Parent Extremis

Please read the information below. Ikea is a great store that we all love. I know I have tons of furniture and supplies in my house from them. However, there is one product that has entangled a child. Please read below to be sure you do not have this product in your home, and what to do if you or someone you know does own this item.

Strangulation Death of a Child Prompts Recall of Roman Blinds; Sold Exclusively at IKEA

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: IRIS and ALVINE Roman Blinds

Units: About 670,000 (an additional 4.8 million were sold outside of the United States)

Distributor: IKEA Home Furnishings, of Conshohocken, Pa.

Hazard: Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck in an exposed inner cord on the backside of the roman blinds.

Incidents/Injuries: On April 4, 2008, a 1-year-old girl in Greenwich, Conn. became entangled in the inner cord of an IKEA Roman Blind and strangled. The child was in a portable playpen that was located underneath a fully lowered roman blind. She was found partially suspended with the inner cord of the blind wrapped twice around her neck.

Description: This recall involves all sizes of IRIS and ALVINE Roman Blinds in white. The blinds have a sewn-in label at the top edge of the blind with the IKEA logotype, article name (IRIS or ALVINE), 5-digit supplier number 19799 or 21369, four digit date stamp (YYWW) and the words “Made in India”. On the bottom edge of the blind there is a sewn-in orange/white safety warning label. The blinds are made from 100% cotton.

Sold at: IKEA stores nationwide from July 2005 through June 2008 for between $7 and $30.

Manufactured in: India

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Roman Blinds and return them to any IKEA store to obtain a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact IKEA toll-free at (888) 966-4532 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.ikea-usa.com

Note: CPSC reminds consumers to examine all Roman Blinds and shades in their homes. If looped pull cords are present or exposed inner cords are found on the back of blinds or shades and children are in the home or occasionally visit your home, please consider replacing them with blinds or shades that do not have exposed pull cords or inner cords.

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.

Johnson & Johnson, a Merck Consumer Pharmaceutical Company has announced this week, November 10, 2008, an urgent nationwide recall of the Infants’ Mylicon Gas Relief Dye-Free Drops. The medication is an over-the-counter simethicone-based formula to relieve gas. A batch of the medication is being recalled due to the possibility of metal fragments in the medication. This is a precautionary level recall and the potential for serious medical illness is low. It is, however, possible that small metal fragments reached the medication during the manufacturing process.

If you have given this product to your child you shouldn’t worry, any problem should be temporary and resolve without treatment. You should contact your doctor or pediatrician if you suspect you gave this medication to your child.

The two lots of Infants’ MYLICON® GAS RELIEF DYE FREE drops non-staining 1 oz. bottles included in the recall are:

Product Code #	Lot #	Exp	Product
71683791111-1	SMF007	09/10	Infants’ MYLICON® Gas Relief Dye Free Non-Staining Drops 1 oz.
71683791111-1	SMF008	09/10	Infants’ MYLICON® Gas Relief Dye Free Non-Staining Drops 1 oz.

Consumers can find the lot numbers on the bottom of the box containing the product and also on the lower left side of the sticker on the product bottle.

If you have questions about this recall you can reach the company at this number, 1-800-222-9435 or online at www.mylicon.com .

SOURCE

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.

It’s that time of year again folks, the time we put away the shorts and pull out the sweaters and coats. However, many of us will take vacations to warmer locales in the next few months and its important to keep kids safe in the sun.

Kids Health gives some great tips for kids in the sun. Kids Health also recommends this for wearing sunscreen: Use a sunscreen with an SPF rating of 15 or higher. Put on sunscreen 15 to 20 minutes before going out in the sun. If you are fair skinned, you should use a sunscreen with a higher SPF rating such as SPF 30. The letters SPF stand for sun protection factor, and the number rating tells you how much longer you can stay in the sun without getting sunburned. So if you normally burn after 20 minutes and you put on a sunscreen with an SPF rating of 15, this sunscreen may give you 15 times the protection. That’s 15 times 20 minutes, or 300 minutes (5 hours).

