Bedroom Safety: General

. Never use infant bean bag cushions.
. Never place infants on an adult bed to sleep.
. Never place an infant on a waterbed.
. Never leave an infant alone on a changing table.
. Always cover the wastebasket in the bedroom. Never place dangerous materials such as latex balloons, small or sharp items or rubber bands in the wastebasket.
. The best toy chest is a basket without a lid. If your toy chest has a lid, check to make sure it has hinges that lock and keep the lid open at any angle. All toy chests with lids should have air holes.

Bedroom Safety: Toddler Beds

. Place guardrails on toddlers' beds.
. Make sure the bed is a minimum of 2 feet from windows, heating vents, radiators, wall lamps, and drapery or window-blind cords.
. Never use an electric blanket.

Bedroom Safety: Bunk Beds

. Never allow children younger than 6 to sleep in the top bunk.
. To prevent entrapment of the child's head, legs, or arms, add additional boards to the bed frame to close off any space more than 3-1/2 inches between the lower edge of the guardrails and the upper edge of the bed frame.
. Make sure the top and bottom bunk have a guardrail next to the wall and at both ends of the bed. The top bunk should also have a guardrail on the outer side.
. Check to make sure guardrails extend 5 inches above the mattress.
. Make sure the mattress is well secured with cross supports made of wood slats, metal straps or sturdy wires.
. Do not allow children to play on bunk beds.
. Never use an electric blanket.

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Information about Bedroom Safety was graciously shared by Dr. Patricia Keener, author of Caring for Kids: Useful Information & Hard-to-find Facts About Child Health and Development , and Riley Hospital for Children.