Safer Child Products

I was browsing online the other day and was amazed at how many shopping cart covers there are now.  However, I don’t think any of them include a seatbelt.  When my daughter was little, I purchased what was more of a padded seatbelt.  Well, it has a small part to sit on and a part that could cover the cart’s handle, but what interested me the most was that it had a wide band with Velcro intended to serve as a seatbelt.  That made me happy because she was not supported in the shopping cart.  Also, the seatbelts provided were nasty and often were unable to be tightened.

Last month I was running to the grocery store to pick up a few last minute items when I saw a good friend of mine.  She was there with her 3 kids, her 10 y/o, her 7 y/o and her 4 y/o.  It was the end of a long day for them and everyone was at their wit’s end.  She wanted to contain them and I suppose decrease the whining, so she put the 2 big ones in the cart and the youngest in the seat up front.  I was quite surprised to see this, but didn’t know if I should say anything.  I worried about the safety of this, but I also couldn’t imagine where she would put any food, or how she could push the cart with 3 kids in it.

I worry about child safety in general and have seen many people walk away from their carts with their kids still in it.  However, I worry about falls from shopping carts.  I don’t know if it is a common known fact that many children (about 23,000/ year) end up in the emergency room with head and neck injuries from shopping cart falls. These injuries occur both from the child falling out of the cart because they were standing or climbing, and also from the shopping cart tipping over.  This is common when you have an older child climbing on or standing on the outside of the carts. According to the U.S. CPSC, “Falls from shopping carts are among the leading causes of head injuries to young children.” http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5075.html

Think about alternate ways you can get your shopping done with your child.  Do not put an infant carrier in or on the shopping cart.  If your supermarket offers carts with low down cars for kids, consider using those instead.  The AAP makes other suggestions http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/pediatrics;118/2/e545.pdf.

Let’s keep all our kids safe!

Safer Child Products

When my first child was born, I kept a Pack N Play on the main floor of our house, so I was not constantly running up and down.  I loved the convenience of having a secure place to put baby down to sleep.  I also brought it with us whenever we traveled.  

However, I remember the baby getting too big for the removable changing table so fast.  And at what point do you take the bassinet out and have to use the full depth of the play yard?

I decided to look up guidelines and reviews on play yards so I could share the cautions and the usefulness. 

According to a Consumer Reports article, “Stop using the changing table insert when your child reaches the manufacturer's weight or height limit, which might be 15 to 25 pounds, 25 inches in height, or 4 months old, whichever comes first. It varies per manufacturer, so check your owner's manual.”

In addition, “Stop using the bassinet feature when your baby either reaches the manufacturer's recommended weight limit or can sit up, pull up, roll over, or push up on hands and knees (at about 4 months and 15 pounds).”

This article has lots of other useful tips, such as not to use a sheet and not to hang toys from a rope in the play yard.  Some of these suggestions may seem obvious, but it never hurts to be reminded, especially when we are sleepless or desperate to find things to keep baby happy and things convenient for Mom.

Check out the review at http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/baby-toddler/play-and-activity/play-yards/play-yards/play-yard-precautions/play-yard-precautions.htm.  This has important information about the setup of the play yard and its safety as well.

Safer Child Products

Do you know the difference between Sherbert and Sorbet?  I never did.  Does it matter you may ask?  If your child, or someone you know has a dairy allergy, it matters a lot! 

Last night we went out for dinner with visiting family.  We all know that our niece has a dairy allergy, and when everyone else ordered ice cream, she got cookies.  What 2 y/o do you know that would accept something different than what everyone else has?  Well, in trying to keep the peace, her parents ordered her sherbert, figuring that was something she could eat. 

A few minutes later, our niece started breaking out in hives, and getting very blotchy, red cheeks.  Fortunately, her parents gave her Benadryl and she seemed to improve.  It was very scary, because she has had worse reactions and ended up in the hospital before. 

Apparently, Sherbert has milk in it whereas Sorbet does not.  http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-facts/sherbet-vs-sorbet.htm

Now we all know and her parents will be more cautious in the future.  A temper tantrum is better than a trip to the hospital. 

