Protecting Your Child with Baby Gates

All parents eagerly wait for the day when their baby starts to walk with his tiny feet. When your tiny tots hit that milestone, baby proofing becomes the new challenge for all the parents. Now you baby is a bit young now, and he will explore everything in the house rather than enclosed in the playpen throughout the day. You need to protect your child from the danger and places that are easy to access, like stairs and main doors of the house. You don’t know when your innocent baby becomes a turbo explorer- all you need to get ready for this situation and protect your little one. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, Stairs are considered as one of the main injuries causes of little kids. So when you tot is able to explore everything with his tiny fingers, it’s the right time to invest in the retractable baby gate.

Why You Need a Baby Gate?

At the age of seven months, babies start to crawl and scoot. If you are living in one or two-story home, you need a baby gate even you have baby-proofed every room. Babies love to fiddle with the closets, open the drawer, spill the things or even food in the room and taste pet food; you need to make sure your home is childproof. The baby gate is the investment you can do to make your home childproof and protect him from hazards.

Preventing falls:

• Use the baby safety gate at the top and bottom of your stairs.
• Use hardware-mounted baby gated at the top of the stairs rather than pressure-mounted gates. Your baby will not dislodge the gate when he pushes it.
• In case of wide landing stairs, use the extensions with the retractable baby gate.When your child’s age reaches up to 5 or 6 months or when he starts crawling then put the safety baby gates.
• Don’t use accordion-style gates at stairs because the head of the baby could get caught in the gate. Use the gate that has the 5.8cm opening.

Preventing scalds:

The hot beverages cause the two to three burns that include the scalds. It leads to permanent scarring in small children. In case of serious scalding injuries, frequent hospital visit and longer treatment can be expected. The severe scald can be a cause of death in small children because their skin is more sensitive than young children. When your kids are around, don’t carry hot liquids. When you are working in the kitchen, avoid him getting underfoot using the baby safety gate or playpen. 
If not all your rooms are baby proof, you can keep them away from there by installing the baby gates. But keep in mind that doesn’t use the accordion-style gates because it could trap your baby. Invest in the baby gates that can be attached tightly to the wall and will not pinch tiny fingers.

Preventing drowning

When it comes to unintentional injury death for kids under 5 years old, drowning is one of the major causes. Children with one to two years old are most at risk because they move more than infants. This age group kids are still developing their motor skills and can’t judge the dangers. The swimming pools, bucket, bathroom tubs, inflatable pools and others are the common places where children drowning death occur. Babies can drown in 6cm of water, and they can drown in just 20 seconds. This retractable gate is perfect for use when you need a barrier to keep your baby from wandering into a hazardous place. It also works best for outdoor use under the parent’s supervision. 

Dos and Don'ts for the Use of Safety Gates

• Do read the instruction of the manufacturing company about mounting and make sure that securely installed. Use the mounting kit if you are mounting it to the flat wooden surface or wooden door.
• Do make a habit of closing the gate when the baby is sleeping. When you close the gate, check its locking mechanism to test that either it is working properly or not.
• Do install the baby gate before your baby starts crawling and remove it when your baby is 24 months old in accordance with the instruction of the manufacturer company.
• Do use a hardware-mounted gate at the top of the stairs.
• Don’t purchase the second-hand baby gate because it may have worn with time and not follow the current safety standards.
• Don’t use pressure mounted baby gate at stair’s top.
• Don’t allow your baby to see you climb over the gate. Children will try to copy their parents.
• Don’t leave your toddler unattended or entirely dependent on the baby gate to keep your tot safe. 

What Not to Buy

In general, buy a retractable baby gate instead using used gates. The older products are not up to date or even have some safety issues. That’s why; using the best retractable baby gate is the safest choice. Avoid outdated gates with a v-shaped opening that don’t have the horizontal bar at top of the gate. The new version of baby gates has the filer bar or rail across the top of the gate that makes it safer.

Bottom Line:
Baby gates are undoubtedly a great way to keep your little explorer from injuring himself. Moreover, these gates wandering off into the spaces that are not under supervision. These gates come in a variety of installation options and styles. All you need to pick the right model that suits the capabilities of your baby, your budget and your lifestyle needs.