should secure is the crib.
Many fresh parents think that “if they are selling it, it has to be safe”. Well, that is wrong. If you are buying a new crib, do not forget to check if the crib has a label which proves that it meets modern safety regulations and standards.
If you are recycling the crib (from a cousin’s baby or from your previous child), pay special attention to overall safety: check if the bars and slats are narrow enough, if the boards are all in their place, make sure there aren’t any nails and screws sticking from the bottom, and tighten all the bolts and screws before you put your child to sleep in it.
Always buy a new mattress for the crib. Billions of germs, mites and bacteria can live inside mattresses, and they can cause allergies, and you definitely do not want that, do you?
Sun exposure and overheating
It is true that the nursery needs to be well-lighted, meaning that there is enough sun light in it. However, there should not be too much of it, especially during the summer months.
Just like the adults, babies become hot quickly, so make sure that the room your baby is sleeping in has a ceiling fan installed in order to avoid room overheating. In fact, fans are also good because they seem to reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) by 72%, according to a study published in The Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
Additionally, window dressings can also be problematic – if they are cute, it does not mean that they are good for your baby. The best option would be to install a set of heavy blinds or enforce drapes with heat-reflecting, UV-blocking drapes.
Air quality
There is probably no need to stress how much cigarette fumes are bad for a child’s health, but the chemicals that come from them are not the only bad thing your child can inhale.
Even though it is nice to bring your child to a freshly painted nursery, make sure that the walls are dry and the room has been ventilated for at least a month prior to the baby moving in. The same goes for repainting the crib – the air has to be fresh and you should not feel the paint smell.
Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs, are another risk – they come from paint, carpet cleaners, disinfectants and other regular household items, such as scented air fresheners and shower curtains. Floor tiles and insulation in some older buildings can still contain asbestos, so make sure that the room is free from these if you want your child to live in it, because cracking a window will not help.
And finally, if you want only the best for your child, think about where potential hazards can lurk from – you would be surprised that even baby bedding is not safe for them. And if you have anything to add, please write to us in the comments section below.
