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There’s more to baby safety while camping than just knowing what things to bring to camp. Here are additional tips on what you should do when camping with your baby.

Keep Flies Away

Summer camping months are always sure to bring fresh swarms of flies, mosquitoes and insects. Insect repellants however may not always be safe for babies to use. Simply clothe your baby in long sleeves, pants and closed shoes to keep the insects away.

Regulate the Temperature

Make sure that your baby doesn’t feel to warm or too cold. A battery operated fan might help regulate the temperature but you could also just layer your baby’s clothes. You can just conveniently strip off layers of clothing that is appropriate for the current temperature.

Sun Protection

Experts usually caution about using sunscreen for babies younger than 6 months. Instead of using potentially harmful sun lotion you can just let your baby wear a wide brimmed sun hat.

Co-Sleeping

Sometimes at home it would be safer to not sleep beside your baby especially if you have lots of pillows and blankets and a loose fitting blanket. In a campsite however, babies may be safer if they sleep beside their mothers in their tents. Just make sure that you remove all extra pillows and blankets, avoid stuffy sleeping bags and that you haven’t been drinking.

Check the Campfire

It would be nice to include your baby as you enjoy the campfire at night. Let her sit in her stroller beside you. Just make sure that she is not too near to get hit by sparks or covered with campfire smoke. If you are camping near your home, it would be a good idea to use your own outdoor fireplace so that you can properly regulate smoke and fire.

Keep Off Steep Trails

If you have to carry your baby in a carrier in front of you or on your back, then you should keep off steep trails or choose a level campsite. This is because your balance is a little different if you have to carry a heavy squirming load. You and your baby could tip over if you are on a steep path.

Sterile Bottles

If you are bottle feeding, be sure to have all bottles sterilized, closed and packed before you leave home. If you are not sure of your campsite’s water source then bring your own water. On the campsite, try not to leave milk cans and bottles open for a very long time.

Near Home

If you have a small or particularly sickly baby, it would be better if you picked a campsite near your home or one that is easily accessible. This would help you respond faster if any accidents or emergency situations happen.

Practice First

Some babies may become agitated in a new environment or may not enjoy camping at all. To help your baby gat used to camping before the actual activity, you can practice sleeping in a tent with your baby in your back yard for a few nights.

Pack Ahead

First make a list and then pack everything you need ahead of time. This will help ensure that you never forget your baby’s food, water and other necessities.

Having a pet around the house can be an enjoyable experience for a grown child. For babies and toddlers however, a pet around the house can be potentially dangerous. How can you keep a pet and still ensure your child’s safety?

Gradual Introduction

Cats don’t easily get jealous of new babies but dogs do. Make the transition easy for your dog even before the baby is taken home from the hospital. Allow your dog to sniff your baby’s blanket or clothes to get him used to the unfamiliar scent. You can also record your baby’s sound of crying and let your dog listen to it.

On the first few days of the baby’s arrival, it is better to keep them apart. Introduce the baby slowly by asking someone else to hold the dog on a leash as you bring the baby in. Whenever the three of you are together, be sure to talk to your dog gently and to praise and reward him so that the dog will begin to associate the baby with happy feelings.

Setting Barriers

Even when your pet has already gotten used to the baby, you should always maintain appropriate barriers. As much as possible, keep your pet away from the nursery. At the same time, you should never allow your baby to hold or play with your pet’s toys or food. If you have an aquarium or a pond, make sure that you have secure netting over the opening.

Cats in particular may like to lie down beside babies because of the comfort and warmth of baby cots. Never allow any pet to lie down beside a baby since this may lead to suffocation if your pet accidentally rolls over the baby. Pets may not always be sensitive to their bed mates.

Obedience Training

It may be a good idea to begin obedience training for your dog even before the baby is brought home. This will allow you to detect behavior or attitude problems in your dog at an early stage. Continue obedience training even when the baby is already in. As much as possible, consistently apply positive reinforcement so that your dog does not learn to associate your baby with anything negative.

Choosing a Pet

Be mindful of the kind of pet you have or plan to have. It is particularly advisable for example to remove all reptiles when there is a child below 1 or 2 years old. This is because reptiles are known to carry salmonella bacteria which babies can ingest and get sick from. Babies can get this kind of bacterial infection even if they touch surfaces with slight traces of reptile urine or feces.

Dog breeds are also something you should check on. Breeds in the terrier dog group for example are not good pets to keep around a baby. Terriers are naturally active and curious and may accidentally nip your baby.

Supervision

The best tip of all is to simply never leave your baby and pet together. Be present at all times when both your baby and pet are in the same room.

