In addition to safety, comfort, convenience, and ease of cleaning are important in selecting clothing for infants and children. Therefore, consider the following suggestions:
- Try to buy clothing made from flame-retardant fabric. Many manufacturers are now using such materials exclusively, but it is wise to read all labels carefully.
- Make sure any small items, such as buttons, ribbons, or decorative features attached to your baby's clothing are fastened securely. A button (or whatever is pulled off or falls off) can immediately become a choking hazard. Also check to see that zippers or elastics are stitched strongly into place. If the thread around such features begins to unravel, the article should be fixed or removed before accidental ingestion becomes a possibility.
- Layettes (a term used to describe the clothing for a newborn) are generally a matter of choice. Along with a plentiful supply of diapers, your baby will also need a couple of changes of clothing daily, such as sleepers, stretch suits, nightgowns, pajamas, and undershirts; a receiving blanket; clothes for warm-weather outings or a knitted cap for cold-weather outings; socks or booties; and sweaters, bunting, or similar clothing for outings in cooler weather.
- Wash your baby's clothes in mild soap or mild detergent and double-rinse them. Do not wash them with the rest of your laundry, and do not use fabric softeners, since many of them contain chemicals that may irritate your baby's skin. It's best to continue washing your baby's things separately for the first few months until skin becomes less sensitive.
Toys are the type of equipment kids like best. But great care must be taken in buying these items, as you'll see in our final section.