Room-by-Room Safety Tips

You can go a long way in protecting your children by conducting a room-by-room safety check. Follow our guide to learn the simple changes you can make to turn your home into a baby-safe zone.

• Make sure the crib has a firm mattress and doesn't include decorative cutouts or corner posts.

• Keep pillows, fluffy comforters, and even soft stuffed animals out of the crib in the first four to six months of life -- these can suffocate baby.

• Make sure your baby's changing table has three raised sides and a restraining strap.

• Once a child is old enough to pull to stand, remove bumper pads and any toys from the crib -- they could serve as "stepping stones" to climb out.

• Make sure the crib or playpen slats are narrow, and don't leave enough space for your child's head to get wedged between them.

• Once your baby's up on all fours and reaching for things, take down decorations or toys that are strung across the crib from rail to rail.

• Don't buy a toy box with a heavy hinged lid -- it might fall on your child when he reaches in to get a toy.

• Furnish the room with a soft carpet to prevent injury from those unavoidable falls.