Being a new parent can be intimidating and worrisome. This is especially true for first time parents. You may need to prepare for your child, learning about proper swaddling, feeding and medical tips. You may also need to baby proof your home, putting up gates and covering all of the electrical outlets. A lot of preparation goes into parenthood. A home that has never had young children in it will need to be evaluated and checked for any safety concerns. The following things should be considered when prepping the house for a new child.
Check all floors for safety concerns. Your child will spend a lot of time on the floor. They will learn to crawl and walk on the floor. They will fall onto the floor a lot, as they learn how to do these things. Have any carpets professionally cleaned to prevent excess debris. Check any hardwood flooring for exposed nails or cracks that the child can injure themselves on.
Check all electrical outlets and reachability to electrical appliances. As your new baby learns to crawl, they will be curious about different parts of the home. Ensure that all electrical outlets are covered and baby proofed. Also ensure that all appliances and wires are not reachable. The child will grab for these items, as they get older. It can be helpful to crawl around and notice the things that are within arm?s reach.
Gate any stairs of tall falls. Children do not yet understand that they can fall down a flight of stairs. All stairs and tall fall areas should be blocked. They should be gated with baby proof gates. Children should also be moved from these areas, so that they are not tempted to learn how to remove these gates, as they get a little bit older.
Have the home inspected for mold. Homes that are older can sometimes have bacteria and mold present, without the homeowner even realizing it. Mold can be very dangerous to both adults and children. Mold growth can cause allergies and sicknesses. An adult may be experiencing mold symptoms, without realizing it. However, a child is more prone to these mold growths and can experience much worse of symptoms. Having the home inspected for any mold in the air can prevent these sicknesses from occurring.
Have local radon testing done. Radon is another one of the air contaminants that are not seen, but can produce many negative medical symptoms. Radon can be extremely dangerous, to both adults and children. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the Surgeon General?s Office have estimated that as many as 20,000 lung cancer deaths are caused each year by radon. High levels of radon often require a local radon mitigation company for effective radon abatement services. A local radon mitigation company can also provide the inspection services for the home.
The Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. Failing to have a local radon mitigation company do radon gas testing can lead to many negative medical problems for your new child. The longer that they are exposed to the radon gases, the sicker they are likely to get. A family whose home has radon levels of 4 pCi L is exposed to approximately 35 times as much radiation as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would allow if that family was standing next to the fence of a radioactive waste site. The only way to have effective radon mitigation is to first get a local radon mitigation company to test the home?s air quality.
Bringing a new baby home can produce anxiety and concern. The home that was safe enough for you may not be safe enough for the baby. A full inspection of the home should be completed when preparing for a new baby. Any electrical outlets should be covered, appliance cords should be moved further back, stairways should be blocked, floors should be cleaned and checked, and air quality should be testing for mold and radon.
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