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The One Nursery Safety Precaution You're Probably Overlooking

by Emily Westbrooks

When it comes to safety in your baby's room, there isn't a single corner a soon-to-be parent should cut. After all, when you have a baby objects and spaces you thought were completely benign all of a sudden become imaginary death traps. So if you're asking yourself, "Is it safe to leave windows open in a baby's room?" know that your concerns are extremely normal. You should also know that while there are numerous things in your baby's room that are perfectly safe, windows might present you and your baby a plethora of potentially dangerous problems.

There are a few considerations to make when it comes to whether or not you should leave the windows open in your baby's room. First, you'll want to consider what floor your baby's room is on and what lies outside and/or below it. If you're on a top floor with no danger of intruders, or something being able to get in the window while you're not in the room, leaving the window open is a fairly safe option. In fact, Parents tells caregivers that if their babies' room are a little on the hot side, and you don't have a thermostat you can control that keeps your baby's room at the recommended 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, you can "leave the window slightly open or use a fan at night."

The New York Times also reminds parents to consider how old baby is when leaving the windows open in his or her room. If your baby is a newborn, the likelihood of him or her crawling out of their bassinet and making their way to an open window are pretty low, meaning it would actually be relatively safe to leave your baby's windows open. If your baby is an active crawler or walker, however, The New York Times suggests parents close the window, or only open it enough for a small breeze to make it through their baby's room. The same article reminds parents that screens do little to keep either a baby and/or pet falling out of a window, or an intruder coming in to the home through a window.

Do you live on the first floor in a busy neighborhood? Then leaving your windows open and unlocked might not be the best decision, as someone might spot it as a way to gain entry to the house. But that's something that would apply to all first floor windows depending on your neighborhood.

Windows actually provide a few other dangers you'll want to take into consideration, too. The Women's and Children's Health Network reminds parents that blinds with strings that hang down can be very dangerous for babies and children, because they can get tangled in the cords and suffocate. If you're renovating or replacing windows, you might want to choose windows with built-in mini-blinds that work by magnets, rather than with cords, therefore providing no danger to little ones.

If you are going to leave the window open in your baby's room through the night, make sure your little one has enough layers if the temperature drops. No need to bundle your baby in a snow suit in the middle of July, but a light breeze blowing on a baby wearing only short sleeves might wake them up.

Overall, leaving the window to your baby's room open seems to be a parental choice rather than an across-the-board recommendation made by experts. Take into account the height of your windows, the sturdiness of your screens, and the age of your baby, before you make a decision.