Parent Extremis

Earlier this year the news story broke announcing that Melamine had been found in infant formula made and sold in China. The result was over 50,000 ill babies and sadly, a few dead babies. Melamine is a chemical with many uses, among which is the ability to appear as a protein when dangerously and illegally mixed into food substances.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says there is NO SAFE LEVEL of Melamine in infant formula. A contradiction indeed, they are also telling parents not to overreact or change their baby’s diet at this time. The levels found are extremely low, however, you be the judge. The FDA has established a section of their website for Melamine information.

Yahoo! Reports from the Associated Press:

According to FDA data for tests of 77 infant formula samples, a trace concentration of melamine was detected in one product — Mead Johnson’s Infant Formula Powder, Enfamil LIPIL with Iron. An FDA spreadsheet shows two tests were conducted on the Enfamil, with readings of 0.137 and 0.14 parts per million.

Three tests of Nestle’s Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron detected an average of 0.247 parts per million of cyanuric acid, a melamine byproduct.

The FDA said last month that the toxicity of cyanuric acid is under study, but that meanwhile it is “prudent” to assume that its potency is equal to that of melamine.

And while the FDA said tests of 18 samples of formula made by Abbott Laboratories, including its Similac brand, did not detect melamine, spokesman Colin McBean said some company tests did find the chemical. He did not identify the specific product or the number of positive tests.

Questions and Answers to you questions about Melamine. What is Melamine? What do I do if I think my infant formula contains Melamine? Melamine Information? Symptoms of Melamine poisoning?

Enfamil released a statement today saying that the FDA testing was inaccurate.

Well, folks, more products have been recalled. Products that your children might be playing with this minute. Please read below and make a note of these toys and the contact info in case you or someone you know owns these toys.

RECALLED: Cobra Electronics Children’s Two-Way Radios with Rechargeable Batteries. The batteries can leak and cause chemical burns. These toys were sold at Toys R’ Us in August and September of this year for about $30. They are made in China. If you need more information, contact Cobra Electronics at (888) 252.9889 or visit www.cobra.com.

If you return this product you will get a free-replacement and a 20% off discount towards a future purchase.

RECALLED: JA-RU recalls My Little Train Classics Toy Trains because of a choking hazard. The toy contains small parts that can detach and act as a choking hazard for young children. Made in China they are imported by JA-RU located in Jacksonville, Florida. They were sold nationwide from March 2007 through October 2008 for about $2. JA-RU can be reached at (800) 231.3470.

RECALLED: The Consumer Product Safety Commission, in conjunction with CORAL has recalled Swim N’ Score Dive Sticks because they pose a risk of impalement injury. They were sold at Modell’s Sporting Goods Stores from August 1999 until October 2008. Children can fall or land on the sticks in shallow water and suffer impalement, eye and facial injuries. If you have any of these, please contact Modell’s at (800) 275.6633 or visit www.modells.com/recall

To sign up to receive regular email notices about product safety and recalls visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website at www.cpsc.gov.

Once again I am taking a break from parenting issues to pass along some serious information that might help save your baby or the life of a baby you know.  Please please read below and make sure you do not have any of these products. These recalls are direct from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC.  You can click on the link for further information about what to do if you have one of these recalled products.

First, there was a recall of 2,000 Convertible Cribs by Playkids USA.  This crib can entrap and suffocate an infant, and in fact, a five-month old baby in Brooklyn died in August as a direct result of this faulty product.  The sides of these cribs are made of mesh that expands.   A gap can open up between the mattress and the side and an infant can slip between the side and mattress.   With any crib or pack n’ play be sure that the mattress is very tight fitting.  Mesh sides are designed so that a child who rolls over and cannot roll back is able to breathe through the mesh siding.  But that mesh should be very tight.

There was also a recall of about 800 Baby Walkers made by the My Way Corporation of San Juan, Puerto Rico.  These walkers were sold exclusively in Puerto Rico too.  The hazard of this walker is that it does not meet the voluntary standard size and can fit through a standard size doorway.  It is also not designed to stop at the edge of a stair as most walkers are nowadays.

I don’t know that this site was intended for information like what is to follow, but this is a Parenting site and I suspect most of the visitors are PARENTS and there is crucial - life-saving information that needs to be passed on and shared and spread around, NOW. Please read on, this is important.

