As soon as six months after birth, babies begin to crawl, creating a whole new set of potential dangers. Parents are urged to place childproof gates in front of all stairways. Traditional accordion gates are dangerous because they can trap a child’s head and cause strangulation. Mesh gates also are dangerous because they can trap a child’s fingers. Instead, parents are encouraged to purchase hardware-mounted gates that attach to door frames without any openings that can trap necks or fingers. There should be no more than 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) of space between the floor and the bottom of the gate. Even after these gates are installed, children should not be left unsupervised around stairs.

Toys, shoes and other items should not be left on stairways, and guards should be placed on banisters and railings to keep children from squeezing themselves into the space between the wall and the railing.

Organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urge parents not to use baby walkers, because they may tip over or fall down stairs, leading to significant injury.

After children turn 6 months old, their pace of activity picks up dramatically as they begin to roll over, sit up, crawl and stand. Before long, they may begin to climb and, eventually, to walk. Soon, they are able to grab for items that previously were out of their reach.

As children begin to climb, they will grab onto anything they can to boost and steady themselves. This includes table legs, dresser drawers, table cloths and ironing boards. Large TVs also pose a danger to small children should these sets tip over. As a result, parents need to make further adjustments to the home to keep the child protected. Cups of hot coffee or other liquids should not be left on tables or counter edges while the child is present. Children of this age are at greater risk for burning themselves on stoves, wall or space heaters or other heated appliances. Childproof covers should be used for these devices. If a parent is unable to focus complete attention on the baby, the child should be kept in a playpen, high chair or crib.

Children at this age typically love to play in water, which raises the risk of accidental drowning. Children under the age of 1 year are most likely to drown in bathtubs, buckets and toilets. Water should be emptied from a bathtub, pail or any other container immediately after use. Children can drown in less than 2 inches of water, so children should never be left unsupervised in or near any amount of water. This includes bathtubs, toilets, buckets, hot tubs and spas, wading pools, swimming pools, irrigation ditches and wells, fish ponds and fountains. Parents are urged to remain within an arm’s length of their child at all times when the baby is in water. This is known as “touch supervision.”

Families that do not have swimming pools are urged to delay installing a pool until a child is at least 5 years of age. Households that have pools should install a fence that is at least 4 feet high and that separates the pool from the rest of the house on all four sides. This should be done before a child begins to walk. Most child deaths involving drowning occur because of a failure to take this precaution. Building a fence around the pool can reduce fatalities by 50 percent, according to the AAP.

Between the ages of 6 months and 1 year, children try to put all kinds of things into their mouths, even if they do not taste good. Parents are urged to keep cleaners, bleaches, medications and chemicals up very high in cupboards that are properly secured. All drawers and cupboards should be fastened with safety latches or locks. Lye drain cleaners should not be stored in the home. In addition, potentially toxic products should be left in their containers and never transferred to other containers, such as old soda bottles.

Cars should be locked, including trunks. Children should not be left in a car unattended. During warm weather, a car’s interior can heat up quickly, leading to serious injury or fatality.

Between the ages of 1 and 2 years, children can walk, run, climb, jump and perform many tasks that previously were beyond their capabilities. As a result, this period of a child’s life can be very dangerous, and parents must remain extra vigilant. A young child may understand the word “no,” but is not likely to follow such commands. Parents should forbid an action and still watch the child. At this age, safety gates placed before stairwells can usually be removed. Children learn to climb stairs as they walk and can be taught to come downstairs backwards, with supervision.

Firearms begin to pose a greater hazard when children reach this age. Handguns are frequently a source of serious accidents. If guns are kept inside the home, they should be left unloaded and locked, and stored separately from ammunition. Parents may want to inquire if people in other homes where the child may play or visit have secured firearms properly.

Accidental poisonings become an ever greater risk, because children at these ages can open doors, drawers and bottles with ease and are able to take things apart. All medications should be stored in childproof containers and locked away securely.

Children who are learning to walk at this age will grab anything to steady themselves, including hot oven doors and outdoor grills. This can lead to serious burns. Children should be kept out of rooms where hot devices are operating or barriers should be erected around these devices.

After a child is able to walk, parents are urged to walk behind their cars before backing out of a driveway to make sure their child is not there.

In addition, during celebrations that involve fireworks (e.g., Fourth of July), children should not be allowed near fireworks of any kind. According to studies by the AAP, more than half of children injured by fireworks were being supervised by an adult when the injury occurred.

Other potential sources of injuries for young children when outside the home include shopping carts and (moving) escalators. Most supermarkets and other stores have shopping carts with child compartments in the front. Parents should ensure that the child is properly strapped in the shopping cart at all times while at the store. Managers or other store staff should be notified if the cart is missing a child harness strap. Children also should not be left unattended in a shopping cart.

Escalators can pose risk for small children due to falls or entrapment. Young children should not be transported on a stroller, walker or cart while on an escalator. Parents or other caretakers should hold children’s hands while on escalators and not permit them to sit or play on the steps. Be aware that loose shoe laces, drawstrings, scarves and mittens can get trapped in escalators and take proper precautions with such articles of clothing.