There tends to be many risk factors concerning safety and well-being when it comes to caring for infants. Whether it is in a child care facility or in the home, there are many precautions caregivers must take in order to prevent harm. In this blog post, I will discuss five potential hazardous situations that are common among infants. For each safety threat, I will incorporate the safety policies that are in place to help prevent each situation and further action can be taken to reduce the risk.
One of the major risks involving infants is SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. There is no known exact cause for SIDS, but there are precautions adults can take to reduce the infant’s risk. The American Academy of Pediatrics has special recommendations to do this such as having the infant sleep on the back, using a pacifier at nap time, and having a firm crib mattress to sleep on. (Robertson, 2013, p. 70) These are things that can be done at both the early childhood education center by teachers as well as at home by parents to reduce the risk of SIDS. It is also highly recommended that parents to do not sleep in the same bed as the infants because there have been cases where the adult has rolled over on the baby or the infant has suffocated from the blankets on top of them.
A second potential occurrence would be an infant falling, whether it is off of a changing table, bed, highchair, or out of a crib. Section 101429 of California safety regulations states that, “each infant shall be constantly supervised and under direct visual observation and supervision by a staff person at all times. Under no circumstances shall ANY infant be left unattended” (California Regulations). It is very easy for an infant to roll of the edge of a high piece of furniture if left unattended for even a second. Child care centers can take precaution of this by making sure they are with the infant at all times and never leave them alone. Parents can take the exact precautions in the home to prevent this safety threat.
Another potential hazard for infants is choking on small objects. Most states have a regulation stating that “toys shall be safe, and shall not have sharp points or edges or splinters, or be made of small parts that can be pulled off and swallowed” (California Regulations). Infants and young children are curious about their surroundings, and the way they learn is by putting objects into their mouth. It is important for child care centers to only provide the infants with toys that are appropriate for their age level, are not broken, and do not have small pieces they can be detached. Parents can also take this precaution in the home to keep their child safe. Many homes have more than one child, and some older children may have toys with small parts lying around, so parents should make sure that the infants are not getting a hold of these.
Another risk that is not only among infants, but everyone, is the spreading of bacteria and germs from one person to another. Luckily, there are regulations that child care centers have based on sanitation. One regulation states that, “each caregiver shall wash his/her hands with soap and water before each feeding and after each diaper change” (California Regulations). This is important for teachers to do when caring for multiple infants, but also a precaution parents can take in the home after using the restroom, before preparing food, or being outside. There are many viruses and diseases that are common in child care centers so everyone sanitizing hands and objects, we can eliminate some of those risks of developing an illness.
The last safety hazard that is present to infants that I will discuss deals with the malfunction of equipment that infants commonly use. Another regulation set my many states is that “swings, playpens and all such equipment and furniture shall be assembled or installed according to the manufacturer's instructions, and shall be maintained in good repair and safe condition” (California Regulation). There have been cases of children being injured by equipment that failed or that was not put together properly. With so many children using these objects in a child care center, it is important for the center to make sure they are constantly checking the equipment for any hazards. Parents can also make sure that the equipment is properly put together before placing their child in them and making sure it is safe before each use.
In conclusion, there are many potential safety threats and hazards that can be present to infants on a daily basis. With following safety regulations and policies set out by the government and with communicating with parents about this safety, child care centers can reduce the risk and even prevent many of these threats that I previously discussed.
References:
“California Regulations”. National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early
Education. Retrieved from http://nrckids.org.
Robertson, C. (2013). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (5th ed.). Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.
No comments:
Post a Comment