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Practical
information on how to keep our children and our family safe from
common injuries at home or outside the house.
K e e p Y o u r K i d s S a f e
Safety tips for New babies (birth to 6 months)
Babies learn new skills quickly. If you know
what your baby can do at each stage of development, you can help keep your baby safe.
During the first months of life, most babies
learn to:
New babies need special protection from:
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falling off a bed, sofa, crib, or
change table
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choking on small objects
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scalds
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drowning
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injuries from riding in the car
Safety check
-
Install smoke alarms (test them every month)
and a fire extinguisher.
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Make sure baby equipment meets Canadian
safety standards. This includes cribs, strollers,
toys, car seats, and high chairs. Check the labels
for safety information. Make sure second-hand
products meet safety standards, too.
-
Do not hold your baby while you are eating
or drinking anything hot.
Car seat safety
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Your baby needs a car seat
every time you ride in the
car. Never hold your baby
on your lap.
-
Never place your baby’s
car seat in the front seat if
it has an airbag. That is very
dangerous.
-
Read your car seat instructions
carefully. They show you how
to use the car seat the right
way.
For more information, turn over this page
Keep Your Kids Safe is a series of fact sheets about children
under 5. These are produced by Safe Kids Canada,
Safe Start, and the Canadian Institute of Child Health,
based on materials by Safe Start. For more information,
call 1 888 SAFE TIPS or visit www.safekidscanada.ca.
Learn how to keep your new baby
safe from injury
Canadian Institute
of Child Health
www.cich.ca
www.cw.bc.ca
www.safekidscanada.ca
Back to Top ↑
K e e p Y o u r K i d s S a f e
Safety tips for New babies (birth to 6 months)
Falls
Keep one hand on your baby during diaper
changes. This will keep him or her from rolling
off the bed or change table. Keep diapers and
clothing within easy reach of the changing area.
Make sure the sides of the crib or playpen are up
securely.
Burns and scalds
It is not a good idea to use a microwave to heat a
baby bottle or baby food. Food or drinks may feel
fine on the outside but they will be very hot on
the inside. Always shake the bottle or stir the
food before you give it to your baby. Check the
temperature first.
Bottles with plastic liners can explode. Do not
heat them in a microwave.
Hot bath water can burn your baby. Always test
the temperature with your hand before you put
the baby in the bath. It should feel warm, not
hot. Run cold water first, then hot, until you
get the right temperature. Run cold water at
the end to cool off the faucet.
Lower the temperature of the hot water in
your home to 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees
Fahrenheit). Hot tap water can burn your
baby. To learn how to lower your water
temperature, call 1 888 SAFE TIPS or visit
www.safekidscanada.ca
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Do not hold your baby while you are eating or
drinking anything hot. Use a cup with a lid for
all hot drinks.
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Choking and suffocation
Put your baby to sleep on his or her back.
-
Do not use a pillow for your baby. It could smother
him or her.
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Keep small objects such as coins or buttons out
of your baby’s reach.
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Teach older children to keep
small toys away from babies.
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Avoid ties or ribbons on baby clothes or toys.
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Never leave your baby alone with a bib tied
around his or her neck.
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When your baby begins to eat solid foods, make
sure you give only very small pieces. Grate, blend,
mash, or chop the food into very small pieces
before you give it to your baby.
-
Check pacifiers regularly. Make sure the nipple
part is firmly attached to the handle. If it is not,
the soft part could come off, causing your baby
to choke.
-
Throw out the pacifier when the nipple
part has cracks or when it becomes sticky.
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Do not attach strings or cords to a pacifier.
Poisoning
Keep poisons out of your baby’s reach. This
includes medicine, cleaning products, cigarettes,
and alcohol.
If your doctor has said to give medicine to your
baby, check the label and measure the medicine
every time you give it to your baby.
Be ready for an emergency
Keep emergency numbers near your telephone
(fire department, poison control, ambulance).
For more information, call Safe Kids Canada at 1 888 SAFE TIPS or
visit www.safekidscanada.ca
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K e e p Y o u r K i d s S a f e
Safety tips for Older babies (6 to 12 months)
Babies this age are on the move!
As babies grow and learn new skills, they can
move faster and reach higher. This means that
your baby can get into danger very quickly.
Older babies need special protection from:
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falls
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pulling things down on themselves
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choking on food or small objects
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scalds
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drowning
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injuries from riding in the car
Safety check
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Install safety gates at the top and bottom
of stairs.
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Make sure your child’s food will not cause
choking. Grate, mash, blend, or chop food
into tiny pieces. Do not give your baby
hot dogs, nuts, popcorn, or candy.
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Keep medicines, cleaning products, and
other poisons locked up.
-
Install smoke alarms (test them every
month) and a fire extinguisher.
