Babyproofing your home: a room-by-room safety guide
Once your baby starts to move, the world suddenly looks very different. The same room that felt perfectly comfortable yesterday can contain a surprising number of hazards the moment your baby starts rolling, crawling, or pulling themselves up. The good news is that most babyproofing is straightforward and inexpensive. This guide works through each room in the house, drawing on NHS and RoSPA guidance, so you can be confident you have covered the things that actually matter.
When to start
The answer is earlier than most parents expect. Rolling can begin from around 4 months, and once a baby can roll, they can get themselves into places and positions you did not plan for. Crawling typically follows between 7 and 9 months. A good rule of thumb is to have the main babyproofing done before your baby is 6 months old, well ahead of when they start to move independently. Many parents find the third trimester the most practical time to go through the house while they still have the energy and the house is quiet.
Living room
The living room is where most families spend the most time, and it is often the room with the highest concentration of hazards at a baby's level.
- Corner protectors. Foam or rubber corner guards on coffee tables and low furniture edges protect against head injuries from sharp corners.
- Secure bookshelves to the wall. Tall furniture can be pulled over by a baby using it to pull themselves up. Wall-fixing brackets are inexpensive and widely available. This is one of the more serious hazards in living rooms because a falling bookcase or television unit can cause severe injury.
- Blind and curtain cords. Looped cords from blinds are a known strangulation hazard for young children. Keep cords short, wound out of reach, or replaced with cordless blinds. Cord tidies and wind-up cleats can help if you cannot replace the blind immediately.
- Socket covers: the evidence. UK sockets already have built-in safety shutters designed to prevent children inserting objects into live terminals. Because of this, RoSPA does not recommend socket covers for UK homes. There is a specific concern that if a child removes a socket cover and mouths it, it can become a choking hazard. If you already own socket covers, they are not harmful in themselves, but they are not necessary and may not improve safety.
- Television and heavy screens. Mount the television on the wall or ensure it cannot be pulled over. A falling flat-screen television is a tip-over hazard that causes injuries every year.
Kitchen
The kitchen contains hot surfaces, sharp objects, and cleaning chemicals, and it is often a room where babies want to follow you. A few targeted measures go a long way.
- Hob guard. A hob guard prevents pans being grabbed or pulled. If your hob is at a level a standing toddler could reach, this is an important addition. In the meantime, always turn pan handles inward and use the back burners where possible.
- Cupboard locks. Fit cupboard locks to any cupboard containing cleaning products, medicines, knives, or other sharp items. You do not necessarily need to lock every cupboard; designating one low cupboard as the baby's safe cupboard (with pots, lids, or wooden spoons) and locking the rest is a practical approach.
- Hot drinks. Scalds from hot drinks are the most common burn injury in babies and young children. A cup of tea can remain hot enough to cause a serious burn for up to 15 minutes after it is made. Never hold your baby while drinking something hot, and keep hot drinks well back from any surface edge.
- Fridge lock. Optional. A fridge lock is useful if your baby becomes tall enough to open the fridge and pull items out, but it is not usually a priority in the first year.
Stairs
Stair falls are a leading cause of injury in babies and toddlers. Stair gates need to be in place before your baby can crawl.
- Gates at top and bottom. Fit a gate at the top of the stairs and another at the bottom. Both gates are needed because babies and toddlers can climb stairs as well as fall from them.
- Top of stairs: screw-fix only. At the top of the stairs, use a wall-mounted (screw-fix) gate. A pressure-fit gate at the top of the stairs can be pushed out by a determined toddler leaning against it, potentially causing a serious fall. Pressure-fit gates are suitable for doorways and the bottom of stairs only.
- Standard compliance. Look for gates that meet the BS EN 1930 standard, which is the British safety standard for stair gates.
Bathroom
Water and babies require extra care. Most bath-related accidents happen in moments of distraction.
- Never leave your baby alone in the bath. Babies can drown in just a few centimetres of water in less than a minute. If you need to leave the bathroom, take your baby with you. A towelling apron, a bouncy chair placed outside the door, or asking someone else to answer the door are all better options than leaving a baby unattended in water.