Poison prevention should be the concern of everyone at home especially since poisoning is considered the 2nd leading cause of accidental death in the home. It becomes even more important however when there is a baby at home.

Poison Education

A baby becomes especially prone to the danger of poisoning when it starts to crawl. Naturally, you would want to keep your baby safe in a crib or playpen but accidents can still happen if your baby manages to crawl out. You would also want to give your child an occasional and safe run of the house for a little play variety.

Poison can be anything that can be taken orally, inhaled or put on the skin or eyes and cause damage to parts of the body. Begin educating your crawler even before he reaches the toddler stage by firmly telling him where he is or is not allowed and which substances are bad.

Post Numbers

Know the numbers of your hospital, gas company and all other emergency facilities by heart. You should however also put them in writing and position the numbers near the telephone. Inform all the house occupants and your baby sitter about the numbers and who to contact in case of poisoning.

Gas Checks

If you are using gas powered equipment, always ask technicians to check fireplaces, stoves, heaters and all other related equipment at least once a year for leaks and damages. It would also help however to have gas or CO detectors installed near the nursery and other rooms the whole year round. Inform house occupants of the sound a detector makes in case of elevated CO levels. If you smell gas, simply turn off all gas powered equipment, leave the house and call a technician.

Secure Poisonous Items

Cleaning agents, bath items and cosmetics are all poisonous. Never leave any of these items on floors especially when your attention is called away by the ringing phone or the door bell. Keep these items away from food storage cabinets and do not transfer poisonous substances in old baby food containers. Keep baby safety caps on and keep them under lock and key or in cabinets with baby safety latches. It would also help not to remove original labels. Most cleaning agent labels will give you first aid tips on what to do in case of accidental ingestion and the doctor may need the labels to treat poisoning.

Clear Your Pockets

Babies do not just get attracted by shiny keys and coins in your pockets and purses. Medicines may also look like something nice to put in their mouths. Put safety caps on all bottled medicines and remove them from your pockets and purses. Secure all medications and related equipment in locked or latched drawers and cabinets. Immediately dispose of expired medication.

Garage Chemicals

Pesticides, fuels and garden products should be kept under lock and key in overhead cabinets in the garage. If you have been using a chemical extensively, change your foot wear before getting back into the house. Close and store products immediately after using and clean up any accidental spills right away.

Plant Watch

Some indoor plants can be either poisonous or can be choking hazards for your baby. Either keep your house plant free or hang plants out of reach instead.

Camping is probably one of the best ways for you to bond with members of your family. There are however a couple of camping items you need to keep in mind if you have a baby in the family. Safe baby camping equipment should always be your main concern when you have a baby in camp.

Don’t Forget the Basics

Common sense should tell you that aside from your long list of camping necessities for the whole family, you also need to prepare a list for your baby. It would help to start making your list a few days in advance beginning with the items you need the most. The basic things you should bring include distilled water, insect repellant, sunscreen, diapers, wet wipes, blankets, extra clothes and a baby carrier.

If you are not breastfeeding, you should consider bringing pre mixed baby formula instead of powder so you don’t have to worry about where you can get clean water in case you run out of supplies. You should also have a special first aid kit for your baby. Include in it your baby’s thermometer and cough, colds and fever medication.

Other Things to Bring Along

Aside from the basic items, there are also a couple of optional items that you may bring along to ensure your baby’s safety.

· A portable play pen can keep your baby sufficiently entertained and out of harm’s way while you are busy with camp duties. A play pen would also limit the amount of dirt your baby gets in her mouth or body. You can install a makeshift mosquito net over the pen to keep insects away.

· Some parents prefer a portable crib over a play pen because it can be more comfortable for a baby to sleep on. Just make sure that you choose a crib that has all around breathable net sides. Choose a crib too that has horizontal bars that do not collapse in an inward V shape but instead collapse only after being pulled up. This is a necessary portable crib safety feature to prevent baby injury.

· If you want to give your baby a little more outdoor freedom, you can spread a light colored canvas cloth on the ground for your baby to play around on. This will keep him clean and make you able to easily spot bugs or tiny choking hazards.

· A battery operated baby monitor will be extra helpful for you in case your baby falls asleep during the day and you can’t stay beside him.

· A front pack carrier will allow you to keep your child in front of you as you move around. A front carrier is often safer than a back carrier since it will always keep you aware of what your baby is doing and will help you estimate your movements to prevent injury to your baby.

· A stroller will ensure that your baby will also be able to safely enjoy camp fire talk and activities at night.

· Be sure to bring a bottle of hand sanitizer if you are not sure that you can get clean water for your hands. Always sanitize before feeding your baby.

