When the nights draw in and the temperature begins to drop we all turn the heating on or light up the fire. However, the way you heat your home can present many dangers to a baby or toddler. Here are some tips and products to keep your little one from harm over the winter.

Heating your home safely

Most homes will these days be heated by a gas boiler and various radiators around the home. For additional heating, you may also have a fireplace with a real fire or electric fire. Wherever possible, avoid using a portable heater in a room if you have a baby or toddler. If you have little choice, make sure it conforms with the latest safety standards.

Never leave your child unattended in a room where there is a portable heater and keep it at least three feet from any drapes, curtains, bedding or other flammable materials. If you use a gas cylinder heater, ensure the room is well ventilated. When you leave a room, make sure you turn the heater off.

Gas cylinder heaters and gas boilers can emit dangerous carbon monoxide gases into the house which can be fatal to you and your child. If you have either of these appliances, ensure they are regularly maintained by a qualified engineer and install a carbon monoxide detector to give you early warning should gases begin to escape from the appliance.

Carbon monoxide detector

Fireplace safety

A real fire in the home looks great and provides much needed warmth during the colder months but if you have children in the home you should check that any potential for harm has been removed. Keep your baby or toddler at least three feet from an open fire and make sure any sharp implements for stoking the fire are well out of reach.

Install a quality fireguard that completely surrounds the fire. The guard should be attached to the wall to prevent it toppling over should your infant pull on it.

Lindam Dome Fire Guard

The same rules apply if you have an electric fire. Ensure your baby or toddler is kept well away from danger by fitting an appropriately sized fireguard.

Electric Fire Guard

The hearth which surrounds the fireplace can have sharp edges. If your fireguard does not cover the hearth, install cushioned edge and corner padding to prevent injury.

Cushioned heart protection

If you have a real fire then make sure the fireplace and chimney is inspected by a professional every year. If you use a gas fire, ensure a qualified engineer inspects the fire and flue annually to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. For electric bar fires, call an electrician out each year to check for any loose connections.

Teach your infant never to throw things into a fire and do not use flammable liquids or charcoal when attempting to light a real fire.

Radiator safety

The optimum temperature for a baby’s room when sleeping is 18°C but in the winter months it is easy to under heat or even overheat a room. You can ensure your home is always at the right temperature with a wireless control system that communicates with the radiator valves and thermostat. By placing the system in the room to be monitored (i.e. the nursery), you can control and maintain the desired temperature.

HouseTech HouseHeat

Another potential hazard in the home is the radiator. Not only will a radiator be extremely hot to the touch, it also has sharp edges which can cause injury should your tot fall into one. Radiator covers are padded to prevent such problems but still allows heat to radiate out into the room.

Radiator Cover

Sleeping safety

Placing your baby under lots of blankets during the colder months can cause them to overheat. As the baby wriggles about during sleep, they can also become buried by the covers which increases the risk of suffocation.

Baby sleeping bags are the ideal bedclothes to wrap your infant in at night. A sleeping bag gives your child plenty of room to wriggle about while keeping them at the right temperature.

Over the winter months we live in a sealed environment where the air becomes dry because of artificial heating. Lost moisture in the air is a common cause of poor sleep, dry skin and respiratory problems. Keep the moisture in the air with an air humidifier.

Lindam Ultrasonic Humidifier