· Be sure your baby receives all recommended immunizations, at the right times. Despite the hysteria about the supposed risks of immunizations, the fact remains that the risk posed by no immunizations is far greater, and definitely more real, than any potential risks from the immunizations themselves. Before immunizations were available, infant mortality rates were abominably high. Parents routinely steeled themselves for the loss of their babies to any number of dread diseases. Count your fortune: you live in an age when you can take steps to prevent such tragedies. Get those shots.
· If you have not already done so, install smoke detectors and/or change batteries. Test function monthly. Consider installing carbon monoxide monitors as well.
· Resist the temptation to leave baby unattended - even for a moment - on a changing table, bed, couch or other elevated surface. Even when they cannot yet crawl or roll over, it is possible for a baby to move enough to fall.
· Never lose sight of your child when out in public. Sadly, there are predators afoot who may need only a moment's distraction on your part to make off with your child. Once your child is mobile, it's all too easy to lose him in a crowd if he is not watched like a hawk.
· Never EVER shake your baby to stop him from crying. You may pay for your moment of lost patience (understandable though it may be) by giving your baby brain damage, or worse. It is remarkably easy to accelerate a baby's brain enough to smash it against its own skull. It is also easy to snap bones or break a baby's neck. If you find yourself losing control in the face of relentless crying put baby down somewhere safe (a crib, for example) and walk away until you either get help from someone else, or cool off. Allowing a baby to cry, especially after you've tried all the usual remedies, is okay. And it's vastly preferable to losing your temper with a helpless infant.
· Remove any and all objects that could cause strangulation. Do not allow your baby to play with string, rope, blind cords, neckties, etc. Even a cord on a pull toy can strangle a small child. Don't take unnecessary chances.
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