The Complete Babyproofing Guide: How to Make Your Home Safer for Babies & Toddlers
Babyproofing has a habit of becoming urgent very quickly.
For months, your baby stays roughly where you put them. Then seemingly overnight they can roll, crawl, pull themselves upright and reach things you were certain were safely out of the way.
The best approach is therefore to prepare for what your child will be able to do next, rather than waiting until they demonstrate a new skill.
The NHS says thousands of children under five are admitted to hospital following accidents each year and that many of these accidents are preventable.
This BabaSafe guide is designed to help you identify hazards around the home that are easy to overlook.
It isn't simply a shopping list of babyproofing products. Locks, gates and guards can all help, but they work alongside good judgement, correct installation and adult supervision.
And perhaps the best place to start costs absolutely nothing.
1. See the house from your baby's point of view
Get down on your hands and knees.
Seriously.
Your home looks completely different from floor level.
Move through each room and look for anything your child could:
- reach
- pull
- climb
- swallow
- knock over
- become trapped in
- burn themselves on
- fall against
- wrap around themselves
You may suddenly notice a phone cable hanging from a table, a coin underneath the sofa, a loose blind cord, a sharp hearth corner or a handbag containing medication sitting conveniently at toddler height.
Repeat the exercise as your child develops.
A room that is safe for a six-month-old may need another look when that same child begins walking and climbing.
THE KITCHEN
2. Heat, chemicals and climbing all meet in one room
The kitchen is one of the most difficult places in the house to babyproof because several different hazards are concentrated into one busy space.
Hot drinks
Tea and coffee are easy to underestimate.
The NHS warns that a hot drink can still scald a child 15 minutes after it has been made.
Keep hot drinks well away from worktop and table edges.
Avoid carrying a baby while making or drinking something hot, and don't pass hot drinks over a child.
Tablecloths also deserve attention because a toddler pulling at one can bring everything on the table down with it.
Cooking
Where practical:
- use the rear hob rings first
- turn saucepan handles towards the back
- keep kettle cables away from edges
- keep children away from the cooker while it is operating
These are also specifically recommended by the NHS.
Cupboards and drawers
Cleaning products, dishwasher tablets, laundry capsules, medicines, knives and sharp utensils should be stored securely and out of reach.
Look beyond the obvious cupboards too.
Toddlers can find:
- plastic bags
- batteries
- vitamins
- alcohol
- small kitchen gadgets
- cling film
- scissors
surprisingly interesting.
Locks and latches can be useful where dangerous cupboards cannot simply be relocated out of reach.
Chairs and stools
Ask yourself one question:
Can my child turn this into a ladder?
A stool beside a kitchen counter can completely change what a toddler can reach.
- toys
- shoes
- laundry
- bags
- other trip hazards
- televisions
- chests of drawers
- shelving units
- bookcases
- mirrors
- freestanding cabinets
- coat stands
- chairs
- beds
- cots
- toy boxes
- low furniture
- cots
- beds
- highchairs
- playpens
Never rely on telling a toddler not to climb.
Keep balcony doors secure when the balcony is not in use, and don't leave young children there unsupervised.
Move chairs, tables, plant pots, boxes and other possible climbing aids away from railings.
And remember that toddlers can move furniture themselves.
6. Check both edges of the door
A closing door can cause serious injuries to little fingers.
There are two areas to consider:
The closing edge, where fingers can become trapped between the door and frame.
And:
The hinge edge, where a closing door can exert considerable pressure on fingers caught in the gap.
Suitable slam guards, door stops and hinge protectors can reduce the risk depending on the door.
The NHS specifically notes that devices can be used to prevent doors closing completely and trapping children's fingers.
One additional fire-safety point: don't permanently prop internal doors open at night merely to avoid finger injuries. Closed doors can help slow the spread of fire.
ELECTRICAL & HOT APPLIANCES
There are more electrical devices in modern homes than there were when we first wrote this guide.
Chargers, tablets, laptops, smart speakers, lamps and small appliances bring more cables within reach too.
Keep flexes tidy and prevent children pulling appliances down from worktops or tables.
Be particularly careful with:
- kettles
- irons
- laptops
- lamps
- hairdryers
- chargers
- coffee machines
A hanging cable can become a convenient handle attached to something heavy or hot.
What about UK plug socket covers?
This is one piece of advice we are deliberately changing from older babyproofing guides.
