SAFETY SQUAD: We're here to prepare you

Car Seat Saves Child in Fire: Part #1

Last week, 5 people died in a raging fire in Brooklyn, NY.  It's hard to see the positive, until we look at the lessons learned.  We will expand on this post in coming days, but wanted to focus on one aspect of the rescue.

A two-month old infant was dropped out of a 3rd floor window to the ground below and lived. In a frenzy the infant was placed in a car seat before being dropped. While the baby sustained injuries, it will survive.

In later posts, we'll discuss Smoke Detectors, Escape Ladders and the 411 on dialing 911, but first we're going to talk about that car seat.  As firefighters, we know that regardless of economic, cultural or geographical factors, parents and their children become trapped in their homes just like this family.

Lesson #1: You CAN use a car seat to lower children to safety.  Even in the most prepared household... one with fire ladders on all floors, few parents ever consider how they'll get their children (especially 2 and under) down their ladders. Climbing down escape ladders is not easy. By using an infant carrier or toddler seat w/rope attached, parents can safely lower a child to safety before they climb down the escape ladder.

Now, the car seat is not intended for this, but if you secure a baby "correctly" (more on this later) in the 5-point harness and secure the rope securely (before the fire), your family may be in a safer position.

At fires, I carry rope in my fire coat. I know that in some fires I won't have time to tie off before I jump, but having it gives me options. The same is true with a car seat and rope. Finally, this should not be your first method of escape for parents with infants/children. If you can escape another way, do that. This post will be evolving, so let us know your questions.

Maxi Cosi Recall: February 5, 2010

The Maxi Cosi Mico had been recalled again. We're well aware of this issue and will post a video soon showing you what's wrong.  Check out the recall information below. Safety Squad Home Clients being notified.

NHTSA Campaign ID Number: 10C001

Synopsis:
Dorel Juvenile Group (DJG) is recalling certain Maxi-Cosi Mico infant child restraint systems, models 22-371 HFL, JUC, LMD, PNG, and ORE; 22-372 TTH; and Maxi-Cosi Mico infant child restraint system - base only, model 22-515 BLK, produced from February 18, 2008 through June 28, 2008. Interference between the mounting bracket and the base caused by warping of the base or inadequate mating between the shell and the base mounting bracket can result in difficulty attaching or detaching the shell from the base. If the shell is improperly mounted to the base, the child could be injured in the event of a crash. DJG will notify all registered owners and will send a remedy kit consisting of two base springs, a hex wrench, and instructions for the base spring replacement. The repair kit is free of charge. The safety campaign is expected to begin on or about February 5, 2010. Owners may contact DJG at 1-877-657-9546.

For more information for this particular recall, please go to 10C001.

Previous Recall Post from July

Blog Upgrade In-Progress

Hey Everyone!  In 2010, we're going to be posting more often and on a wider array of family safety topics.  We are also going to be moving to video on a good portion of posts.  Our new store will highlight the products we recommend.  We use these products every day and know they work.  If you have suggestions, let us know!    Thanks, Brooks and Steve

How should I dispose of an expired car seat?

We received an email asking us what to do with a car seat once it has expired. This is a great question and is the perfect follow-up for the "Do car seats have expiration dates?" post.  Thanks Kim B. for the question.

It's important to ensure that the seat is not reused by any parent for their child.  One effective way to do this is to remove the harness and dispose of it separately. Remove the padding, break it up and throw it out separately, as well.  Finally, use a permanent marker to write NOT SAFE FOR USE in large print in several locations on the shell. 

We have heard some people suggest that parents break up the shell with heavy tools. Safety Squad doesn't recommend this. We don't want anyone hurting themselves trying to destroy car seats. Seats can be difficult to destroy and tools can take high levels of skill to use safely. Not to mention, flying metal and plastic can cause serious injury.

Perhaps, you can drop the shell off at a recycling center in your community.  We checked in Chicago and car seats are not listed among their accepted items.  Maybe your community actually has a plan to accept retired car seats. Call your local government's information line for answers.

If you are so inclined... the best way to ensure that the seat is totally destroyed is to watch the garbage truck crush it on trash day.  Short of that, double bag it with heavy duty trash bags and tie it securely before throwing it in the garbage.  The idea is to make it hard for people picking through the trash to resurrect your dead seat.

We realize this seems like a lot of work...and it is, but your efforts can actually save a child's life. 

 

Prenatal Exercise: It's Safe

Why It’s Important & How To Get Started

Not long ago, if you saw a pregnant woman jogging or working out, you would have thought she is doing harm her unborn child. We knew little about exercise’s effects on child and mother, and advice given to moms-to-be was based on misconceptions and hearsay. Three decades of research have brought clarity to exercising safely during pregnancy and how exercise benefits both mother and child.

Guidelines and recommendations for exercise during pregnancy continue to evolve as more comprehensive research is performed. For example, in 1984, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published the first exercise guidelines for pregnancy. One guideline stated that the maternal heart rate not to exceed 140 beats per minute. Even though it was revised in 1994, this guideline is still cited today. Current research has found that maternal heart rate is not an accurate indicator to gage exertion due to the physiological adaptations that occur in a pregnant woman’s body.

Is your bassinet a safe sleep environment for baby?

Unlike cribs.. cradles, bassinets, and co-sleepers are not regulated by the federal government. During the past 13 months, more than 1,000,000 bassinets by 3 different  manufacturers have been recalled. The latest re-issued recall involved the Simplicity close sleeper or bedside sleeper.  This particular recall was preceded by the death of more than one child.  In fact, Simplicity has been involved in many recalls over the past few years. 

