Safety Tips for Baby Mobiles

Welcoming a new member of your family? I am pretty sure that you are excited to go for baby shopping. While browsing through the kinds of stuff that you want to buy for your baby, you will surely come across baby mobiles which will definitely catch your eye. Baby mobiles are very colorful and have a lot of soothing shapes. It is believed that those gadgets have developmental benefits for your baby.

While baby mobiles can be really amusing for your baby, you would want to ensure that your baby is safe from the toy. While the toy always makes a good impression and inspire delight in the baby and the parent, on the other hand, it has also proved to be dangerous even deadly if it is poorly made or improperly used.

If you want your baby safe around the baby mobile, below are some tips which you can take into consideration :

1.Age appropriateness

It is always important that you check the age limit of any toy that you buy for your baby. There is a reason why toy companies put the age range on every toy box. Baby mobiles are made to keep your baby distracted especially when they are being moody. It is a great way to entice kids so that they stop crying and concentrate on objects of their interest.

But if you leave the mobile in their crib for too long, your baby might just catch the object. You know it’s time to take out the baby mobile when your baby reaches five months because by that age they will start to be on their hands and knees. They will be able to reach for the toy and pull it out which might cause injury or even strangulation.

Instead of putting the baby mobile away in the closet, why don’t you consider hanging it somewhere else? A baby mobile can be a cute piece of home décor. The best idea would be simply to hang it over your changing table, which will keep your baby distracted and avoid tantrums while you are changing diapers. Always make sure that it is out of their reach though.

2. Length of the baby mobile strings

American Academy of Pediatrics has mentioned that a baby string mobile’s strings should be no longer than seven inches. If the string is longer than the mentioned, it could potentially strangle your baby.

Be careful while buying the toy as a store-bought model are bound to follow this requirement but nothing can be said about antique, homemade and individually crafted mobiles. It would be appropriate if you measure the string properly before building one. Always measure the length properly before hanging the toy over your baby’s crib.

3. Baby mobile installation and maintenance

Yes, even a baby mobile needs to be maintained properly. When you buy a set of bay mobile, it is important that you follow the manufacturer’s directions which are specified on the box or the manual which comes with the toy.

Always perform checks to make sure that the toy is fastened appropriately and is not loosening up. Make sure that you get your model registered as if a toy is being recalled by the manufacturers, the registered users will be the first ones to be approached.

4. Safe placement

While you want your baby to safe from the baby mobile, you also do want to be close enough for your baby to be able to enjoy it. Don’t worry, today we came up with the perfect measurements which will able you, baby, to both enjoy and remain out of reach of the baby mobile.

Newborn babies’ eyesight ranges between 8 to 12 inches, they have trouble focusing on objects. At first, you should try to hang the toy approximately 16 inches above the surface of the crib. However, if your baby has trouble noticing it, you might consider lowering the string a bit. But make sure that it is still out of reach from your baby’s hand.

5. Potential choking hazards

When your baby is still small, they have the habit of putting everything in their mouth. Never make the mistake of buying a baby mobile that has small toys hanged on it. Just imagine if your baby manages to pull it down upon him and choke on one of the little toys by putting in his mouth.

Also, detachable parts of the mobile might be dangerous for the baby. Your baby can choke on that. It is very important to check on the baby mobile once in a while to check if anything detachable is getting loose and might fall off in the crib. Even before installing the toy, check thoroughly that every screw and all is tightly secured. If anything falls off, your baby might just put it in his or her mouth and choke.