Modern UK socket outlets already contain built-in safety shutters designed to prevent access to live parts.
Electrical Safety First advises that parents should be reassured by this protection and specifically advises against decorative socket covers that could attract a child's interest.
So we no longer recommend automatically inserting a plastic plug-in cover into every unused socket simply because a baby can reach it.
Instead:
- keep sockets and plugs in good condition
- replace damaged or loose sockets
- keep children away from plugged-in electrical appliances
- keep cables controlled
- seek professional electrical advice if you have a particular concern
For children with additional needs who actively interfere with sockets, specialist full socket enclosures and other solutions exist and can be considered with appropriate professional advice.
Hair straighteners
These deserve particular attention.
Even after being switched off, straighteners and curling appliances can remain dangerously hot while cooling.
The NHS recommends putting irons and straighteners safely out of reach immediately after use and ensuring children cannot pull their cables.
A heat-resistant pouch stored somewhere inaccessible to the child is a sensible solution.
BUTTON BATTERIES, MAGNETS & SMALL OBJECTS
8. Button batteries are one of the modern hazards parents really need to know about
Button and coin batteries are now found throughout the home.
Look in:
- remote controls
- car keys
- bathroom scales
- LED decorations
- electronic toys
- calculators
- musical cards
- flameless candles
- small gadgets
If swallowed, they can cause much more than choking.
A battery lodged in the body can cause severe internal chemical burns and bleeding, potentially with very little outward warning.
The UK's Office for Product Safety and Standards has made button batteries and powerful magnets a particular focus of its current child-safety campaigns.
If your child swallows a button battery or magnet, or you think they may have swallowed one, NHS guidance is to call 999 or go straight to A&E.
Check that battery compartments are securely fastened.
And don't forget used batteries — they may still contain enough energy to cause serious injury.
Powerful magnets
Small high-powered magnets can cause severe internal injury if more than one is swallowed because they can attract each other through different sections of the bowel.
Keep them completely out of reach of babies and toddlers.
CHOKING & SUFFOCATION
9. Small objects are everywhere
Babies explore with their mouths.
That makes ordinary household clutter potentially dangerous.
Check floors and low surfaces for:
- coins
- buttons
- small toy parts
- beads
- batteries
- jewellery
- bottle tops
- pen lids
- screws
- pieces from older children's toys
The NHS recommends keeping toys intended for older children away from babies and toddlers because they may contain small parts.
Plastic bags, nappy sacks and other thin packaging should also be kept completely out of reach because of suffocation risk.
Food choking
Food is actually the most common cause of choking in babies and toddlers.
Think about the size, shape and texture of food rather than relying on one old-fashioned measurement rule.
The NHS advises avoiding hard foods such as whole nuts and boiled sweets for young children and preparing foods carefully for the child's developmental stage.
Stay with young children while they eat and encourage them to sit rather than running around with food in their mouths.
And learn basic first aid for choking.
Hopefully you never use it. If you do need it, you'll be glad you learned it.
10. Never leave a young child alone around water
Baths need continuous adult supervision.
Not for five minutes.
Not while you answer the door.
Not because an older sibling is also in the bath.
The NHS warns that babies can drown in only a few centimetres of water and that drowning can happen silently.
Bath seats are not safety devices and do not remove the need to stay beside your baby.
Empty baths, paddling pools and other containers after use.
Burns and scalds
When preparing a baby's bath, NHS advice is to run cold water first and then add hot water, checking the temperature carefully before putting the child in.
Keep children away from exposed hot taps and other heated bathroom surfaces.
Medicines and toiletries
Bathrooms often contain:
- medicines
- razors
- cosmetics
- cleaning products
- mouthwash
- shampoo
- perfumes
Keep potentially harmful products securely out of reach rather than relying solely on child-resistant caps.
FIREPLACES, STOVES & HEATING
11. Protect the hearth as well as the fire
Parents naturally think about flames and hot stove doors.
But the fireplace itself can present another substantial risk.
A raised stone, granite, marble or tiled hearth is an extremely hard surface for a toddler to fall against.
A properly configured baby fireguard can therefore protect against both:
the heat source
and
the hard fireplace area surrounding it.
