Safer Child Products

I recently read an article referring to recalls and warnings about the Bumbo baby seat.  Many parents have been using the Bumbo on chairs and other elevated surfaces.  Then babies were falling and sustaining skull fractures.  Not good.  So, I was thinking about it.  I know that Bumbo was intended for use on the floor to support a baby in an upright position once they can hold up their head. I have read the box.  That being said, my husband and I realize that we do not always read directions included in packaging because a product’s use and function seems obvious.  I’m sure that is what was happening with the Bumbo as well.  People think they know how to use it, maybe it was a gift or even a hand me down, with no box!  It certainly looks like it could be a booster that would sit on a chair, and wouldn’t it be nice to have baby in an upright position for a change?

Allen and I are very safety conscious. We always buckled the seat belts in the high chair and stroller, and always buckled tightly the booster seat w/ tray to the chair.  However, I know many parents do not feel the need to take that extra step. They certainly mean no harm by it, but they probably do not think it’s necessary.  Either they “know” that their child isn’t going to go anywhere, or they want their toddler to be able to climb out when they are ready.  It makes me nervous to see a child climbing out of the stroller while it is moving, and I’ve seen kids get tangled trying to climb out of a booster seat at the table.  The height of a high chair frightens me, because surely there would be injuries if a child fell from that height, were they not buckled in.  I am not passing judgment. I am just reflecting on common practice. 

My final thought is this.  Babies are very wiggly.  They do have control yet of their bodies. You never know when the baby is going to decide to kick or squirm or throw their weight and if the bouncy seat or infant carrier (or Bumbo) is up on the table, then they are likely to fall off.  Please keep all baby seats on the floor and supervise them at all times.

If parents are having trouble using something simple like a Bumbo, then it’s no wonder statistics show 3 out of 4 car seats are installed incorrectly!  It’s not stupidity; it’s that these products are not made with common sense in mind.

Safer Child Products

You may have figured out by now that we are all about child safety. Since my husband Allen is a pediatrician, we have access to all the journals and AAP recommendations as they come out.  I just read the AAP’s latest statement on sleep.  I like that it encompassed all Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), not ONLY SIDS. 

The AAP strongly recommends that infants sleep flat on their backs, with no pillow, no blanket, no bumpers or soft toys. These accessories are things that we, as adults, associate with sleep and comfort. It is not necessary, and can be dangerous for infants.  They should continue to sleep on their backs until 1 year of age or the time when they can roll themselves over and back again.

When my kids were that age, I had several friends who said the only way they could get their babies to sleep was to put them in the infant carrier.  I believe they even transitioned the carrier into the crib to familiarize their infant w/ the crib environment.  I even heard parents who let their babies sleep on their bellies for naptime, but at night, they laid them on their backs.  Nap time shouldn’t be any different than night time.  Sleep is sleep.

In October 17^th’s issue of Pediatrics, the policy statement entitled “Sleep and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Expansion of Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment” details 15 recommendations, and explanations for many of them, but how realistic are they in practice?  I understand that they want infants to sleep on their backs in the crib and not in car seats, swings, strollers or other “sitting devices”, but infants and young children spend so much of their time sleeping, are we supposed to wake them up every time they fall asleep in the car, or in the swing?  Some parents will drive around the block just to soothe their baby or get them to sleep.  Many babies find swings soothing and will nap in those as well.  Is the AAP suggesting that we don’t use swings?  We all want our children to be safe and the AAP makes many excellent points. The nice thing about the infant carrier is that we do not have to wake the baby to take them into the store.  With slings and cloth carriers the recommendations are to have the child’s head up above the fabric and not nestled against the adult’s body.  Again, I get it, but is that realistic with very young children? 

Go ahead and read the recommendations yourself and tell me what you think.  A lot of them make sense, and we all want our children to be safe, but how are you going to apply these to your real life?   http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/10/12/peds.2011-2284

Safer Child Products

I am always curious what parents will do to keep their kids happy in the car.  Do you have toys in the car?  Are they soft, or can they become dangerous projectiles in the event of a crash?  Do you play kiddie music over and over or sing until you are blue in the face?  How about feeding the kids in the car?  I always had snacks with me to keep my children happy while riding in the car.  To this day, my daughter acts like she cannot survive 10 minutes in the car without eating.  When she is hungry, she wants food NOW!

However, with so many choices of car seats and unclear, ever changing guidelines I worry that some parents will change their child’s car seat too soon.  When the baby gets heavy in the carrier, or their toes are hitting everything as you walk by, there is no reason to keep them in the infant carrier (except maybe convenience of portability).  Many convertible car seats can be used rear facing and forward facing.  Just because you move the baby to a bigger seat, certainly does not mean to put the seat forward facing if they are not ready.

