Childproof Your Home: Vital parenting information from Eyewitness News

Caring for a newborn is a big responsibility and those parental duties only expand every year as your child grows. Pediatrician Dr. Joe Matusic says accidents, both in and out of the home, area a serious concern.

Dr. Joe Matusic, MD/Pediatrician
Accidents are the number one cause of death after the newborn period... until you're in your 30's and 40's.

Recently, boxer Mike Tyson's daughter died as the result of a household accident when she became entangled in a cord. And closer to home, headlines included a toddler who fell from a window. For parents, these stories bring the focus of childproofing the home to light. You must look for any potential danger zones.

Dr. Joe Matusic
One thing to do is sit in the living room and sit and put your head at the level there baby is going to be and just look around. Think, 'what is out there that could do harm to my child'. It may be something innocent like a cork hanging out within read and they could stick their finger into the socket. Or what about a light, a child could just push over.

Other danger zones could include corners of tables, the stove and oven, fireplaces, and tv stands and dressers. Furniture tip-over accidents are on the increase. A 40% increase was found in the latest study released by the Center for Injury Research and Policy. And most kids who were hurt, were 7 or younger. And one way, the doctor suggests, to child-proof your home, is to have a friend help you. That extra set of eyes may mean nothing gets overlooked.