Baby furniture - safety tips

Every year, many young children need hospital treatment for injuries related to infant and nursery products. Around one in 10 hospital-treated injuries to children under one year old involve baby furniture. First-time parents need an eye for detail when buying baby furniture.

Instead of focusing on colour, style and comfort, make safety the priority. And remember: even if your baby furniture meets every safety standard and recommendation, your child still needs supervision.

Most people assume that all new infant and nursery products are safe. While most designers and manufacturers work hard to make sure their products are safe, from time to time a product does not meet safety standards. New products appear on the market regularly, and sometimes safety issues relating to design or use only emerge after a product goes on sale.

Second-hand and hand-me-down furniture#

Be wary of second-hand and heirloom furniture, as it can pose a hazard to children. Many people assume hand-me-down products are safe because they have been used by others without problems, but this is a myth. The risk of injury may be high, or may have increased, if a product is old, worn or damaged, or has lost its instructions for assembly or use. Children have died in accidents involving hand-me-down and second-hand products that were fragile, broken or misused.

If you do use older furniture, check that it still meets current safety requirements, find and remove any hazards around your home that could make it unsafe, and make sure you have the correct assembly and use instructions.

Cots#

It is important to provide a safe sleeping surface for your baby. Use only a firm mattress that fits snugly into the cot. Do not use cot bumpers or soft bedding, as these have been associated with fatal sleep accidents, and do not use extra mattresses.

Each year a significant number of children need hospital treatment for cot-related injuries. Most happen when a child falls from the cot. Other injuries occur when children strike parts of the cot or get part of their body stuck between bars. Fittings such as bolts, knobs and corner posts can catch on clothing and cause strangulation.

All cots should comply with the relevant cot safety standard in your country. If your cot is a hand-me-down, make sure it still meets the requirements:

• The bars or panels should be spaced between 50 mm and 95 mm apart — bigger gaps can trap a baby’s head, arms or legs. If the bars or panels are made from flexible material, the maximum spacing should be less than 95 mm.
• The cot should be at least 600 mm deep, measured from the base of the mattress to the top of the cot.
• The gap between the mattress and the cot sides and ends should be less than 20 mm.
• There should be no spaces between 30 mm and 50 mm that could trap your child’s arms or legs.
• There should be no small holes or openings between 5 mm and 12 mm that could trap your child’s fingers.

When setting up the cot:

• Always follow the assembly and use instructions carefully.
• Place the cot in a safe spot and use the locking brakes. The cot should have four castors, at least one pair fitted with brakes.
• Position the cot away from heaters, power points, windows, and curtain or blind cords — cords are a strangulation hazard.
• Never use electric blankets or hot water bottles for babies or young children.
• Don’t hang anything such as pictures or mirrors nearby, in case it falls into the cot.
• Don’t leave mobiles or toys with stretch or elastic cords within reach of your child.
• Do not use U-shaped or V-shaped pillows for children under 2 years, and it is safer not to use a pillow at all for a child under 2.
• Keep the cot uncluttered, and don’t place small objects that could cause choking in the cot or within reach.
• Remove climbing aids such as large toys once your child can stand, as they may climb on them and fall over the rail.
• Regularly check that nuts and bolts are tight, following the maintenance instructions supplied with the cot.

Before your baby can sit up, you can set the base to its highest position to save your back; lower it to the lowest position just before your baby starts to sit up. Put the drop side up whenever your baby is sleeping.

Prams and strollers#

Most pram and stroller injuries are caused by children falling out. Choose a pram or stroller that complies with the relevant safety standard in your country, which typically requires a tether strap, safe-use warning labels, and features to prevent entrapment.

When using a pram or stroller, remember:

• Prams and strollers are designed to move freely. Wear the tether strap while moving, and use the parking brake when the pram is stationary. Use the tether strap even when the brake is on, to help prevent roll-away incidents.
• Use the full five-point restraint harness at all times, even for short trips.
• Unsupervised sleep in a pram or stroller is not safe. Never leave a sleeping child alone in one, and don’t use a pram or stroller as a substitute for a cot.

Other things to consider:

• Prams for babies under 6 months should have a backrest that reclines at an angle of more than 135 degrees to the bottom of the seat.
• Brakes should be fitted to at least two wheels.
• Look for a strong frame, easy steering, solid durable wheels, and brake locks that work.
• A gap-free interior reduces the risk of fingers and toes being caught.
• Sensible storage, such as a basket slung underneath, is useful — but do not overload the pram. Avoid hanging shopping from the handles, as this can cause it to tip over.
• Do not place blankets, sheets or muslin covers over a pram. Covering it reduces air circulation, even with “breathable” material, and lets heat build up quickly inside. Instead, shade your baby with an umbrella or stay in shaded areas while keeping good airflow.

High chairs#

Falls are a common cause of high-chair injury. A high chair suits a baby who can sit upright alone, usually at about 6 to 8 months, and may be useful until the child is 2 or 3 years old.

