Baby care - Check your indoor plants for safety

As soon as your baby is able to hold objects in her hand, you will notice that he uses his mouth to explore them - the highly developed senses in her mouth make it perfect for the job! But as soon as your baby is mobile - whether crawling or toddling - your baby's need to "mouth" items becomes a cause for concern. This is because your baby does not discriminate - anything and everything will end up in her mouth!
Most of us move dangerous or delicate items out of our babies' reach at this point - but items that often get overlooked are house plants and flowers.
Although most house plants are non-toxic, there are some that could upset your baby's stomach or cause severe illness if she were to put them in his mouth.
It's impossible to provide a complete list of all toxic plants here, but the following list contains examples of common household and garden plants that would be poisonous to a young baby. If you are not sure of the names of all the plants you have at home, then it's a good idea to take a cutting to a local garden centre or nursery for identification.
List of poisonous plants and flowers
-delphinium
-lily of the valley
-caladium
-dieffenbachia
-rhododendron
-oleander
-wisteria
-yew
-laurel
-poinsettia
-holly
-mistletoe
-deadly nightshade
-hyacinth (and bulb)
-narcissus bulb
-daffodil bulb
-ivy
-hydrangea

The California Poison Control System provides a comprehensive list of toxic plants, plus a list of safe plants (it's worth taking a moment to browse this site more fully, as it contains lots of useful information about preventing poisoning within the home).
As soon as your baby is crawling, begin teaching her that it's wrong to pull leaves straight from a plant and put them into his mouth - even if you know that YOUR plants are safe, she may one day be in an environment with plants that could be harmful.
If you are concerned that your baby may have ingested part of a toxic plant, seek medical advice immediately. If you are taking your child to hospital, take a cutting from the plant with you.
Remember, though, that toxicity isn't the only hazard to your baby from plants. Even "safe" plants can be dangerous - leaves still pose a choking risk and some babies may try to eat the soil or small pebbles from the pot. If you have a plant that overhangs the surface it's sitting on, then keep it in a room your baby doesn't have access to - otherwise your baby may pull the plant down on to her head.