Car seat safety
-
Your baby needs an infant-only car seat
until he or she weighs 9 or 10 kilograms
(20-22 pounds, depending on the model
of car seat. Check your instructions.)
-
Your baby’s car seat must face the back
of the car until he or she is one year old
and weighs at least 20 pounds. If your
baby grows too big for the infant-only
car seat before one year of age, you
need a new car seat. You can buy a
type of car seat that will face the back
of the car when your baby is less than
one year old, and then can face forward
when he or she is older.
-
Never put your baby’s car seat in the
front seat if it has an airbag. That is very
dangerous.
Learn how to protect babies who are
on the move.
For more information, turn over this page
Keep Your Kids Safe is a series of fact sheets about children
under 5. These are produced by Safe Kids Canada,
Safe Start, and the Canadian Institute of Child Health,
based on materials by Safe Start. For more information,
call 1 888 SAFE TIPS or visit www.safekidscanada.ca.
Learn how to keep your new baby
safe from injury
Canadian Institute
of Child Health
www.cich.ca
www.cw.bc.ca
www.safekidscanada.ca
Back to Top ↑
K e e p Y o u r K i d s S a f e
Safety tips for Older babies (6 to 12 months)
Falls
Use safety gates at the top and bottom of
stairs to stop your baby from falling. Make
sure that gates at the top of your stairs are
anchored to the wall or banister. Do not use
a pressure gate at the top of stairs. This type
of gate could fall over if your child leans on it.
Do not use a baby walker with wheels. Falls
involving baby walkers can cause serious head
injuries. Use a stationary activity centre
without wheels instead.
Use the safety strap in the high chair to keep
your baby from falling out. Do not let your
baby stand up in a high chair or climb up the
sides of the chair.
Make sure there is no furniture near windows
or balcony rails. Your baby could climb on
the furniture and fall out.
Put window guards on all windows on the
second floor and above. These act like a
gate in front of the window. Or fasten the
windows so that they cannot open more
than 10 centimetres (4 inches). The window
screen will not stop your child from falling.
Keep large toys and stuffed animals out of the
crib or playpen. Your baby could use them to
climb over the side.
Use the safety strap to keep your baby safe
while in a shopping cart.
Choking and suffocation
Keep small objects out of your baby’s reach.
These include:
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coins
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toys
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buttons
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pins
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earrings
Cords from curtains and blinds can strangle
your baby. Tie cords up where your baby
cannot reach them, or cut them off.
Home safety tips
Use outlet caps and plug covers to protect
your baby from electrical shocks. Do not let
your baby put cords in his or her mouth.
Make sure bookcases, lamps, televisions, and
other heavy furniture are fastened to the wall
so that your baby cannot pull them over.
Bathroom safety
Always stay with your baby when he or
she is in the bath. Test the bath water with
your hand before you put the baby in it.
The water should feel warm, not hot.
Lower the hot water in your home to
49°C (120°F) to stop your baby from
being scalded by hot tap water. Tap
water that is too hot can burn like fire.
To learn how to lower your water
temperature, call 1 888 SAFE TIPS or
visit www.safekidscanada.ca
For more information, call Safe Kids Canada at 1 888 SAFE TIPS or
visit www.safekidscanada.ca
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K e e p Y o u r K i d s S a f e
Safety tips for Toddlers (1 and 2 years old)
Children this age are busy, curious, and full of
energy. Around their first birthday, most babies
learn to walk. During the next months, they
will learn to run and climb, and to open doors,
drawers, and bottles. This means that your
toddler can now get into places and things
that used to be out of reach.
Toddlers are too young to understand or
remember about danger. Supervise your child
carefully. Make your home a safe place for him
or her to explore.
Toddlers need special protection from:
Safety check
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Make sure you have safety gates at the top
and bottom of stairs.
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Lock up medicines, cleaning products, and
other poisons. Many toddlers can open
child-resistant containers.
-
Install smoke alarms (test them every month)
and a fire extinguisher.
-
Lower the temperature of the hot water
in your home to 49 degrees Celsius
(120 degrees Fahrenheit).
Car seat safety
-
Your baby’s car seat must face the
back of the car until he or she is
one year old and weighs at least
20 pounds. Then move him or her
into a car seat that faces the front
of the car (called a forward-facing
car seat).
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A forward-facing car seat has
a strap that goes from the back
of the car seat to a bolt fastened
in your car. It is very important to
attach this strap to the bolt. Read
the car seat instructions
carefully.
-
Make sure your child rides in the
back seat of the car. It is the safest
place.
Learn to protect your toddler from injury.
For more information, turn over this page
Keep Your Kids Safe is a series of fact sheets about children
under 5. These are produced by Safe Kids Canada,
Safe Start, and the Canadian Institute of Child Health,
based on materials by Safe Start. For more information,
call 1 888 SAFE TIPS or visit www.safekidscanada.ca.
