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.

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.

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:

Getting ready for baby's safety: Car Seat, CPR.. and Cord Blood Banking

Just like learning infant CPR and how to use your baby's car seat, Cord blood banking needs to be taken care of before you deliver your baby.

Every day we work with savvy, motivated parents who understand the importance of 'planning' to ensure their baby's safety. Have you thought about what to do with your baby's cord blood?  Your baby's cord blood contains precious stem cells that have the potential to treat or cure life-threatening illnesses. However, the cord blood is routinely discarded after delivery, as part of medical waste, unless you tell your health care team otherwise.

Expectant parents have the option to privately store their baby's cord blood or donate it to the public system.  When you donate, you give up the ownership rights to the cord blood, allowing it be used for the general public through the National Marrow Donor Program. If you are having a hospital delivery at one of the 37 LifeSource participating hospitals, there is a streamlined process in place for donation through this system. There is a critical shortage of cord blood within the public system, especially for minority populations.  Donation is free of charge, but you must call 6-8 weeks before delivery to register. To learn more, visit LifeSource.  Click for more..

Breastfeeding is nature's safety net for baby

Safety for baby is about more than 'baby gear' and 'car seats'. At the cuspe of World Breastfeeding Month and the recent demonstration in Lincoln Square, we felt the need to "thank" all of our breastfeeding clients.  Everyday, Safety Squad works with families who are committed to doing everything they can to keep their children safe.  We recognize that breastfeeding is best for mom and babies.  We applaud all our moms who are striving to provide this benefit to their family. 

As emergency responders, we have encountered disasters both here and abroad. Most of us remember the spine-chilling stories of Katrina survivors who could not feed their infants and young toddlers because there was no clean water to mix with the formula. We understand the vital and global role that breastfeeding plays in emergency preparedness .  We advocate for active protection and support of breastfeeding now, and before emergencies.  Supporting breastfeeding during non-emergent times will strengthen the capacity of health care workers, emergency responders, and parents to cope during an emergency.

What do we say to the ladies who gathered at Lincoln Square? Keep up the good work to raise public support of breastfeeding.  We know it is not easy.  What do we say to the 'gentleman' who made the 'beach' comment to the Sun-times?  

Take the poo out of your shampoo. Baby will thank yoo.

Most pregnant women know that what you put in your body is important to the health and well-being of your growing baby. But, do you know that what you put on your body is of equal importance?

When you pick your products for your daily beauty routine, it is important to remember that the chemicals in your hair products pass through your scalp and are absorbed into your body. In fact, your scalp is one of the most porous areas of your body! With a developing or new baby, this is a vital concern. 

Expecting and new moms must remember that everything you eat, apply or make contact with can affect not only you but your growing baby.

"Because some topical ingredients get absorbed into the bloodstream, there are some you want to avoid," notes Leslie Baumann, professor at the University of Miami and author of The Skin Type Solution (Bantam, 2006).

While there are safe options out there, there are two chemical classes that are considered potentially harmful to your baby’s health and development. We've put together quick label lookout guide that gives you the up-to-date knowledge on the chemical ingredients that can put baby at risk. We also know that sometimes labels are a pain to translate. For some great mom-tested products, check out Mom Hair Care Faves. Here, you will find a selection of amazing products including super moisturizing pregnancy shampoo made just for you!...

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...