When buying a high chair, look for a sturdy, stable design that doesn’t rock easily, a simple design that is easy to clean, and a tray the child cannot move. To reduce the risk of injury:

• Always place your baby in the five-point harness to prevent falls.
• Supervise your child at all times.
• Keep the high chair at least one metre away from kitchen benches and stovetops to avoid scalds, and away from appliance cords, curtain cords and anything else your child could grab.

Change tables#

Around one in four baby-furniture injuries that need hospital treatment involve change tables. These injuries are usually caused by a baby falling from a height of 1.5 metres or less.

A change table should be sturdy and have roll-off protection, such as a child safety harness and raised edges. The ends and sides should be raised at least 100 mm, with smooth edges and no gaps that could injure fingers or toes.

When using a change table:

• Consider whether you need one at all, or whether you can change your baby on a large towel or mat on the floor.
• Have everything you need ready and within reach.
• Never leave your baby alone, and always keep one hand on your baby.
• Ignore interruptions, or take your baby with you if you have to leave the room.
• Use the safety harness.

Playpens#

Playpens can hold young children for short periods, such as while you are cooking or on the phone. When choosing and using one:

• Children as young as 9 months can pull themselves up to stand, so make sure the playpen is sturdy.
• Make sure all folding parts have latches that lock securely before use and cannot be undone by your baby. Stop using the playpen once your baby can undo the latches.
• Don’t use a portable cot as a playpen.
• The playpen should be at least half a metre high, strong, and not easily tipped over or dragged from inside.
• The bars should be spaced between 50 mm and 95 mm apart, as for a cot; larger gaps can trap a child’s head.
• Keep the playpen well clear of heaters, stoves and power points, and away from blind and curtain cords.
• Keep your baby within sight, and never leave your baby alone in a playpen.

Bouncers#

Children are admitted to hospital for injuries from falls or suffocation involving bouncers. Safety tips:

• Do not let your baby sleep in a bouncer. If a baby falls asleep in a propped-up device, the head can fall forwards, pushing the chin towards the chest, which can block the airway and reduce airflow.
• Do not place a bouncer on a bench, as the child could fall off. Keep it on the floor when in use, in full sight, and away from pets or other animals.

Baby walkers#

Baby walkers are unsafe and should not be used; they are banned in some countries. Children can be hurt if a walker tips over or falls down stairs, and head injuries are the most frequent and serious injuries linked to them.

Walkers do not help babies learn to walk and can actually interfere with normal development. Babies have little control over the direction and speed of a walker and can easily overbalance, and they cannot see what they are running over. In a walker, babies can move faster and reach higher than usual, increasing the risk of scalds and poisoning. A stationary play centre is a safer alternative.

Toy boxes#

A child may have the strength to open the lid of a toy box but not to hold it, and a heavy lid that closes suddenly can cause injury. Children under 2 years are most at risk.

• Choose a toy box without a lid, or remove lids that are heavy or have a child-resistant lock. A lightweight plastic crate is safer than a heavy box with a lid.
• If you buy a toy box with a lid, the lid should be lightweight and removable, or fitted with a slow-closing hinge to prevent finger jams.
• Children like to hide in toy boxes, and some have become trapped inside. Provide ventilation holes so a trapped child can breathe.
• If a toy box has a lock or latch, it must be a simple one that a trapped child can open from the inside.

Toppling furniture and televisions#

Children love to explore and climb, and may use furniture to reach out-of-reach items. Free-standing furniture, appliances and televisions are often the right height to climb on but are unstable and can topple, causing serious or even fatal injuries if a child is underneath. Young children, especially those under 4, are most at risk.

Simple, low-cost steps can prevent almost all of these incidents:

• Secure televisions and tall or unstable furniture to wall studs or floors with appropriate anchoring devices such as brackets, braces or wall straps, available from hardware stores or furniture retailers.
• Follow the instructions supplied with new furniture or appliances for installing any anchoring equipment.
• Install child-resistant locks on drawers so they can’t be opened and used as steps. Open only one drawer at a time and close drawers you’re not using.
• Store heavy items on lower shelves or drawers of bookcases, wardrobes and cupboards.
• Don’t place televisions or heavy objects on top of chests of drawers or furniture not intended for them.
• Discourage children from climbing on furniture, and avoid putting tempting items such as favourite toys, sweets or remote controls on top.
• Don’t place unstable furniture in children’s bedrooms or near play areas.
• Encourage others, such as grandparents, to anchor furniture in their homes too, especially if your children visit regularly.

Key points#

• It is important to provide a safe sleeping surface for your baby.
• Many young children need hospital treatment every year for injuries related to cots.
• Fittings such as bolts, knobs and corner posts can catch on clothing and cause strangulation.
• Do not place small objects that could cause your child to choke in the cot or within reach.
• Regularly check that nuts and bolts are tight, as per the maintenance instructions supplied with the cot.

Where to get help#