Learn how to keep your new baby
safe from injury
Canadian Institute
of Child Health
www.cich.ca
www.cw.bc.ca
www.safekidscanada.ca
Back to Top ↑
K e e p Y o u r K i d s S a f e
Safety tips for Toddlers (1 and 2 years old)
In the kitchen
Many cleaning products and medicines could
poison your toddler. Keep these things locked up,
where your child cannot reach them. Keep your
child safely out of the way when you are using
poisonous products. Keep your child safely out of the way when you
are cooking or making hot drinks.
Keep the cords from electrical appliances where
your child cannot reach them. Do not let them
hang over the edge of the counter or table. Your
child could pull on them and be scalded by the
hot food or liquid in the appliance (such as a
kettle).
Cut hard or solid foods such as raw fruits and
vegetables into very small pieces. Cut hot dogs
into long thin strips, and then into small pieces.
Do not give toddlers nuts, hard candy, popcorn
or gum. Feed children while they are sitting
down, not when they are walking or running
around. This will help prevent choking.
In the bathroom
Keep all medicine and cleaning products locked
away.
Always supervise your toddler in the bathroom.
Do not let older children supervise your toddler.
They may not know how to keep your toddler safe.
Use a rubber bath mat or non-slip stickers in
the bathtub to prevent falls.
Lower the temperature of the hot water in your
home to 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit)
to prevent scalds. Tap water that is too hot can
burn like fire. You can lower the temperature of
your hot water heater or put anti-scald devices on
your taps. To learn more, call 1 888 SAFE TIPS
or visit www.safekidscanada.ca
Around the house
Watch out for things that could choke your
child. Your toddler loves to put things in his
or her mouth. Some examples of small
things to keep out of reach are:
Keep hot drinks away from your child.Use a cup with a lid when you are drinking
something hot.
Use safety gates at the top and bottom of
stairs.
In the bedroom
Before he or she is tall enough to climb over the
crib rails, move your toddler out of a crib and
into a larger bed.
Keep your child’s furniture, including his or her
bed, away from windows. That way, your child
cannot climb on the furniture and fall out the
window.
Put a window guard in front of your child’s
window so he or she cannot fall out. Or fasten
the window so that it does not open more than
10 centimetres (4 inches). A window screen will
not keep your child from falling out.
Going out
Use a safety strap to keep your toddler sitting
down in a shopping cart. Use a safety strap in
the stroller as well.
Always supervise toddlers near ponds, pools,
ditches, and at the beach. Never leave your
young child alone near water or in water.
For more information, call Safe Kids Canada at 1 888 SAFE TIPS or
visit www.safekidscanada.ca
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K e e p Y o u r K i d s S a f e
Safety tips for Preschoolers (3 to 5 years old)
Children from age 3 to 5 can begin to learn about
safety, but they do not always understand or
remember safety rules. Children this age still
need adults to supervise them carefully.
Preschoolers need special protection from:
Safety check
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Be sure to use a booster seat in the car once
your child is over 18 kilograms (40 pounds).
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Keep hot drinks away from your child. Put a lid
on hot drinks. Keep him or her safely out of the
way when you are cooking or making hot drinks.
-
Keep dangerous products locked up (such as
medicine and cleaning products) where your
child cannot reach them.
-
Install smoke alarms (test them every month)
and a fire extinguisher.
-
Lower the temperature of the hot water in
your home to 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees
Fahrenheit). Tap water that is too hot can burn
like fire!
Did you know?
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Children love to copy adults
at this age. They also like to
understand rules.
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Explain to your child why you
have safety rules. Show how
you follow safety rules as
an adult (for example, when
you drive). You are your child’s
best teacher.
Preschoolers should ride tricycles,
not two-wheeled bikes.
For more information, turn over this page
Keep Your Kids Safe is a series of fact sheets about children
under 5. These are produced by Safe Kids Canada,
Safe Start, and the Canadian Institute of Child Health,
based on materials by Safe Start. For more information,
call 1 888 SAFE TIPS or visit www.safekidscanada.ca.
Learn how to keep your new baby
safe from injury
Canadian Institute
of Child Health
www.cich.ca
www.cw.bc.ca
www.safekidscanada.ca
Back to Top ↑
K e e p Y o u r K i d s S a f e
Safety tips for Preschoolers (3 to 5 years old)Other tips
Watch your child closely when he or she
is near water. Never leave a child under 5
alone in water or near water. This includes
the bathtub.
Always supervise your child around animals.
Children under 4 have a high risk of
choking. Do not give them:
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nuts
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popcorn
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gum
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hard candy
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whole hot dogs (cut hot dogs into long
thin strips, then into small pieces)
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large pieces of fruits or vegetables
(cut them into small pieces)
In the car
Preschool children need either a car seat or
booster seat to ride safely in the car.