Another baby product has been recalled. The Simplicity Drop Side Crib is being recalled because there are problems with the crib’s hardware size. The drop side can come off of the track and detach. That creates a gap that can trap and suffocate a baby.

About 600,000 of these cribs have been sold by the following retailers, AAFES, of Dallas, Texas; Babies“R”Us, of Wayne, N.J.; Burlington Coat Factory/Baby Depot, of Burlington, N.J.; K’s Merchandise (out of business); Meijer Distribution Inc., of Grand Rapids, Mich.; Nebraska Furniture Mart, of Omaha, Neb.; ShopKo, of Green Bay, Wis.;Target, of Minneapolis, Minn.; Wal-Mart Stores Inc, of Bentonville, Ark.

Here is the description of the affected cribs:

Description: This recall of Simplicity drop side cribs involves models that used a different style of hardware from those cribs recalled in September 2007. The recalled model numbers include: 8620, 8745, 8748, 8755, 8756, 8778, 8810, and 8994. The recalled drop side cribs have a date code, which can be found on a label on the headboard under the mattress support, which ends in 05DH, 05GB, 06DH, 06GB, 07DH or 07GB (examples: 1806 DH or 0507 GB). The recalled model names include: Aspen and Crib N Changer Combo, Gabrielle, Camille, Providence and Shenandoah. Only the brand name “Simplicity” can be seen on the label on the headboard.

For more information about who to contact if you or someone you know has this crib, click HERE.

Links are, in my opinions the BEST baby item out there. Of course everyone has a favorite item but I found these to be endlessly useful for a long period of time. They are a safe toy, a simple toy, with many uses.

You can link a few of these together and they are perfect little textured-multi-colored easy-to-hold “toys” perfect for newborns, babies and toddlers.  I love these multi-purpose, all-age toys.

They are made from molded plastic which is not known to have lead, a common concern these days. You can clean them with a disinfectant-wipe or just toss them in the dishwasher or a pot of boiling water for a few minutes.

I keep a few links hooked together in the car as a toy while we drive. I also keep a few in the diaper bag, a great distraction when we’re in line at the grocery and the baby just needs a distraction NOW! And they also are excellent when you are in the teething stage because the plastic is easy for little hands to hold onto and “chew”.

Links are also good for LINKING other toys to an object for entertainment purposes. You can use a few links to hold a stuffed animal toy to the edge of a stroller. And since you can “link” them toys won’t drop on the floor.

There are a bunch of different brands that make a variation of the link: Fisher Price, Kids II, and Sassy’s links are BPA-free.

They retail for between $3.99 and $5.99 a package.

It’s no secret that I like to make a big deal about product safety. It’s a big concern of mine for many reasons of which I won’t bore you with now except to say that my dad is kind of a big deal and he makes decisions that are saving lives. Children’s lives.

When I come across some good data I like to share that with my readers. The best way to keep kids safe from inevitable product failures and product misuse is to spread the word.

There is no end in sight to the number of options you have when looking for baby gear. The stroller, crib and car seat options are endless and often mind-boggling for a mother-to-be. The price ranges are vast too, but expensive DOES NOT MEAN safer. There are $500 highchairs that collapse with kids in them. There are also $60 car seats that get recalled because the LATCH straps fails to tighten correctly.

There are 7,300 injuries a year caused by high chairs. (7,300 is the number that is REPORTED, there could be more) Most often, babies will tip over, and slip out through the bottom and get strangled by the waist belt in the process. When you are in the store looking for a high chair, ignore what the store says is the “mot popular” chair. Also ignore the cutest chair. There are more important safety guidelines to consider before you look at superficial details like pattern and style.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR CHILD SAFE IN A HIGHCHAIR

* Make sure the chair has a wide base, that the legs are spread out and sturdy, this gives the chair a lower center of gravity and a reduced chance of tipping over. In the store, give the chair a push and see if it can tip easily.

* Always lock the chair before putting your child in it.

* Buckle all the crotch straps and keep them comfortably snug.

* Don’t stray too far from a child in a high chair. It is only a semi-restraint. Children are flexible and curious and determined. Often they will get one leg out of a strap and then they can climb over the top.

