Shop Fast! BabySteals.com
I'm a fan of the one-deal-per-day shopping sites like Woot.com, so I was excited to see that there's a baby-specific deals site - BabySteals.com. Every day, one product goes up for sale on the site at a great price (yesterday's deal - Robeez holiday shoes for $15). That product sells until they run out, and the whole thing repeats the next day.
Popular items can run out very quickly, so you sometimes have to be quick! If you haven't checked it out yet, and you enjoy the thrill of fast shopping, visit the site and sign up for their alerts so you'll be notified when they put up a new product.
CPSC Chairman: No More Drop-Side Cribs?
New crib safety standards are on their way in the U.S. and worldwide. The new standards are expected to ban the manufacture of drop-side cribs due to problems with hardware and mis-assembly that can lead to injuries or death when the drop side detaches and creates a gap between the mattress and crib. Many crib manufacturers have already started phasing drop-side cribs out of their lines, and some retailers, such as Toys R Us, have stopped ordering them to sell in stores.
According to the Associated Press, CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum said the agency has not moved as fast as it should have on new crib safety standards, but "the commission will write regulations in the next few months." She indicated that drop-side cribs would not be allowed in the new standards.
ASTM, the group that creates worldwide voluntary safety standards, is also expected to release new crib safety standards very soon. ASTM's Len Morrissey told Canada.com that the group's latest crib safety standard "no longer contains provisions that allow movable side rails on full-sized cribs."
Stork Craft Recalls 2.1 Million Drop-Side Cribs
Problems with plastic hardware are the culprit in yet another drop-side crib recall, this time affecting about 2.1 million Stork Craft cribs in the U.S. and Canada. It's not just one problem that lead to the Stork Craft crib recall, though. The plastic hardware can break or warp over time, or could get lost. Some people have accidentally installed the drop side upside-down, which also causes hardware problems. All of these issues can lead to part of the crib's drop side detaching, allowing enough space between the crib and mattress for a baby to become entrapped and suffocate.
According to CPSC, there have been 15 reports of entrapment, including four cases of suffocation. Another 20 kids have fallen from the cribs, which is a risk when the drop side detaches entirely.
This Stork Craft recall affects more than 1.2 million cribs in the U.S. and another 968,000 cribs in Canada. All Stork Craft drop-side cribs manufactured between Jan. 1993 and Oct. 2009 with plastic trigger and one-hand-system drop-side hardware are recalled. Also included in this recall are Fisher Price brand drop-side cribs manufactured between Oct. 1997 and Dec. 2004. You can find the manufacturer name and date of manufacture on the assembly instruction sheet, which is attached to the mattress support board.
If you have a Stork Craft crib that is included in this recall, you should stop using it immediately. Stork Craft will send free repair kits to crib owners, but you should find a different spot for baby to sleep in the meantime. To order your repair kit, call 877-274-0277 or visit storkcraft.com.
Note: The repair kit is designed to fix the drop side into place permanently so it does not move. CPSC has included a specific warning about trying to repair the crib on your own, in any way. Please wait for the repair kit. According to the Associated Press, when speaking about the Stork Craft recall, CPSC chairman Inez Tenenbaum suggested that parents should consider abandoning the recalled cribs entirely.
- Current Baby Products Recalls
- CPSC's Stork Craft Drop-Side Cribs Recall Page
- What Are the Safety Issues with Drop-Side Cribs?
- MSNBC: Largest Crib Recall in U.S. History Announced
- New Crib Safety Standards in Wake of Stork Craft Recall
- AP: CPSC Chief - Agency Moved Too Slowly On Crib Safety
- Canada.com: 1 Million Cribs Recalled Across Canada
Photo credit: Stork Craft drop-side crib and label courtesy of CPSC.gov.
New York Updates Booster Seat Law
Kids in New York will now need to remain in an appropriate car seat or booster seat until their eighth birthday, thanks to a new car seat law that goes into effect on Nov. 24, 2009. The previous state law required car seat or booster use through age six.
According to New York's Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, an appropriate car seat or booster seat meets the the child's height and weight according to the manufacturer's instructions. Children under age four are still required to ride in a federally approved car seat, and all children under age 16 are still required to wear a seatbelt.
Unlike many states that have passed booster laws recently, New York did not add any height and weight requirements to their law, instead opting to only recommend that parents choose to keep kids in boosters until they are 4'9" and 100 lbs. Parents of petite kids should strongly consider that recommendation until your child can meet the requirements for safely using a seat belt.
Must-Have Products for Sick Kids
A stomach bug has invaded our house this week, so I've made great use of that sanitary cycle on my washer and I've been trying to coat everyone with hand sanitizer to keep the further spread of germs to a minimum. Winter tends to bring more sick days for families, so you may want to begin stocking your "sick kid" kit now. Here are a few things that I like for reducing the misery for sick children and for keeping germs at bay in the house.
- Boogie Wipes (Compare Prices). These disposable saline wipes are perfect for cleaning up yucky noses. Check out the full Boogie Wipes review.
