Dangerous Things Baby:

Some Very Dangerous Things a Baby May Find on the Floor or Coffee Table

It's critical to keep your floor and low tables clean of small items and trinkets a baby could put in her mouth. Here's a list of six things you may have missed. They're all common items and are especially dangerous as they can fall under your radar and go unnoticed.

1. Legos, beads, caps for pens, and coins. If you have older children, Legos are probably the most common things left around. Sometimes an older child will forget they have a Lego piece or two in their pockets. They may casually take a piece out and leave it somewhere, or it could fall out of their pockets. Same goes for coins and loose change. Your best bet for securing these items is to always carefully inspect the room where your baby will be playing. Don't forget to look on tables and underneath magazines as these items often hide under these.

2. Batteries. AAA and AA are the most common found in American households, and I know in our house before our son was born we'd find batteries scattered everywhere. I don't need to get into why batteries are especially dangerous for curious babies.

3. Hard seeds, shed leaves from indoor or outdoor houseplants, and small decorations. Everyone has at least some of these guys in significant numbers in your home. Check every room and try to move ornaments with small pieces to higher ground, or just put them away until your baby is older.

These items are easily missed, so look over your house with a hawk's eye when your baby comes out to play, and don't assume any area is safe just because it was last time you looked!

Editor's note: Josh Day is a work-at-home dad who enjoys spending time with his son James. He and his wife Leah have written a practical guide to parenting for realistic people called Moderation Parenting. Learn more about their book and parenting method at http://moderationparenting.com