Safety Gates

Baby safety gates are an essential element in making your home baby proof. Once a baby can crawl, every nook and cranny is a potential area of exploration for him. Babies are naturally curious and they want to investigate each little corner and new room. The best way to make sure he can't do any harm to himself is to install safety gates. These will prevent him from reaching the stairs, kitchen, or any room that holds dangers for the new explorer.

In Canada, a study of accidents involving Baby Safety Gates indicates the following facts. (all numbers are approximate)

• Of all pre-schoolers who experienced accidents involving Safety Gates,
  • 31% were 9-11 months old
  • 22% were 6-8 months old
  • 20% were 12-14 months old
• 75% of the victims experienced head injuries
• 77% of the accidents involved stairs
• how did the accident occur
  • 43% of the accidents were caused by safety gates left open or unsecured
  • 23% were caused when the child pushed, pulled, or hit the gate
  • 12% were caused when the child climbed or jumped over the gate
• 96% of the accidents occurred in a private home
• 38% of the accidents occurred in the living room
• 17% of the accidents involved a baby walker

Accordion gates, which open to form diamond-shaped patterns with wide V's at the top, can trap a baby's head and have resulted in strangulation deaths. In January 1985, gate manufacturers halted production of these gates, but there are still an estimated 15 million gates in use. They can still be found at garage sales, and families often pass them around. If you have one of these older safety gates, you should destroy it.

When purchasing a safety gate, look for the following:

• A gate that has the proper safety certifications for your jurisdiction. The retailer should be able to provide this information.
• A hardware-mounted gate that attaches to the doorframe without any openings to trap fingers or necks.
• Pressure-mounted gates should not be used at the top of stairs; children can dislodge them and take a tumble. Make sure to install pressure gates with the lock release on the side away from your child.
• Gates that swing out should never be used at the top of stairways.
• Nonflexible vertical slats or rods should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart.
• Check for sharp edges and protrusions that could hurt a toddler's hands.
• Avoid gates with structures that could give a child a foothold for climbing. Keep large toys away from the gate to prevent a child from using them to climb over.
• The gate should be no less than 3/4 of the child's height

A baby safety gate is invaluable, but do not rely on it. Always stay near the area in which your baby is playing. Every year serious accidents, and even death, occur because a parent did not realize just how quickly their baby could get into trouble. Please do not become a statistic.