Your child needs a car seat until he or she
reaches 18 kilograms (40 pounds).
Once your child is over 18 kilograms
(40 pounds), move him or her to a car
booster seat. The booster seat helps the
seat belt fit properly over your child’s body.
Sometimes children get too tall for their
car seats before they reach 18 kilograms
(40 pounds). Your child is too tall if the middle
of his or her ears is higher than the back of
the car seat. Move your child into a special
type of combination car seat/booster seat.
Have your child ride in the back seat of the
car. It is the safest place.
Always take your child with you if you need
to leave the car.
At the playground
Keep children under 5 off equipment that is
higher than 1.5 metres (5 feet). Make sure
equipment has good handrails, barriers, and
railings.
Stand right beside your child when he or she
is climbing, riding in a swing, or playing on
equipment above the ground. You should be
close enough to stop him or her from falling.
The ground should be covered with soft rubber
mats or lots of sand, pea gravel, or wood chips.
This helps protect your child if he or she falls.
Check your child before you go to the playground.
Take off anything that could strangle
him or her. This includes strings, drawstrings,
scarves, bike helmets, and skipping ropes.
On a tricycle
Preschoolers should ride tricycles, not
two-wheeled bikes. They should be supervised
by an adult at all times. Do not allow your
preschooler to ride his or her tricycle on the
road.
Choose a tricycle that is the right size for your
child. He or she should be able to put feet flat
on the ground when sitting on the seat.
Make sure your child wears a bicycle helmet
specially designed for this age group. Check
for the label that says it is approved by the
Canadian Standards Association (CSA).
For more information, call Safe Kids Canada at 1 888 SAFE TIPS or
visit www.safekidscanada.ca
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Rear-facing
Car Seats
Use a rear-facing
infant car seat until your baby is at
least 1 year old and weighs at least 20
pounds (9kg). These car seats face the
back of the vehicle. Rear-facing car
seats are designed especially to protect
vulnerable and developing parts of the
baby's body including a soft skull, a
developing spinal cord and bones that
are not fully formed until at least 1
year of age.
In a crash, your baby will be protected
in a rear-facing car seat because the
strongest part of his or her body at
this stage in life, the back, will be
able to withstand the strong force of
the crash.
For an infant,
whose neck and head are heavy and large,
the impact of a sudden stop or collision
could be catastrophic if restrained in
the forward-facing seat. The head would
be propelled forward – in a forward
facing seat – resulting in injuries to
the spinal cord and brain stem.
At this stage of
child passenger safety, age is the most
important factor in making your
decision. Research shows that children
under 1 year of age, who are turned
forward facing too early, are more
likely to have severe or fatal injuries
in a crash than children who are 1 year
or older and are riding forward facing
in a crash. It is important that you
know the height and weight limits of
your car seat. Always read the
instructions to know when you have to
move your child to another seat based on
the manufacturer’s recommendations for
height and weight limits for your seat.
If your baby grows
too big for the infant car seat before
he or she is 1 year old, switch to a
convertible car seat that can be used in
the rear-facing position and later in
the forward facing position. These
seats have higher height and weight
limits for the rear-facing position (up
to 30 –35 pounds or 14-16 kg).
Use a rear-facing
car seat with harness straps for as long
as your child is within the height or
weight limits of the car seat.
For specific
information on infant and convertible
rear-facing seats,
click here to see the Safe Kids
Canada’s Car and Booster Seat Listing.
This will provide you with height and
weight recommendations for each seat
from the seat manufacturer.
Securing
Your Child in the Rear-Facing Car Seat
Make sure the
harness is tight and lie flat against
your child's body. You should be able to
put only one finger between your child's
chest and the harness.
Most car seats
come with a chest clip to keep the
harness straps in place. Chest clips
should be positioned on the harness
straps, high on your child’s chest, at
the level of the child's armpit. Check
the car seat instructions to make sure
the harness straps are threaded through
the car seat correctly.
The seat belt or
LATCH anchors, also called Universal
Anchorage System (UAS), should hold your
child's car seat so that it does not
move much from side to side or front to
back (no more than 2.5 cm or 1 in.). To
test your seat, hold it where the seat
belt or anchors connect to the car seat
and try to move it from side to side and
front to back. For more information on
LATCH,
click here.
Never put a
rear-facing seat in a front seat that
has an air bag.
All children 12 years
of age or younger should ride in the
back seat. It is generally the safest
place in the vehicle. Add-on devices
such as bunting bags and head huggers
are not recommended. Use extra blankets
on top of a child who is already secured
with the harness. A rolled receiving
blanket will support your baby’s head
safely. Click here to go to the
Transport Canada Web site for more
information.
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