Baby proofing your home

If you have little people at home, sometime today take a minute to crawl around your house. Yep, crawl. I say that because experts say crawling around your house is the best way to baby proof it. The reason? It gives you the baby's perspective of things.

There are a lot of hidden dangers in our homes, from the stuff under the sink or in the cabinets to the electrical outlets and all the cords for our TVs and computers. Dr. Nancy O. Wood is a pediatrician. She says as we crawl around; don't forget about the big things.

"There are very heavy objects that are easily pulled off shelves, like flat-screen TVs, for example. They may look very stable; they don't look like they're going to fall. But, you need to make sure they are very secure. You either want them secured to the wall or you want the base wide enough that the child isn't going to be able to pull that onto themselves," explains Dr. Wood.

Dr. Wood says bookshelves are also a big danger. It doesn't take a whole lot of strength, in many cases, to pull a bookshelf down.

She also suggests we stay one-step ahead of our children. You know how it goes: one minute they're pulling up, the next they're running. So, it's best to plan ahead when it comes to keeping them safe. Continue to baby-proof or child-proof, as they grow. Meaning, continue to move matches and other things they may be interested in up and out of reach.

And, don't just baby proof your home. If your child spends time anywhere else, like a grandparent's house or a babysitter's house, be sure to baby proof those places, too.

For more information on baby proofing your home, you can log on to www.parents.com/baby/safety/babyproofing/ or www.webmd.com/parenting/healthtool-baby-proofing-guide .

Dr. Nancy O. Wood is a pediatrician with Pediatric Associates of Mobile. You can reach her by calling 344-1502 or go to their website www.pediatricassociatesofmobile.com/ .