The suns rays are the strongers between the hours of 10am and 4pm. Avoid direct exposure during those hours as much as possible. Hop into the shade as much as you can.

This EPA website provides some great options for protecting yourself in the sun, like wearing sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats.

More sun saftey tips from the Sun Safety Alliance

• Keep in mind the sun is strongest between 10 am and 4 pm.
• Wear clothing that’s dark and tightly woven.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
• Remember that UV rays bounce off sand, snow, concrete, and water.
• Do not use sun tanning beds.
• Keep very young children (6 months or less) out of the sun.
• Sunscreens need to be applied liberally and evenly over all exposed areas.
• Apply a sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or higher whenever you’re outdoors. To achieve adequate UV protection you should use products that provide broad spectrum protection, which means protection against both UVB and UVA rays. For broad spectrum protection, look for products that provide an SPF of at least 15 and contain ingredients like Avobenzone (Parsol 1789) or zinc oxide.
• For children, the SSA recommends sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher.
• Apply sunscreen before going outdoors and reapply often.
• Reapply sunscreen after swimming, perspiring, and toweling off.
• Provide complete sunscreen coverage for your skin (including neck, ears and lips!).
• For people with thin or thinning hair, apply sunscreen to the scalp as well.
• And rememberstay in the shade whenever possible!

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.

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.

I have one car seat.  And we own two cars.  Nevermind that fact because we just keep the car seat with the baby, by which I mean the CRV with the professionally-installed car seat stays wherever the baby is staying.   Also, Marc’s car is a two-door and I cannot imagine crawling into the back seat with a twenty-two pounder, kneeling on the floor and wrangling him into the seat without completely losing my sanity.

We are going to Florida later this Fall to visit my in-laws for a week.  We will need a car seat, duh!  Florida may not have a helmet law but you can be sure that my child will be locked into a very safe car seat no matter what state-law requires.  Oh by the way FLORIDA, a four-year old is not large enough to be safely restrained by a regular seatbelt, but  that’s a discussion for another time.

You don’t have to get the Britax Marathon (retail: $299) to have a safe seat for your child.  There are seats for less than $100 that meet all necessary safety standards.   I am referring to convertible seats, they are the seats that are rated for a 5-pound baby up to a 40-50-or even 60-lb toddler.  They can be moved from rear-facing to front-facing,  when your child is over one year of age.   Most people really like these seats because of their versatility and the fact that they are useful for several years.

I am planning to get a second car seat for my in-laws car, an Evenflo Titan Elite maybe?  I particularly like this seat because it is rated front-facing for up to 50 lbs, and I think that will buy us an extra year of use with Noah.

For more in-depth information about this subject, this article published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration highlights some of the issues in finding a good safety seat for children and particularly, the types of injuries children often suffer.  There are some graphic pictures in this link.

What about you?  Do you recommend any particular car seats?  Do you strongly NOT recommend a certain one?  There are tons of different websites for safety ratings and personal reviews but from a simple usability standpoint, what’s your favorite? Why?

There are an interesting variety of watch-dog type sites that comes to mind when I think of all the times that we, as parents would appreciate an extra eye on our children. Nannycams and hidden cameras are all too common inside our homes, but what happens when the nanny goes for a walk? Does she cross streets safely while pushing your child’s stroller? Does she demonstrate extreme and laudable safety? How do you know?

1. A new site, How’s My Nanny (Howsmynanny.com) gives each person who signs up a mini-license place to put on their stroller. If you see one on a stroller you can report praise or problems, anonymously, and the parent is notified via an email.

2. Parent Pager. The parent pager is a device that comes in two pieces, one is attached to the child, and the base to the parent. If the child wanders beyond fifteen feet of the parent’s device an alarm sounds notifying the parent. Also similar is the GOTCHA, sold online for $59.99.