- Jackson Reece Natural Flushable Wipes (Compare Prices). These flushable wipes are paraben and alcohol-free, and can be used for diaper or bathroom cleanups, but they're also fine to use on the face and hands, so they're ideal for all-over sick day wipedowns.
- ReliOn Instant-Read Temple Thermometer (website). Trying to get an accurate temp for a wiggly, uncomfortable child isn't easy. This thermometer scans the temporal artery at the temple in about 5 seconds. Easy to use, and you don't have to explain how to keep a thermometer under a tongue.
- No More Germs Organic Anti-Viral Spray (website). You can use this anti-germ spray on hands or other surfaces - no rubbing required. I like that this spray has a natural, essential oil smell that also helps banish any lingering sick-room odors.
- Clorox Anywhere Hard Surface Sanitizing Spray (Compare Prices). For doorknobs, light switches, counters, and anything else your family touches. There's a slight chemical scent, but it isn't overpowering.
What are your must-haves when there are sick kids in the house?
UK Maclaren Owners: No Stroller Recall, But You've Been Heard
Following the recent recall of about a million Maclaren strollers in the U.S., due to a hinge issue that resulted in 12 fingertip amputations, many parents in the U.K. wondered why their strollers weren't also covered in the recall. After all, the strollers are exactly the same, exposed hinges and all. The difference is in laws between countries and how recalls and labeling work. Therefore, Maclaren only recalled the strollers in the U.S. and provided free hinge covers to U.S customers.
After a few days of emails and consumer outrage, though, it appears that the company has had a change of heart. A new statement on Maclaren's U.K. website reassures consumers that the strollers are perfectly safe, but offers the free hinge covers in case there are any lingering doubts. If you're in the U.K., you can now submit a request for Maclaren elbow hinge covers.
Maclaren Recalls 1 Million Strollers
If you're one of many parents with a Maclaren umbrella stroller, take note - the company is recalling about 1 million strollers because the hinge can trap fingers when the stroller is being unfolded. The result can be serious cuts or even fingertip amputations. According to CPSC, Maclaren has had 15 reports of kids putting their fingers inside the hinge mechanism, and they have 12 reports of fingertip amputations as a result. Several popular Maclaren stroller models are affected by the recall, including Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.
Those of you who own a Maclaren stroller affected by this recall should call Maclaren at 877-688-2326. The company will send free repair kits to take care of the problem. You can also visit Maclaren's website for more information - www.maclaren.us/recall CPSC recommends that you stop using the stroller until the repair kit is installed.
- Current Baby Products Recalls
- CPSC's Page for Maclaren Stroller Recall
- Maclaren - Stroller Recall
- Stroller Safety Tips
Holiday Head Start
I am not one to finish my holiday shopping months in advance. There's something cozy to me about bundling up to hit the after-Thanksgiving sales and coming home, utterly exhausted, to enjoy some leftover turkey. It's nearly 70 degrees outside where I live now, so I'm having a hard time convincing myself that the holidays are just around the corner! If you're gearing up to shop for the holidays, too, here are some great gift ideas for the babies and toddlers in your life. From baby's first Christmas to fun family gifts, the About.com Parenting & Family Channel has plenty of holiday inspiration to get you started.
- Commemorative Gifts for Baby's First Christmas
- Inexpensive Baby Clothes Gifts
- Active Toys for Toddlers and Preschoolers
- Active Toys for the Whole Family
Reader Question: How to Keep Baby Rear-Facing
Q: My baby is only 6 months old and weighs 23 lbs. His infant car seat is only rated to 22 lbs. I know I'm supposed to keep him rear-facing longer than 6 months, so what should I do?
A: Luckily, infant car seats are not the only type that can be used rear-facing. You can keep your baby rear-facing in a convertible car seat until he weighs 35 lbs or more, depending on which car seat you choose. Choosing a convertible car seat that also has a high forward-facing weight limit should allow you to use it for several years. It's likely that your son's growth will slow down a bit in toddlerhood, so convertible car seats do tend to get more use than the infant car seat.
Toddler Teeth: The Halloween Aftermath
My daughter had a dentist appointment yesterday. In retrospect, making dental appointments in the midst of a Halloween candy frenzy may not be ideal timing. However, I did learn that our dentist recommends doling out your child's Halloween candy piece by piece for a maximum of two weeks. "After that", she said, "it goes in the trash."
About.com Toddlers Guide Stephanie Brown has a great blog post about post-Halloween dental care for toddlers this week. She rounded up some fantastic links on baby teeth, managing the candy stash, and toddler serving sizes so you can help your toddler learn to make good choices about nutrition and tooth care.
Stephanie shared a link from About.com Dentistry Guide Shawn Watson on why baby teeth are important. I've heard a lot of people muse aloud about baby teeth, and why kids need to go to the dentist for teeth that will eventually fall out. Shawn explains that baby teeth can affect plenty of things in a child's life, including speech development. Those baby teeth are more important than they seem!