Publication date: 08/14/2009

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Get baby's room safe from floor to ceiling

Having a baby or toddler in the house is one of the best times in life. It's also a time that parents need to make sure their children are safe. As a proud grandpa, I am always aware of the importance of my grandchildren's safety around the home. One of the most important areas to focus on first is the baby's nursery.

In the past, preparing a nursery for a new baby's arrival meant painting the room, putting up some wall borders, adding a changing table and dresser, and hanging a mobile over the crib. However, not much thought was given to whether the child's nursery was truly safe. Today, with all of the information available online, it's much easier to research cribs, changing tables and other furniture items to make sure they first meet the approved safety requirements. But there is much more to nursery safety than the furniture.

For example, when you paint the baby's room, make sure you use a zero-VOC paint that doesn't have the volatile organic compounds that can be harmful to a newborn's sensitive respiratory system. Paint manufacturers -- including Benjamin Moore, (888) 854-9889, www.benjaminmoore.com; Olympic, (800) 441-9695, www.olympic.com; Sherwin-Williams, (800) 4-SHERWIN, www.sherwin-williams.com; Glidden, (800) 454-3336, www.glidden.com; Pittsburgh Paints, (800)-441-9695, www.pittsburghpaints.com; and Mythic, (888)714-9422, www.mythicpaint.com -- all have zero-VOC paints. Not looking to paint? You should look for low- and zero-VOC wallpapers, because some standard wallpaper can also contain VOCs.

If you plan to carpet the room, look for carpeting that is chemical-free and meets the Green Label or Green Label Plus standards for low-VOC emissions as rated by the Carpet and Rug Institute, (706) 78-3176, www.carpet-rug.org. Green Label and Green Label Plus ensure that customers are purchasing among the lowest-emitting carpet, adhesive and cushion products on the market. Every manufacturer that meets these standards will display a sticker from the CRI on the back of the store sample you choose. According to John Greenough, co-owner of Fairway Tile and Carpet in Clawson, (248) 588-6382, www.fairwaytileandcarpet.com, there are many different styles, colors and price ranges to choose from that are CRI- rated.

Make sure you place a smoke detector in the baby's room or in the hallway outside the room, and also have a carbon monoxide detector in the house near the nursery to warn you if there is a build-up of deadly carbon monoxide from a leaky furnace or other gas appliance.

You should also consider having a baby monitor that includes a video camera option so you can see and hear the baby. Stores such as Babies R Us, (888) 222-9787, www.babiesrus.com, or Buy Buy Baby, (877) 328-9222, www.buybuybaby.com, carry a variety of these video baby monitors.

Recently, I interviewed Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council, (202) 330-4900, www.homesafetycouncil.org, on my radio show, and she had some great tips regarding safety in the nursery.

"Today, the most important thing parents should focus on when bringing a newborn home to the nursery is a safe sleep environment," Appy said. "That means making sure that the child is safe from choking, suffocating or anything that can obstruct the airway."

That means babies should sleep on their backs in a crib without anything else in the crib, including a blanket that could constrict breathing. That also means that getting the family heirloom crib from your grandma is out, because old cribs don't pass the safety standards test.

Appy reminded me that while infants are pretty much confined to a crib, they eventually start to stand in the crib and walk, so you should also think about keeping the baby's room safe as they grow. That's why she doesn't recommend a hanging mobile above the baby's crib, because it can become a hazard as the baby starts to stand up. She also recommends plug covers for electric outlets that children can't pry off and safety straps on furniture so it won't fall on the child if they pull it. You should also keep cords from blinds out of reach, and attach window guards with a quick fire-release button so that your child can't accidently fall out of the window.

The Home Safety Council Web site has lots of great information on child safety, including a quiz for parents. Another good Web site, Totsafe, (866) 544-5159, www.totsafe.com, is an online retailer where you can find many safety products for the nursery.

Babies and all children are precious things, and taking precautionary measures to ensure their room is safe is the best gift any expectant parent can give before bringing them home from the hospital.

Note: This article was accurate at the date of publication. However, information contained in it may have changed. If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility.

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