SAFETY SQUAD BLOG

5 Questions with Josh of Baby Solutions

We'd like you to get to know Josh Berliant. He's the founder of Baby Solutions, Safety Squad's preferred childproofer since 2007. We sat down with him to deliver some childproofing basics to parents.

Safety Squad: When should parents begin thinking about childproofing?

Josh: It really is never too soon to begin the babyproofing process. Parents should start thinking about babyproofing even before they give birth to the child.  Its a great time to evaluate the safety of your home and furnishings, while you still have your sanity.  Waiting until your child begins to crawl is a mistake.

Safety Squad: What advice do you have for first time parents new to babyproofing?

Josh: Advice I would give new parents is that all products are not created equally.  Many of the products on the market can do more harm than good.  A professional can really help to ensure you are using quality 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:

No "Lawn Storks" allowed........

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children caution parents against giving away 'seemingly" harmless information to the public about their new baby.  Safety Squad encourages parents to take the same precautions with their new baby that they take to protect their own identity.  It is estimated that between 1983 - 2008, 256 infant abductions occured in the US (0-6 months of age).  Although the rate is far from epidemic, the impact is always devastating. Good parenting includes safeguarding your baby's identity through the following measures:

Before you leave the hospital, be sure one of the pictures you take with your digital camera includes a full, front-face view. Have a complete written description of your infant including hair and eye color, length, weight, and specific physical characteristics.

Do not let anyone into your home who claims to be affiliated with the hospital you delivered at, your pediatrician, or state government agencies. Free services are often too good to be true and the "state" does not offer any such free services to the majority of new parents.  Furthermore, if you are one of the few parents entitled to this type of service, you would have been told about it and provided with written instructions from your healthcare team. Never let anyone into your home you do not know  - nurses, lab technicians, photographers, social workers, or the cable TV guy...

Urgent - Another drop-side crib recall

Yesterday, the last of the Simplicity drop-side cribs were recalled (400,000 units).  This is the model that parents were told was a "safe" replacement for earlier Simplicity recalls.  Are you still using a drop-side crib?   Check to be sure that your's was not recalled at www.cpsc.gov.  Are you wondering how to tell if your drop-side crib is safe?  Nancy Cowles, executive director, of Kids in Danger, shared these tips with us:

• check for recalls, not just upon purchase, but periodically.  Sign up for an e-alert process that will keep you informed of recalls (Safety Squad likes the monthly newsletter from Kids in Danger; sign up at www.kidsindanger.org)
• Check your crib against the product manual.  Is is assembled correctly?  Is all the correct hardware in place?  Are all the connections, bolts, nuts, tighted down correctly and not protruding?  This inspection should be performed periodically.  Cribs are not tested for durability and "routine" use can degrade the integrity of the product. If you do not have the owners manual, contact the manufacturer for a replacement.
• Does the drop-side rail lock properly and securely when in raised position?
• Have you ever had problems with your drop side crib, such as the side lowering on its own and feeling loose, or insecure.  If so, do not use the crib.

I'm falling...

According to the most recent report from the Consumer Products Safety Commission,"falls related to nursery products are a leading cause of injury or death for children from birth to age 5".  In 2006 there were 66,400 emergency room admissions for nursery product fall-related accidents.  The head was the most frequently injured body part in all of the injuries.

The top offenders are:

• Infant carriers (excluding motor vehicle collisions): 14,200 ER admissions
• Cribs: 11,300 ER admissions
• Strollers: 11,100 ER admissions
• High Chairs: 9,900 ER admissions

The primary thing parents can do to protect their child is to educate themselves on the proper and safe use of nursery products. Do not use products in ways that they are not intended to be used. Additionally, never use broken or defective equipment or items that have been recalled.

Every parent should read this.

This recent article from the Washington Post Magazine explores the problem of children being left in hot vehicles.  The story focuses on one family's experience. We often hear chuckles when we speak with parents on this.  Many think that there is absolutely no way that they would let this happen to their children.  This piece may put the issue in a different light for many. Be forewarned that it is long. It is also very sad and a bit graphic. We urge you to read from the original source here as it features additional media.  You need to make a password and login with the Washington Post but it's free and well worth it. We've also included this link to the Washington Post that includes a Q and A with it's author Gene Weingarten.

Fatal Distraction
Forgetting a child in the back seat of a hot, parked car is a horrifying, inexcusable mistake. But is it a crime?

By Gene Weingarten

Washington Post Staff Writer

The defendant was an immense man, well over 300 pounds, but in the gravity of his sorrow and shame he seemed larger still. He hunched forward in the sturdy wooden armchair that barely contained him, sobbing softly into tissue after tissue, a leg bouncing nervously under the table. In the first pew of spectators sat his wife, looking stricken, absently twisting her wedding band.

"Room-sharing” instead of “bed-sharing” is safest for newborns and infants

75% - 80% of babies who die from SIDS are not sleeping in cribs (www.sidsillinois.org). Providing a baby-friendly sleep environment is one of the best ways to protect your baby from SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).  A safe sleep environment for an infant consists of a safety-approved crib, a new, firm mattress, and a tight-fitting sheet.  No toys, bumpers, feather beds, sheep skins, blankets, or covers.

Adult beds were not meant for babies.  Babies are not only at an increased risk for SIDS in the adult bed, they are also 40 times more likely to die from accidentally suffocation or entrapment. This can happen from blankets, pillows, quilts, as well as other family members in the bed.  The newer memory foam, or Tempur-pedic mattresses, can be especially dangerous because...

Why do they sell bumper pads if I’m not supposed to use them?

The simple answer….because we keep buying them. Believe it or not, there is very little legislation that addresses the type of products that can be sold and advertised as “baby products”.  Welcome to the overwhelming world of baby gear – there a lot of products that you will not need.  Some of them helpful, others that are innocuous, some that can be harmful.

Bumper pads no longer have a function in today’s contemporary world of “safety approved” cribs.  Bumper pads were used to prevent baby from escaping through the crib bars, or entrapping a body part between the rails. All newly manufactured cribs have to have corner posts, slats, spindles, or rails that are not more than 2 3/8 inches apart. (Download Federal crib regulations 2001 ) This concept of preventing “escape” or “entrapment” is no longer an issue.
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ABC Expo: The Car Seat/Stroller Connection

Our mission at Safety Squad is to leave no stone in the car seat world unturned. This past year, we have witnessed the influence the stroller industry is having on safety decisions parents make about car seats. 

So, this year we spent the first day at the ABC Expo focusing on carseat/stroller compatibility. Normally, this is something we wouldn't put much thought into, but we know that moms are generally choosing their stroller first, then limiting their car seat choices to fit the stroller.

Here is the problem: In your vehicle, not all car seats fit the same. Until parents find a car seat that works best for them and fits properly in their car, they shouldn't buy a compatible stroller.

We'll check back today and shed more light on this issue.