A child from birth to 12 months. The infant stage covers enormous changes, from a mostly immobile newborn to a cruiser or early walker. Each new skill your baby masters creates new hazards to address. Safety planning should stay one step ahead of their development.
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A baby in their first 28 days of life. Newborns can't move around much, but they're still vulnerable to suffocation, falls from elevated surfaces, and overheating. Safe sleep setup and supervision during feeding are the top priorities at this stage.
A baby who has learned to move on hands and knees, usually between 6 and 10 months. Once babies start crawling, everything changes. They can reach outlets, pull on tablecloths, find small objects on the floor, and get to stairs. This is the time to get serious about childproofing.
A baby who pulls up on furniture and walks along it while holding on, usually between 8 and 12 months. Cruisers can reach tabletops, pull things down, and tip over unstable furniture. This stage demands anchored furniture and cleared surfaces.
Skills and abilities that most children reach by certain ages, like rolling over, sitting up, crawling, and walking. Each milestone creates new safety considerations. Pediatricians track them at well-child visits, and the CDC has a milestone tracker app for parents.