There is useful information available on how to protect your baby or toddler from some of the commonest accidents that affect young children including choking, suffocation, strangulation, falls, poisoning, burns and more Baby and toddler safety - NHS

Take a look at the available information on the following topic areas:

Car seat safety

Choosing a baby car seat - NHS

Sling safety

Baby slings - RoSPA

Safe sleeping

Sleep in babies and children

How to reduce the risk of SIDS for your baby - The Lullaby Trust
 

Babies and young children can become ill during very hot weather. Their health can be seriously affected by dehydration, sunburn, heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Follow these tips to help keep your children cool and safe during hot weather:

• try to keep out of the sun between 11:00am to 3:00pm, when the UV rays are strongest
• playing in a paddling pool is a good way of keeping babies and children cool, keep the pool in the shade during very hot weather and supervise the children carefully at all times
• run them a cool bath before bedtime
• keep your child's bedroom cool during the day by closing blinds or curtains, you can also use a fan to circulate the air in the room
• keep nightwear and bedclothes to a minimum, if your baby kicks or pushes off the covers during the night, consider putting them in just a nappy with a single well-secured sheet that will not work loose and cover their face or get entangled during the night
• a nursery thermometer will help you monitor the temperature of your baby's room, your baby will sleep most comfortably when their room is between 16C and 20C

Find out more: Keeping your baby safe in the sun - NHS
 

Over the summer months, many families set up paddling pools in their gardens or visit sources of open water such as rivers, lakes, outdoor pools and the sea to cool down from the heat.

Yet every year accidents occur due to people not taking simple water safety precautions. Whether your child is using a paddling pool in the garden, a public pool, or in open water, you should:

• always look for warning and guidance signs in public or outdoor pools
• only swim at lifeguarded swimming sites
• wear a buoyancy aid or life jacket if participating in activities on the water
• open water and inland sites are often much colder than they look, and cold water can affect children's ability to swim or self-rescue if needed
• your child should get out of the water as soon as they start to feel cold
• make sure they don't go far and are always supervised, if swimming in the sea they should always swim parallel to shore
• water currents can be strong, if your child finds themself caught in a rip tide they should not swim against it as this will tire them out, instead swim with the current and call for help immediately

Resources

• Being safe in open water: Teaching water safety & supporting bereaved families
• Water Safety Advice

Having pets can help teach our children kindness as well as helping to develop their social skills. When introducing a pet to your household, we recommend you have rules to ensure your children and pets can live happily and safely together.

Never leave young children and pets unattended

Your child/children should never be left with a pet unattended, even for the shortest time. Even if you feel your child and pet/s may have got used to each other, there is always a risk

Babies and young children may like to get close to animals to show affection, but this is not how animals show love they may find it frightening and lead to them biting or scratching.

Animals can react unexpectedly 

No matter how gentle and well trained your pet might be they still rely on their animal instincts and they can react in unexpected ways when they are frightened or stressed. This can make animals like dogs dangerous and sadly result injury or death in children by family pets.

Treating your pets with respect

Make sure your children understand how to treat your pet with respect and not to push, pull or lay on them, or do anything that may cause your pet distress or harm.

Feeding pets around children

Be mindful when feeding your child around your pet. Always try to feed your child away from your pet and never on the floor with your pet.

Sleeping 

Do not allow your pet to sleep with young children in their beds, cots or baskets, this poses a risk of suffocation.

Resources

Find out more information and tips on keeping children safe around dogs or preparing a dog for a new baby:

• Children & Dogs - How They Can Live Together | RSPCA
• Dogs, babies and children: living safely together
• Dog behaviour with babies - Dogs Trust
• Children and dogs - PDSA