* Don’t let other children play around the high chair while a baby is in it.

* Don’t trust a high chair to keep your child safe, you must keep an eye on the kid at all times.

SOURCE: Parenting Magazine April 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2008
Release #08-389 Firm’s Recall Hotline: (866) 208-0269
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Optave Inc. Recalls Action Baby Carriers Due to Fall Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Action Baby Carriers

Units: About 250

Manufacturer: Optave Inc., of Alpena, Mich.

Hazard: The baby carrier’s chest strap can detach from the shoulder straps, posing a fall hazard to the baby.

Incidents/Injuries: Optave Inc. has received two reports of the chest strap detaching from the shoulder straps on the baby carrier. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recalled carriers were sold under the “Action Baby Carrier” brand name. The carriers are sold in various colors and patterns: blue, brown, green, “so square”, “the larrisa” and “spring breeze.”

Sold at: Specialty retail stores nationwide and Internet sites from May 2008 through June 2008 for between $80 and $90.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the carrier in the positions that require the use of the chest strap and contact Optave to receive free replacement straps.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Optave Inc. at toll-free (866) 208-0269 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.actionbabycarriers.com

—

Send the link for this page to a friend! The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $800 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC’s hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC’s web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

Wine! I highly suggest keeping a good bottle of cheap wine in the house at all times. It’s very nice to have a calming glass of wine after the kids go to bed each night. There are nights when that little treat renews me and lulls me into a ready-for-sleeping calm that I haven’t been able to channel sans alcohol since well before I had a baby.

I’m not at all advocating alcoholism or drinking as a means of managing the stresses of parenthood, however, it is a good coping tool! But, if you would rather consume a more benign substance, try an herbal tea or warm milk which is proven to help you sleep, and gives you a good dose of calcium and protein. Milk contains very small doses of melatonin and tryptophan that tend to have a sleepy calming effect on the body and mind.

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is not recommended, however if you are breastfeeding it can be safe, in moderation. Alcohol can be found in breast milk but the amounts are small, however, it is recommended that you have only one and no more than two drinks per day while nursing. Although, two drinks each day and every day isn’t suggested, so, you know, be smart about it. Alcohol doesn’t stay in breast milk, it does get metabolized by the body so you don’t necessarily need to pump and throw away the milk. For more information about alcohol consumption while breast-feeding, visit Bella Online.

A good nighttime tea to try is Celestial Seasonings Sweet Apple Chamomile. It is all natural, free of calories and caffeine. If you prefer an organic tea, try Sweet Clementine Chamomile Organic Herb Tea, also by Celestial Seasonings.

In a perfect world I would own three strollers. I would have a Maclaren Triumph umbrella stroller for scooting around the neighborhood and going out to ballgames, the Bugaboo Cameleon for the infant-bassinette piece and the utter mobility and resourcefulness, and a Britax Vigour Travel System BUT I live in the real world with a budget and a sense of self restraint and an understanding of what it means to be a materialistic whore.

I actually have one stroller. And it works just fine. We have the GoGo Babyz Urban Advantage Stroller. I was actually able to wedge my infant carrier into the seat area when Noah was younger and I used it like a travel system, albeit, without the safety and security of pieces that were meant to be used together. I was careful. I love this stroller because it is perfect for tooling around the neighborhood at good exercise-walking speeds. The big wheels do make for a more comfortable ride for the boy. When we go shopping, the under-basket is very sufficient for all my needs and it comes complete with THREE cup holders! Two for the pusher, I figure one for my water - you know for hydration purposes, and one for my Gin, for you know … medicinal purposes.

I have been searching for the perfect umbrella stroller for a few weeks now. I need something light-weight and compact, something easy to clean, easy to get the baby into and out of and with the highest weight limit, because, let’s be realistic, my little boy eats very well and I’d like to get use out of this stroller for a few years.

I had seen a few strollers for about fifty dollars and I was willing to take the plunge until I saw a review in a parenting magazine of the EvenFlo X-Sport Convenience Stroller, retailing for THIRTY DOLLARS. So I just bought that sumbitch right up and it is due on my doorstep in a few days. I’ll review it when I get it. But I’m very excited to have a stroller that I can flick open with one delicate little hand motion.