3. Nanny-Cams. There is a website, Know Your Nanny that sells a plehtora of hidden cameras and accessories all of which help you to spy on your nanny. I’m not going to delve into the shark-infested waters of controversy on this one but suffice to say, a little spying is okay, to ensure peace of mind and safety of the kids and all that … but undisclosed taping can be illegal in many states and also violates a certain trust you should have with anyone watching over your children. So, use wisely. Many parents choose to tell their nanny that they are recording or recording in one room, also so that they can watch their children when they are away. I highly suggest you read THIS before opting for any home surveillance system.

In the wake of a recent tragedy, a friend of a friend just lost a baby, an 18-month-old baby who drowned in a hot tub, I think it is important that we all take a minute and read over some good tips to keep our kids safe around water, specifically, pools. It’s summer time and we all want to take a dip to cool off. Young children and babies have no concept of the dangers of water and also, the double edged sword is that they are fascinated by water and can get away from us and out of sight in the blink of an eye.

The American Academy of Pediatrics makes the following statement:

A swimming pool can be very dangerous for children. If possible, do not put a swimming pool in your yard until your children are older than 5 years. Help protect your children from drowning by doing the following:

*
Never leave your children alone in or near the pool, even for a moment. An adult who knows CPR should actively supervise children at all times.
*
Practice touch supervision with children younger than 5 years. This means that the adult is within an arm’s length of the child at all times.
*
You must put up a fence to separate your house from the pool. Most young children who drown in pools wander out of the house and fall into the pool. Install a fence at least 4 feet high around all 4 sides of the pool. This fence will completely separate the pool from the house and play area of the yard. Use gates that self-close and self-latch, with latches higher than your children’s reach.
*
Keep rescue equipment (such as a shepherd’s hook or life preserver) and a telephone by the pool.
*
Do not use air-filled “swimming aids” as a substitute for approved life vests.
*
Remove all toys from the pool after use so children aren’t tempted to reach for them.
*
After the children are done swimming, secure the pool so they can’t get back into it.
*
A power safety cover that meets the standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) may add to the protection of your children but should not be used in place of the fence between your house and the pool. Even fencing around your pool and using a power safety cover will not prevent all drownings.

Remember, teaching your child how to swim DOES NOT mean your child is safe in water.

Red Cross Water Safety
Also, the American Red Cross makes the following recommendations for HOME POOLS:

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.

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.

Sleeping with your baby is beautiful and natural, sadly, it isn’t the safest place for the baby. A baby is safest in a crib with a tight fitted sheet and no toys or blankets or bumpers. However, somewhere between these juxtaposing notions is the reality of having a newborn. I have recently admitted to co-sleeping with my two month old, I swear to you, I do it with one eye open. Explains my exhaustion a bit, no?

Jackie, of Nursing Your Kids, recently wrote a very thorough entry about the dangers of sleeping with your babies and young children. She also notes that if you are set on sleeping with your children, there are ways to do it safely. Keep pillows and loose bedding away from the baby. Keep the baby on his back. You can also use a co-sleeper or a snuggle nest.

If you cornered a group of new mothers and asked them (in secret of course) if they slept with their baby, a good amount of them would confess. The practicalities are endless, really. Nursing is much easier and you both get more sleep. That isn’t to say that safety should be tossed to the curb, but when you are facing your second and third MONTH of 4-hours-of-sleep-a-night you get a little desperate.

I think it is hard for any new first-time mother to know for sure what her baby’s sleeping habits will be and where the baby will sleep. I do recommend knowing the ways to co-sleep safely and also having a safe crib nearby in case co-sleeping isn’t for you, or if you are lucky enough to have a baby who sleeps alone for extended periods of time, you know, like, more than fifteen minutes.

Supposedly, underground co-sleeping is so wide-spread that Babytalk magazine is running a survey about sleep habits. Click here to participate.