What can parents do to ensure their newborns's safety while sleeping?

• Be proactive and sign up for a recall notification system.  Do not wait for the manufacturer to notify you of a recall.  In fact, the Consumer Products Safety Commission states that "recalled products" are one of the 5 hidden home hazards. We suggest the monthly newsletter from Chicago-based Kids in Danger.  It is concise, easy to read, and offers action steps for parents. 
• Evaluate your bassinet in many of the same ways you would for your crib.  See Safety Squad's previous post on crib safety.  Be sure the mattress fits tight, use a bassinet without drop down sides, avoid bumpers, blankets, and stuffed animals/toys in the bassinet.
• Use a blanket alternative.  The Halo sleep sack keeps baby warm and snug.  The guardian sleeper for bassinets keeps baby warm, helps with reflux, and keeps baby properly aligned to prevent baby from moving into a compromising position.
• Be the one who doesn't use a bassinet. There is no "rule" that newborns have to sleep in a bassinet.  It is perfectly fine to return a newborn to his/her crib to sleep or nap. Are you breastfeeding and want to room share with your baby?  Sleep in your baby's room for the first few months or move the crib into your room.  The round crib by Stokke fits through standard doorways. It also converts to a toddler bed and now accomodates a nicer organic mattress.
• Follow other SIDS precautions.

Safety Squad Advice: What infant car seat should I buy?

The easiest way to guide you into the right infant seat is to tell you the following: Most of the reviews, blogs, testing, polls, etc. you'll read rarely get you any closer to the best infant seat, than if you guessed. We actually work with car seats every day... in cars. The following is the best advice you'll get.

1. Don't buy a convertible seat for a newborn (AKA toddler seat). The harness slots are too high for almost all newborns.
2. Buy an infant seat with a built in lock-off. A lock-off will make installation in the middle easier and safer for baby.
3. Buy an infant seat with both a low starting weight and a high end weight/height.  "4 lbs to 30+ lbs".  Even full-term babies will fit better in these seats. Higher weight means staying rear-facing longer, which is good parenting.
4. Don't worry about stroller compatibility. If it happens to be compatible with your stroller, great, but don't abuse it. Babies get flat-head and breathing issues when they spend too much time in car seats.

5. Get instruction from a professional car seat technician. We are guiding you to a good seat, but it won't install itself.

Our top two picks:
1. Chicco KeyFit 30
2. Britax Chaperone

For families without a car (iGo, Zipcar, Rental, Taxi)
1. Combi Shuttle (has rebound bar built into the carrier). The Shuttle 33 will be released soon.  It only goes to 22 lbs when out of the base, but the fit is amazing while traveling.

New Car Seat Blanket for Cold Weather

We do most of our car seat business in Chicago. It shouldn't be a surprise to learn that most of the year it's very cold. There are very few infant car seats that include robust cold weather accessories (one notable exception is the Teutonia T Tario ). In response, endless aftermarket manufacturers have created solutions for keeping baby warm in the car seat. 

The problem with nearly all these products is that they solve one problem, then cause another. We don't like to see products that add padding behind the head, neck or back, restrict airflow or integrate with the harness.  At the very least, they are not tested by your car seat manufacturer. Nearly all carseats forbid use of these products.

New product prevents injuries & fires: Safety Gate

So what's a restart? When the power goes out, whatever you were using at the time will "restart" when the power is restored. This is fine if you want your freezer to stay frozen, but not so great when something like a table saw or space heater kicks on when you're not looking. The manufacturer says that using this product results in a reduction of injuries and fires.

The Safety Gate product is designed to stop restarts by cutting power to your electrical device. In order to return power, one must physically turn the item off and then on again. This product shows a lot of promise. As firefighters and medics, we know this situation too well. This might be the solution to a totally preventable accident. Watch the video:

ABC: Chicco takes innovative step: Accessory Products

There is plenty to report from the All Baby and Child Conference in Vegas, but we were compelled to tell you about a new stance Chicco has taken with 3rd party products (also known as aftermarket products). Chicco has instituted a new accessory policy which allows Chicco to crash test products they believe will not affect crash dynamics (they are not looking for products to test). Their first approved accessory is the Bokoo car seat cover from bokoocovers.com for the Chicco KeyFit 30. The Bokoo provides a safe way to protect the KeyFit. This will allow users to clean up baby's messes quickly.

What makes this notable is the acknowledgment from a major manufacturer that some products can be used without reducing intrinsic safety. There are many products that are have no business being put in car seats, but there are some exceptions. Allowing specific items makes sense. We find that parents will use aftermarket products anyway. Safety Squad believes that this is a practical change in policy. As always, if you have questions about using products in your seat, check the manual. More to come...

Lap babies: We get why it happens, but now what?

Well, we're in Las Vegas again for the All Baby & Child Expo, but of course we had to fly here first. Steve was sitting next to a perfectly quiet and cute "lap baby".  The lap baby issue has always made us concerned, so while the flight attendants were telling what we already know about safety while flying, I decided to read in the seat back booklet what the airlines recommend for parents in emergencies with lap babies.

Most of the children we and you see on planes are not in car seats. Generally, the airlines don't care much if you bring a car seat or not, but if they are going to condone travel for babies without restraints, you'd think they give parents some guidance on how to prepare for a crash or turbulence with a human being in their lap.  So did we.

In the last few days, I've flown Southwest and United. In the safety booklet in the seat back, Southwest was kind enough to tell you how adults and older children should position themselves in a crash. They show infant seats (in the booklet the car seat is in the middle seat... it should be against the window), but the one thing they missed... the lap baby. No mention, no picture. Way to go.