Advice on what to look for when buying baby safety equipment such as car seats and stair gates, plus the opportunity to purchase a range of baby safety products.Discuss baby safety products on our forums, right now! Or, post a comment below.Ensure your home is child safe before your baby begins to crawl. Stairgates are a safety essential. Some need fixing to the wall and are therefore permanent, others have a screwed fixing where you simply widen the bar to fit snugly in the appropriate space. Many stair gates automatically close after use. Look for two way opening, which can prove very useful. Also available are travel safety gates. These provide a secure area for your baby to play either away or at home. Most are pressure fitted so do not require wall cups or fittings. They roll away and can be transported within the padded travel bag supplied. Bed guards are another safety item available to purchase. These are placed at the side of your child's bed when he or she moves from a cot into a bed and prevent your child falling out. A colour changing bath mat has a dual purpose. A non-slip mat, which works just like a bath thermometer as a point on the mat changes colour if the bath water is too hot. Another useful safety feature is a cooker guard. This puts a barrier between your child's fingers and hot saucepans. Even if your fire is not in constant use, a fireguard is an essential safety feature. Many are extendable and come in different finishes to fit in with your decor. There are four danger zones in the home, the kitchen, bathroom, living room and garden. - Kitchen - Keep your potentially lethal household cleaners up high and out of sight. Either lock the draw to the knives or install child locks on all your draws and cupboards. Make sure electric cables are well away from inquisitive hands. The cooker or hob can be guarded with a plastic shield to prevent burns.
- Bathroom - Never leave a child unattended in or near water. Consider a toilet lock if your child seems interested. Use a non-slip bath mat. Remove razors, scissors, medicines and cleaning bottles high up and out of sight.
- Living room - Use a fireguard. Consider cushioned table corners. Ensure your baby could not fall out of a window.
- Garden - Fill in or fence in ponds. Get rid of sharp stones. Keep garden tools and pesticides locked away.
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