Our niece is also allergic to egg , soy, and nuts.  I can’t believe how common this has become.  I was wondering if any of this is something she is likely to outgrow, but  “According to research from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center published in Science Daily in December 2007, milk and egg allergies now appear to be more persistent and harder to outgrow.”  http://www.allergicchild.com/suboutgrowingallergies.htm Looks like she is going to have a long road ahead of her as she learns what she can eat and what she can’t, and her parents figure out how supportive their school system will be.

Safer Child Products

Christmas may be over, but many families keep their trees and lights up until after New Year’s.  Also, it is still Hanukkah and many families are lighting candles.  Never leave burning candles unattended, be sure to remove dish towels, and wooden serving utensils from area around candles.  Stay alert to the condition and freshness of your tree.  Keep water in the tree stand.  Dry trees are more likely to catch fire.  http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/story/2011-12-19/Christmas-trees-and-trappings-can-fan-fire-risk/52065596/1

I watched a TV program about Amazing Christmas Light Displays.  They were huge and beautifu, however, think of all the extra electricity this requires.  Do not overload your circuits or your extension cords.  Do not hesitate to contact an electrician if you blow a fuse or are concerned about the strain your light display may be placing on your system.

Safer Child Products

There has been a lot of concern about Child Obesity lately and whether overweight children are more likely to be injured in a crash than smaller children.

According to a study published in the journal PEDIATRICS Vol 128, Number 6, December 2011 “The risk of clinically significant injuries was NOT associated with weight across a broad weight range in this sample of children in MVC’s who were using child restraint systems.”

This is very reassuring, but let’s not forget that we need need to keep our children properly restrained in a Child Restraint appropriate for their height and weight. Be sure to get your car seat checked to be sure that it is secure.

For a car seat inspection station near you go to http://www.seatcheck.org/

Safer Child Products

As the weather gets colder and mornings are frosty, many of us wonder how to fit the kids into their car seats with their warm fluffy coats on.  Well, the answer is don’t!  Puffy Jackets have no place in the car seat.  If possible, warm up the car OUTSIDE the garage.  Keep blankets in the car that you can put over your child once they are buckled in the car seat.  Also, they can wear their jacket backwards, so that it can warm their arms and body without interfering with the harness straps. 

Puffy jackets take up space between the body and the harness, and even when you think the straps are tight, they are likely only tight to the jacket.  In an impact, instead of being held tight in the seat, the jacket will compress and the child will be thrust against the harness. 

An alternative is to unzip the jacket and pull the sides out from underneath the straps.  Pull the jacket flaps to the side and tighten the harness to the body.

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/340181/group/Life/

Safer Child Products

Some days I feel like I live in my car.  Between running to the gym, to school, to shop, after school activities, appointments, etc.  We are always busy.  I always keep pencils in my car incase one of the kids needs to start HW in the car, or I need to make myself a note. However, one of my pet peeves is that my purse (and whatever else is on the passenger’s seat) inevitably end up on the floor.  No matter how carefully I try to drive, there are windy roads and short stops that send things flying. I need to be sure to keep my purse zipped, but this is small potatoes.

I worry about all the other stuff that is thrown into the car. When my daughter was little, she had a soft car toy, or so I thought.  It was great because it had a steering wheel, a mirror, and a shifter and horn.  However, I did not realize that the bottom was hard.  Fortunately, no one was hurt and we learned that it was still better to remove it from the car and stick to completely soft toys.  I have even noticed when I am driving alone that our booster seats slide.  I know I’ve been advised to keep them buckled so that they don’t become a projectile.  What projectiles do you have in your car?  When you go grocery shopping, do you put things on the seat next to the kids?  When you go to the library, where do you put the books?  I am lucky if I remember to bring a bag with me. 

If you keep in mind that the stuff in our cars will keep moving even after you have breaked, you will want to be sure that anything that is loose or on the seat is soft and will not hurt anyone if it goes flying.  Take the weight of the item and multiply it by the speed at which you are travelling, and that is the force at which the object will hit something. Be sure to secure packages in the trunk, or at least on the floor wells in the car.  Keep things in the front when you can, since they will not travel backwards and hit the kids that way.  It is simple enough, but not something to be taken lightly.

See the following article to see what happened to this little boy from a soft spouted sippy cup.

http://thestir.cafemom.com/baby/120581/Almost_Deadly_Sippy_Cup_Incident