Safety promotion and injury prevention : Birth to 4 months of age

• • Safety promotion and injury prevention
    • Birth to 4 months of age
      • Major Developmental Accomplishments
        • Exhibits involuntary reflexes (e.g., crawling reflex may propel infant forward or backward; startle reflex may cause the body to jerk)
        • May roll over
        • Has increasing eye-hand coordination and voluntary grasp reflex
      • Injury Prevention
        • Aspiration
          • Aspiration is not as great a danger to this age-group, but parents should begin practicing safeguarding early (see under 4 to 7 Months of Age).
          • Never shake baby powder directly on infant; place powder in hand and then on infant’s skin; store container closed and out of infant’s reach.
          • Hold infant for feeding; do not prop bottle.
          • Know emergency procedures for choking.
          • Use pacifier with one-piece construction and loop handle.
        • Burns
          • Install smoke detectors in home.
          • Do not microwave infant formula or breast milk because this can cause burns because of uneven warming.
          • Check bathwater temperature.
          • Do not pour hot liquids when infant is close by, such as sitting on lap.
          • Beware of cigarette ashes that may fall on infant.
          • Do not leave infant in sun for more than a few minutes; keep skin covered.
          • Wash flame-retardant clothes according to label directions.
          • Use cool-mist vaporizers.
          • Do not leave child in parked car.
          • Check surface heat of car restraint before placing child in seat.
        • Suffocation and Drowning
          • Keep all plastic bags stored out of infant’s reach; discard large plastic garment bags after tying in a knot.
          • Do not cover mattress with plastic.
          • Use firm mattress and loose blankets, with no pillows.
          • Make certain crib design follows federal regulations and mattress fits snugly—crib slats 2.375 inches (6 cm) apart.*
          • Position crib away from other furniture and away from heat radiators.
          • Do not tie pacifier on a string around infant’s neck.
          • Remove bibs at bedtime.
          • Never leave infant alone in bath.
          • Do not leave infant younger than 12 months of age alone on adult or youth mattress or “beanbag” type seats.
          • Install carbon monoxide monitor.
        • Motor Vehicles
          • Transport infant in federally approved, rear-facing car seat, preferably in back seat.
          • Do not place infant on seat (of car) or in lap.
          • Do not place child in a carriage or stroller behind a parked car.
          • Do not place infant or child in front passenger seat with an air bag.
          • Do not leave infant unattended in car, especially in environmental temperatures above 70° F.
        • Falls
          • Crib rails are fixed and firmly latched. As of 2011, only beds with fixed rails are recommended, but some older models may be in use (suggest purchasing a rail-latching mechanism for older models).
          • Never leave infant alone on a raised, unguarded surface.
          • When in doubt as to where to place child, use floor.
          • Restrain child in infant seat, and never leave child unattended while the seat is resting on a raised surface.
          • Avoid using a high chair until child can sit well with support.
        • Poisoning
          • Poisoning is not as great a danger to this age-group, but parents should begin practicing safeguards early (see under 4 to 7 Months of Age).
        • Bodily Damage
          • Keep sharp or jagged objects such as knives and broken glass out of child’s reach.