Most of us probably know the basics of childproofing a home. Common sense would tell us that outlet caps, cabinet latches, corner guards and stair gates are a must with a crawling baby or a toddler around. Childproofing however can still go a long, long way.

CO Detector

You’ve probably heard of smoke and fire detectors but if you have a gas heater at home or in an adjacent garage, you also need a carbon monoxide (CO) detector. Modern cars have gotten rid of the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning but small gas leaks at home could still very much endanger your child. These helpful detectors should be installed near bedrooms or other areas for sleeping and lounging to prevent poisoning.

Coins, Keys and Trinkets

You’ve probably only thought of securing guns in locked cabinets and drawers but loose change, keys, trinkets, paper clips and other small items may also be harmful to curious little babies. These are common choking hazards and if your child manages to swallow them without choking, you’d still have to worry about throat injuries and how to get the foreign objects out. Make it a point to put small items out of reach and under lock and key whenever possible.

Phones

A lot of accidents can happen while you’re back is turned as you answer the phone. This is especially true if your baby is out of his chair or crib or is in tub water or wandering around the room. Do keep your eyes on your baby as much as possible and if you’re worried about important calls, get a cordless phone and carry it around.

Bathroom

Common sense would tell you that you should always put water temperature at a predetermined setting when you prepare your baby’s bath. If you have no water controls, then at least install an anti scald device. Make sure too to unplug all electrical devices that are not in use and install ground circuit breakers. Keep your baby away from or facing the other way as the water faucets. Your baby could get tempted to tinker with the faucets and get accidentally scalded.

Safety Netting

You know well enough that babies and kids shouldn’t be positioned near windows and balconies. Just in case they do find their way to such areas, you should have safety balcony netting just in case your child falls over. Make sure you regularly maintain or check the netting for frays and holes. Window guards are also sensible attachments but window screens may be too frail and not so helpful in preventing a fall.

Kitchen Appliances

Toddlers and even babies in the crawling stage are naturally excited about learning to use their fingers. They may already be able to turn oven knobs, open refrigerators and ovens and touch burners. Instead of barring your baby from entering the kitchen, get a hold instead of safety latches that you can install on all kitchen appliances and knob covers for burners, ovens and other similarly operated appliances. Stove guards can help protect your child from burns but it also makes sense to simply just ask someone to watch over your toddler somewhere else while you cook.

A well organized and furnished nursery is perhaps a testament to parents’ excitement over the arrival of a new family member, and their desire to provide everything that heir baby may ever need. Before parents even consider looking into the latest baby furniture designs and buying the most recent baby toys and accessories, parents should keep in mind that the baby’s safety in the nursery is of paramount consideration. It may be fun to stock the nursery from wall to wall with everything a baby may want or need, but even the most adorable piece of furniture should go if it posses potential danger to its little occupant. Remember a baby may not immediately be able to appreciate the matching furniture and complain about the arrangement or color combination.

By nature, babies learn to go from lying down on their backs to rolling over, crawling, standing and walking in a span of just a few months. It is also understood that once babies find their knees and feet, their cribs and then their rooms become attractive places to explore.

The room itself therefore should have minimal danger zones. Electrical outlets should have very secure guards to prevent crawling babies from picking the guards off and sticking their fingers into the outlets. While the room should be well ventilated its windows should have secure locks to keep babies from climbing and falling over. Furniture should not be placed directly beside windows since babies may also climb over these to reach the window and fall over.

Cribs should have secure side latches and should have an adjustable bottom that can be adjusted down when a baby learns to stand up. The mattress on the crib should fit tightly to prevent the baby slipping into a gap and getting stuck or injured. Although it may be nice to have cushions and toys around the crib, babies may use this to step up and over the crib. Small crib toys may also pose as choking hazards.

The changing table should preferably be lower than normal height tables and should have a belt or strap to secure a baby when changing.

Other pieces of furniture like storage cabinets should be beyond the reach of babies and should be securely closed to prevent items from potentially falling on the baby. Overhead cabinets are perfect for storing baby toiletries and medicine which may prove hazardous to babies when ingested. Furniture grounded on the nursery floor should not have sharp edges or should at least have corner guards. If there are movable pieces of furniture, it is best to secure them firmly on the floor. Toy boxes should not have heavy lids that may fall on the baby who might decide to rifle through the box.

Other room articles like window blinds should have cord which can be kept out of reach. Mobiles and other hanging toys should also be kept when a baby starts to support himself on his hands and knees.

Of course the best safety precautions are vigilant parental supervision and keeping to the essentials.