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Every year, about 400 Victorian children need hospital treatment for injuries related to infant and nursery products that are:
Babies and children spend a lot of their time sleeping, so it is important to set up the nursery or bedroom with safety in mind. Consider carefully what nursery furniture to buy, how to heat the room during the colder months and whether it is safe to use a portable cot when travelling. Bunk beds are not safe for children aged under nine. Additionally, prams and strollers should only be used to transport your baby or toddler around, rather than as a substitute for a cot for sleeping. Falls from prams and strollers are common and occasionally young babies are suffocated. It is vital that you never leave a baby or child unattended while in a pram or stroller.
Avoid buying, borrowing or accepting any second-hand products that lack mandatory labels and safety features. Using these products increases the risk of serious injury and possibly death.
Source: ‘Safe Products for your Baby,’ Consumer Affairs.
For advice for parents and carers of children from birth to five years of age, please see our Growing Safely brochure.
Product Safety Australia (a division of the ACCC) www.productsafety.gov.au or 1300 302 502 Consumer Affairs Victoria - Toy & Nursery Safety Line 1300 364 894 ‘SIDS and Kids’ in your state or territory www.sidsandkids.org or 1300 308 307Check for product recalls at www.recalls.gov.au
Reviewed 27/4/15