Many of the child car seats on the market can be used Rear Facing from as little as 5 pounds and to as high as 35 or 40 pounds.  Check the sticker on the side of your child car seat or the instruction manual.  It is a good idea to keep the instruction manual either attached to the back of the car seat or in your car, so it is available for easy reference. I’ve made that mistake and been asked at a car seat safety check if I have my manual and I did not.  I’ve found that I had questions about where to put the top tether and I’ve had to dig around in the file cabinet to find the instruction manual.

So, you may ask, my baby is always so unhappy in the car and hates to be rear facing.  Unfortunately, this does happen, but perhaps the baby would be happier in a larger seat.  The right seat is the one that fits properly in your car, is easy for you to use and meets the height and weight requirements or your child.

http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html

Safer Child Products

So many times I am walking in the mall or supermarket, even the playground and I see infants in their car seat carrier whose straps are loose or chest clip is down by the belly button. It really makes me wonder 2 things.

1.   Do parents then put the infant carrier back in the car like this and
2.   Were parents ever taught that the chest clip needs to be up at armpit or nipple level and harness snug to body to keep the baby secure? 

Why do many parents feel that it is necessary to loosen the straps on their child’s harness?  I know that no one’s intention is for our children to be less safe outside the car than in! With a loose harness, a child is likely to stick there arm thru the gap in the straps or even fall out if tilted or dropped. The harness is designed to hold the child securely in the seat so that the seat itself takes the impact and the child should more or less not move.

I worry about this. If parents are not taught how to install and use their child car seats properly, then our children are not as safe in the car as they could be.  I don’t know how many people really take the time to read their car seat manual cover to cover. 

I know that some hospitals are now giving classes on the newborn/postpartum floor on how to properly place and secure your newborn into a car seat/infant carrier. I think this is fabulous and encourage every parent of a newborn to participate, whether this is your first child or your fifth!  Car seat styles and regulations have changed so much over the years, it’s always good to be refreshed and get updated recommendations.

This week is National Child Passenger Safety Week and this Saturday, September 24^th is Seat Check Saturday.  For information on car seat checks in your area go to www.safekids.org

Safer Child Products

Everywhere we look there are messages telling us that children are safest in car seats. Infant carriers are made for the convenience of transporting a sleeping baby in and out of the car. It’s a nice little seat, convenient to have a place to put the baby down.  Who ever thought that these same safety seats could be a danger to children OUTSIDE of the vehicle?  Maybe we have a false sense of security that as long as baby is in the car seat or carrier, they will be safe.

In reality, these seats are heavy and can be flipped over.  Often times we underestimate the ability for infants and young children to move.  Just because they are not crawling or even rolling over yet, does not mean that they are still 100% of the time.  Babies kick their feet, and squirm and wiggle quite a bit.  If the carrier is placed on top of a chair or a table, or even a washing machine, this places baby at risk of a fall. 

I read in an article in US News and World Report,” According to the researchers, who examined injury reports to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 43,562 babies were treated in emergency departments for car seat accidents that occurred outside of motor vehicles from 2003 to 2007—which translates to about 8,700 babies a year. Most of the children were 8 months or younger, and most suffered a head or neck injury as a result of falling from the car seat.” http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/on-parenting/2010/07/07/car-seats-arent-safe-when-used-in-the-home

I then read the study which was published in Pediatrics, Volume 126, Number 2, August 2010.  The study found that most injuries were caused by infants falling from car seats (they were un-restrained), car seats falling from elevated surfaces and even car seats overturning on soft surfaces. Soft surfaces you ask?  What’s the risk of that?  If the carrier overturns on a soft surface, the infant is likely to be trapped underneath and if his/her face is down in the carpet/soft surface, they can suffocate. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/126/2/352.abstract

Lastly, there is no substitute for supervision.  If you need to leave the baby unattended, consider placing him in a crib or play yard where he will be safe and contained.

Safer Child Products

There has been much debate over what to do with the handle on the infant carrier when you put the carrier in the car.  Like many things, the recommendations have changed over time.

Many infant carriers have more handle positions than just all the way up or all the way down/back.  Why are there other positions?  One position may be used to stabilize the carrier when sitting on the floor, however many companies today are reinforcing the handle and recommending that it stays up in the car. 

If you read the owner's manual that came with your carrier, it will tell you what the different positions are, and what they are approved for. 

Babycenter.com has some seat-specific information.
http://community.babycenter.com/post/a12911105/infant_carrier_handle_-_up_or_down