I have always been a big time swimmer. I love the water. My mother had me in a swimming pool when I was about five months old and I honestly believe that the earlier exposure helped me become a strong and confident swimmer. I love swimming as a sport. It is great exercise and because it is an individual sport — even when you are in a relay — it is an individual sport the feeling of moving through the water so sleek-like and strong is extremely transcendental for me. It clears my head and keeps me healthy like no other exercise ever has. Because of my love of the water I want Noah to have the same early exposure. We’re planning on getting him into the pool as soon as the weather and the water are warm enough.

Noah is about four and a half months old right now so by the time pool open and get warm enough for a baby to swim in, as in, NOT 70 degrees, I plan to have Noah in the water as much as possible. He’ll be six months in June so he should fit most of the baby-pool toys in terms of age recommendations.

I’m looking for suggestions about baby swim toys and baby-holders for the pool. I keep seeing a lot of little funky shaped blow-up things with little awnings for the baby under a year of age. We have a pool close by and will be spending a lot of the hot July and August hours in a pool this summer. I would love to get some suggestions or recommendations about what has worked for you in the past. I’m looking for something safe, comfortable and easy to use.

It’s no secret that most parents remove the batteries from those horrific god-awful muzakal baby toys at some point on their way out the door to the looney bin. You can imagine the look of thanks-but-you-shouldn’t-have that crosses my face when we get a new baby toy that makes any sort of sound. But! We just got a toy that I LIKE. A LOT.

Leap Frog’s Baby Counting Pal PLUSH is really cool. I like the songs it plays. They are cute and catchy and I’m totally walking around singing one little birdie flying through the air, one little birdie goes tweet tweet tweet. This right here is true evidence of what parenthood does to your brain. My brain used to entertain me by recalling and singing to itself Springsteen and Maroon 5, but now? Now?! Five little lady bugs meet for lunch, five little lady bugs, crunch crunch crunch.

But seriously folks, this toy is non-offensive. I would even call it pleasant. Enjoyable! It has four different settings, it will count, sing songs, and sing about colors and numbers. It also has a classical music memory game that I have yet to master.

This toy also has velcro straps so that it can attach to the front of a carseat or stroller. It’s amazingly versatile. The songs are pleasant. READ: NOT ANNOYING. Noah loves it and it’s small and compact for easy transport from the car to the playroom.

The age recommendation is three to twenty-four months.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Highly recommend.

At some time or another every baby gets a bit of diaper rash. It can range from a mild irritation to severe sores in the diaper-covered area. The rash is a result of wetness being held against the skin for prolonged periods of time. Other factors include baby’s degree of sensitivity to the wetness and the skin’s ability to ward off the rash.

Noah went a few weeks before he had any diaper related issues and I was anxious to use my stockpile of diaper creams, lotions, and potions. Finally he got some redness on his lower cheeks and some irritation from being wiped so much. Babies tend to poop constantly in their first few weeks, (I hear this is more common and even more frequent with breastfed babies, but I don’t have a formula-fed baby for reference) and the frequent wiping can make the skin a little chapped too. Back then I treated his diaper area issues retroactively. I cleaned him and applied some diaper cream, anything with zinc oxide, the thick skin protecting agent.

With Noah sleeping for long periods of time at night, sometimes as much as ten or eleven hours at a time without a diaper change I was worried he would get a rash. I am proud to say he has been totally rash free now for over a month. I treat him PROACTIVELY every night with Boudreaux’s Butt Paste. After his bath I dry him thoroughly and apply a thin coating of Butt Paste to his entire hind end area and the sensitive nooks and crannies of his upper diaper-covered regions and the areas that get frequent wiping. I close up the diaper and put him to bed.

Boudreaux’s is not as thick as Desitin Original. It also has a very pleasant odor, similar I think to that of cookie dough.

Back when I was pregnant with Noah an intrusively rude neighbor located our baby registry and then chased me down while I was walking the dog so that she could critique criticize outright insult our choices in every category possible; diapers, bottles, car seats…

At the time, I had not registered for a baby swing and she was utterly appalled at the concept of me holding my baby. You HAVE to have a baby swing and one in the kitchen and one on the lower level too!

