Baby steps in babyproofing your home

Welcoming a newborn into your life is a memorable and life-changing moment. Every parent will remember the first time they hold their new bundle of joy in their arms. Amid the cherubic grins and giggles, however, you may wonder how to best protect and keep your baby safe as he enters this world.

Babyproofing your home is one key step to providing him with a safe environment to grow up in.

To prevent the little ones from hitting their heads when exploring with curiosity, you can place table bumpers on sharp corners.

Laying a soft play mat or rug will also make sure they do not get hurt while playing.

Consider installing latches and baby safety gates to prevent your baby from roaming too far beyond a certain area or entering hazardous places such as the kitchen or the balcony.

Thankfully, there are baby monitors which allow you to watch your child as they sleep in a separate room, giving you time to catch a breather and gain some peace of mind at the same time. Such devices are increasingly advanced these days and can even be linked to and controlled through smartphone apps.

You can use electrical cord shorteners or cable wraps to keep wires, and their connected appliances, out of reach from your child.

Open sockets pose a danger and a risk of electrocution. Using socket covers is a good way to prevent your little curious ones from sticking their fingers or any objects into them.

Importantly, keep a well-stocked First Aid kit at home at all times, in case an emergency strikes at home.

For added assurance, especially with a growing family, you can consider home insurance to safeguard your home. GREAT Home Protect provides extensive all-risks coverage to protect your building, renovations and even household contents. It also provides coverage for alternative accommodation if your home is unfit to be lived in as a result of unexpected home mishaps like fires caused by cooking or electrical faults, or even a burst water pipe.

To lessen your financial burden should any accident or illness happen to your child, having an Integrated Shield or personal accident plan can provide the necessary coverage.

The affordable GREAT Junior Protector, for instance, gives your little one worldwide coverage against accidents at S$1.22* a day.

It provides comprehensive coverage of up to S$9,000^† reimbursement for Accidental Medical Expenses against accidents and sickness^‡  that affect the young ones, including common ailments like Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD), Avian Influenza and dengue fever. Coverage is also provided on a ‘per accident’ basis which provides better financial support on unexpected multiple incidents in a year.

In the event your child gets hospitalised for any of the covered specified Infectious Diseases, you can receive a daily hospital cash benefit of up to S$150 per day^†, along with further coverage for medical expenses reimbursement for follow-up treatments.

Another plan that can support the medical expenses of your growing child is GREAT SupremeHealth, a MediSave-approved Integrated Shield Plan that provides additional coverage on top of MediShield Life, the basic health insurance plan for all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents.

When supplemented with GREAT SupremeHealth, new parents can be assured with coverage of up to 95%^§  of the eligible hospitalisation bill, whether the medical care is from Restructured Hospital or Private Panel Providers.

Conclusion

Protecting your newborn child and babyproofing your home may seem daunting, but taking the right precautionary measures now can bring ease of mind in the long term for you and your loved ones. Start your child’s insurance coverage as young as 15 days after birth or 15 days after discharge from hospital, whichever is later.

Footnotes:

* Daily rate is based on the annual premium of GREAT Junior Protector Plan C, divided by 365 days and rounded off to the nearest cent. Premium rate is inclusive of the prevailing rate of GST. The prevailing rate of GST is subject to change. The premium rates for this policy are not guaranteed and may be adjusted based on future experience.

^† Coverage is based on GREAT Junior Protector Plan C. The precise terms and conditions of this insurance plan are specified in the policy contract.

^‡ Sickness refers to Dengue Fever, food poisoning, Hand, Food and Mouth Disease, and Zika Virus.

^§ Applicable when the GREAT SupremeHealth plan is attached with either:

a) GREAT TotalCare A plan or GREAT TotalCare B plan;

b) GREAT TotalCare P Signature and for bills incurred at Panel Providers and/or at Restructured Hospitals; or

c) GREAT TotalCare P Optimum and for bills incurred at Restructured Hospitals.

Disclaimers:

This advertisement has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

The information presented is for general information only and does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person.

It is usually detrimental to replace an existing accident and health plan with a new one. A penalty may be imposed for early plan termination and the new plan may cost more, or have less benefits at the same cost.

You may wish to seek advice from a qualified adviser before buying the product. If you choose not to seek advice from a qualified adviser, you should consider whether the product is suitable for you. If you decide that the policy is not suitable after purchasing the policy, you may terminate the policy in accordance with the free-look provision, if any, and the insurer may recover from you any expense incurred by the insurer in underwriting the policy.

Maximum entry age for GREAT SupremeHealth (P Plus, A Plus and B Plus) and GREAT TotalCare is age 75 years next birthday.

GREAT TotalCare is not a MediSave-approved Integrated Shield plan and premiums are not payable using MediSave. GREAT TotalCare is designed to complement the benefits offered under GREAT SupremeHealth

Protected up to specified limits by SDIC.

Information correct as at 8 January 2025.