See our BabaSafe Baby Fireguard range:
https://www.babasafe.co.uk/baby-products/baby-fire-guards.html
For a working fire or stove, also consider:
- suitable distance from the heat source
- radiant heat
- whether a child can reach through the bars
- side clearance around projecting stoves
- secure fixing
- chimney and flue maintenance
- ventilation
- working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
And remember that a traditional cage fireguard or pet gate is not automatically a child safety barrier simply because it physically surrounds a fireplace.
NURSERY & BEDROOM
12. Keep the sleep space simple
The safest cot is generally a fairly boring cot.
The NHS advises keeping the cot free from bumpers, pillows and soft toys because these can introduce suffocation, choking, strangulation or climbing hazards.
Also look around the outside of the cot.
Keep it away from:
- blind cords
- curtain cords
- monitor cables
- open windows
- heaters
- radiators
- furniture the child may eventually reach
Changing tables
Babies can learn to roll with virtually no notice.
The NHS advises never leaving a baby unattended on a raised surface, including beds, sofas and changing tables — even briefly.
Changing your baby on a mat on the floor removes the fall risk entirely.
BABY WALKERS
13. Don't treat a baby walker as a safety device
Baby walkers allow babies to move faster and reach higher than they otherwise could.
The NHS advises limiting time in walkers because excessive use can encourage toe-standing and delay walking development.
UK paediatric physiotherapists also commonly advise against their use because walkers have been associated with falls, head injuries, burns, scalds and trapped limbs.
If one is used, it absolutely should not be treated as a way of safely containing a baby while an adult leaves the room.
PETS
14. Babyproof around pets as well
Even a gentle family pet needs somewhere to escape from an enthusiastic toddler.
Keep:
- pet medication
- pet food
- litter trays
- small pet toys
- chews
- bowls where appropriate
away from babies.
Supervise interaction between animals and very young children.
The aim is to prevent situations where either the pet or child becomes frightened, cornered or overwhelmed.
VISITORS & OTHER HOMES
15. Granny's handbag may undo all your careful babyproofing
You can have the safest house in Britain and then a visitor leaves a handbag on the floor.
Inside could be:
- medication
- coins
- cosmetics
- batteries
- nicotine or vaping products
- small objects
Make sure grandparents, babysitters, relatives and older children understand what has changed once the baby becomes mobile.
And think about the homes your child regularly visits.
Babyproofing does not stop at your own front door.
THE FINAL FIVE-MINUTE SAFETY CHECK
16. Do another crawl-through
Once you think you're finished, go back to floor level.
In each room ask:
Can they reach it?
Medicines, chemicals, hot drinks, candles, electrical products.
Can they pull it down?
Lamps, televisions, tablecloths, cables, appliances.
Can they climb it?
Drawers, chairs, furniture, balcony objects.
Can they swallow it?
Batteries, magnets, coins, toy parts.
Can they become trapped in it?
Doors, cords, furniture gaps.
Can it burn them?
Fires, stoves, hot drinks, cookers, straighteners.
Can they fall from it?
Stairs, windows, furniture, beds, changing tables.
Can they fall against it?
Hearths, tables, furniture corners and hard edges.
When the answer is yes, decide whether you should:
remove it, move it, secure it, lock it, restrict access to it or supervise the area differently.
Babyproof for the child you're about to have
Children develop far faster than parents expect.
Today's baby who cannot reach the coffee table may be standing against it in a few weeks.
Today's toddler who cannot open a cupboard may work it out tomorrow.
And the child who cannot reach the worktop may suddenly discover that a kitchen chair makes a surprisingly effective ladder.
So babyproofing should never really be treated as a one-off job.
Review your home as your child develops.
Safety gates, locks, guards and furniture restraints are useful tools.
But the most important parts of babyproofing remain the things that do not come in a packet:
attention, preparation and learning to see the home through your child's eyes.
You cannot eliminate every bump and scrape from childhood.
Nor should you try to turn your house into a padded room.
The goal is to recognise the serious and reasonably foreseeable hazards, reduce them where you can, and create a safer environment in which your child can explore.
Useful UK safety resources
For current UK guidance, parents can consult:
NHS – Baby and Toddler Safety
https://www.nhs.uk/baby/first-aid-and-safety/safety/baby-and-toddler-safety/
GOV.UK / Office for Product Safety and Standards – Child Product Safety
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/child-safety-small-hazards-big-harm
GOV.UK – Blind Cord Safety
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/child-safety-blind-cords
This guide provides general home-safety information and does not replace product instructions, professional installation advice, medical advice or appropriate adult supervision.
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