In my defense, I wasn’t sure I wanted to buy everything kind of baby holding equipment out there. I was against it on several fronts, of which I won’t bore you with here, but suffice to say, that baby crap is expensive and I didn’t know what we would want or what would work for Noah.

After Noah was born and we discovered his desire to sleep on my chest and not on any other flat surface we invested in a baby swing. One of those big contraptions complete with a mobile of birds and palm leaves and an array of frighteningly exciting tunes and jungle sounds.

It absolutely saved my sanity and possibly my marriage.

Noah naps in his swing during the day. The gentle rocking helps him soothe himself back to sleep when he wakes up or hears a loud noise. It also helped us teach him that he could sleep longer than two hours at a time. That swing allows me to type what I am typing right now.

Just this week I realized I wasn’t using the swing nearly as much as we used to … my baby has started to play with toys on the floor, entertaining himself and occasionally myself too. I’m beyond grateful that we have the swing, it is a great little contraption. I’m also glad I didn’t buy it until I knew I needed it.

You have probably heard a lot lately about BPA, Bisphenol-A, a chemical used in plastic water bottles, some plastic bags and storage containers, baby toys and baby bottles. There isn’t one hundred percent conclusive evidence of how bad it is and why but does seem to be some reason to avoid it if at all possible. You can read more blogs about BPA here, and here.

BPA is thought to mimic naturally occurring estrogens in the body produced by the endocrine system. These hormones effect brain development and reproductive-organ development. The chemicals are thought to increase the risk of developmental problems in a fetus.

I am not trying to alarm anyone or even take sides in this matter. The facts are this: plastics are great products, plastics are made from chemicals, there are a number of potentially harmful chemicals in plastics and the long-term effects are not all known at this time. It is usually best to use any product, especially one whose full effects are unknown, in moderation. Therefore, there are some plastic bottle alternatives, and ways to use plastic safely. (Don’t reheat food in plastic containers.) Click here to read all that you never wanted to know about plastics.

The obvious alternative is glass baby bottles but having glass around my baby and the risk of breakages does worry me a bit. With the numbers of bottle-fed babies growing these days parents have a big decision to make. Even many breast-fed babies get occasional bottles too. It seems to me that an occasional feeding with a plastic bottle is nothing to worry about, but, repeated prolonged use of plastic products with unreliable facts as this point is reason enough to consider a BPA-free plastic or glass bottles.

Evenflo and Dr.Brown make a variety of glass bottles, but you do pay a premium for the plastic alternative. The chemicals leach out of the plastic when it is heated. Because baby bottles are heated for each feeding, you can see the potential dilemma.

Born-Free makes BPA-free plastic bottles. 2-5 ounce bottles retails for $17.99 a whopping triple the price of ordinary plastic bottles.

Momo, 6 ounce glass bottles come in a package of three for $13.99 from Amazon.com.

The joy of having a baby boy is endless. It really is. Their clothes are all wannabe macho or adorably soft and blue. They look at you with googley eyes and they love you unconditionally and beautifully.

They also pee all the hell all over the place.

This morning I undressed Noah and walked him into the bathroom for a bath in the baby tub. As I lowered him into the tub, feet first, I heard a whooosssshh. He was peeing on the edge of the tub. I quickly turned him toward the sink so the pee would miss the bathtub and he stopped, midstream. I turned him to put him back in the tub and more, whooosssshh. Once again I turned him toward the sink and the stream stopped again. Blah blah blah lather, rinse, repeat, he peed in his bathtub before I even I got him in.

Boys.

This afternoon I changed his diaper and I look away for a half second during which he made a very wet fart. I quickly moved the diaper under him and grabbed a wipe to clean his butt. I was holding his feet in my left hand over his head and as I was wiping his butt he peed over and behind his head, onto the wall and into his hamper.

Boys.

I have discovered this product, a Pee Pee Tee Pee. Pee Pee Tee Pees are little cotton cones, similiar to those little drinking cups on the sides of fountains. They come five to a package, and they are washable, in the little laundry bag they arrive in. The designs, the BOY designs, natch, include airplanes and camouflage and trucks. They are made under a few different names and a package sells for $8-12.

If you are a more frugal Mom, a cloth diaper, wash-cloth or sock will accomplish the same level of protection.

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