- Non-slip bath mat. A mat on the base of the bath reduces the risk of slipping when you lift or bathe your baby.
- Hot water temperature. Set your boiler thermostat to a maximum of 48 degrees Celsius. This ensures water from the hot tap cannot reach scalding temperatures even if the cold tap is not running. Always fill the bath with cold water first, then add hot, and test with your elbow or a thermometer before placing your baby in it. Ideal bathwater temperature is around 37 to 38 degrees Celsius.
- Toilet lid lock. Optional, but worth considering once your baby can pull themselves up and is mobile near the bathroom.
Bedroom
The bedroom, and specifically the cot or sleep space, is where safe sleep guidance matters most.
- Cot bar spacing. The gap between cot bars should be no more than 45mm. Wider gaps can trap a baby's head.
- Firm, well-fitting mattress. The mattress should be firm, flat, and fit the cot without gaps around the edges. A soft mattress or one with large gaps at the sides increases the risk of suffocation.
- Nothing loose in the cot. No bumpers, pillows, duvets, or soft toys in the sleep space. A fitted sheet on a firm mattress is all that is needed. Bumpers have been associated with entrapment and suffocation risk.
- Blind cords. The same guidance as the living room applies. Cords near a cot or bed are a particular hazard.
General hazards across the home
- Button batteries. These are among the most dangerous items in the home. If swallowed, a button battery can cause severe internal chemical burns within two hours. Remote controls, key fobs, bathroom scales, musical greeting cards, and many other common household items contain them. Keep any device with a button battery out of reach, and make sure battery compartments are secured or taped shut.
- Small objects and coins. Anything small enough to fit through a toilet roll tube is a choking hazard for a baby. Keep coins, pen lids, small toy parts, and similar items well out of reach.
- Window restrictors. Windows on upper floors should be restricted to no more than 6.5 centimetres of opening. Window restrictors (also called window stops) are available from DIY stores and are easy to fit.
- Smoke alarms. Fit a smoke alarm on every floor of your home and test them monthly. The NHS and fire services recommend interconnected alarms so that if one goes off, they all sound.
- Carbon monoxide detector. Fit a CO detector if your home has any gas appliances, open fires, or log burners.
What you actually need to buy
The babyproofing market includes a lot of products that are either unnecessary or not as effective as they look. The essentials are: stair gates (screw-fix for the top of stairs), cupboard locks, corner protectors, a non-slip bath mat, a bath thermometer, window restrictors for upper floors, and working smoke and CO detectors. Socket covers, toilet lid locks, fridge locks, and door pinch guards fall into the optional or low-priority category for most homes.
Frequently asked questions
When should I start babyproofing?
Start before your baby can roll, which typically happens from around 4 months. At the very latest, babyproofing should be complete before your baby begins to crawl, usually between 7 and 9 months. Many parents find it easiest to work through the house during the third trimester.
Do I need socket covers in the UK?
UK plug sockets are already designed with built-in safety shutters that prevent objects being inserted into live terminals, so socket covers are not required for safety. Some socket covers can create a hazard if a child removes and mouths them. RoSPA does not recommend socket covers for UK sockets.
What type of stair gate is safest?
For the top of the stairs, always use a screw-fixed (wall-mounted) stair gate. A pressure-fit gate at the top of the stairs can be pushed out, creating a serious fall hazard. Pressure-fit gates are suitable for doorways and the bottom of stairs. Look for gates that meet the BS EN 1930 standard.
What is the biggest hazard for babies at home?
Scalds from hot drinks are the most common burn injury in babies and young children. Button batteries are among the most dangerous small objects and can cause serious internal injury if swallowed. Falling furniture is a serious hazard that is easily prevented by securing items to the wall.
How hot should bathwater be for a baby?
Around 37 to 38 degrees Celsius. Set your boiler thermostat to a maximum of 48 degrees Celsius to prevent water from the hot tap reaching scalding temperatures. Always run cold water first, then add hot, and test with your elbow or a thermometer before bathing your baby.
Log the moments, not the worries
Cubby tracks your baby's day so you are always in the loop, not the dark.
Start free