Products parents should be most concerned about
Products parents should be most concerned about.(Photo: Thinkstock)
Walking into a store's baby section can be an overwhelming experience — and a misleading one.
Many people think nothing is sold until the government makes sure it's safe, but that's not necessarily true. Perhaps safe enough for companies to meet voluntary industry standards — if they even do that — but the product might not be covered by federal safety standards.
Cribs, especially, are often displayed in stores with quilts, pillows and bumper pads that the American Academy of Pediatrics and most safety groups warn against using because they can suffocate children.
A lot has changed in children's safety in recent months. That means your well-intentioned relative is not your best safety source. And even if you have a close friend or family member willing to give you their nearly new hand-me-downs, those products may not meet the latest safety standards.
"New parents and grandparents should know that for many juvenile products, newer means safer," says Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman Scott Wolfson.
The new standard for play yards[1] took effect at the end of February. And baby walkers, cribs, toddler beds and portable bed rails all have tougher federal safety standards in effect.
CPSC is updating safety standards for strollers, bassinets and cradles, bedside sleepers and handheld infant carriers.
While some changes to rules and recommendations for products are incremental, others can mean the difference between life and death.
Here are some products that should be of greatest concern to parents of infants and small children, according to Dr. Kyran Quinlan, who heads the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on injury, violence and poison prevention:
CHILD SAFETY SEATS
Car crashes are among the leading causes of death and injury for children. Buying the right child seat and using it correctly is probably the most important product decision a parent can make. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expected to release new rules this year that will require child-seat companies to meet tougher standards for protection in side-impact crashes.
Many child-seat makers already test their seats for side-impact protection, but "each one has its own ideas of what injuries occur and how to test its models," says child-seat safety advocate Joseph Colella of advocacy group Traffic Safety Projects. But the new standards won't take effect until 2014 at the earliest, so those shopping now should look for seats that say side-impact testing has been done.
For those with just one child, the rear center seat is always the safest. But side-impact protection becomes very important for those children being transported in child seats positioned next to car doors.
The latest recommendation is for infants to stay in rear-facing child seats until they are 2 years old, so it pays to buy one that will last that long.
Older children should be restrained in forward-facing child seats until they reach the maximum weight recommended for the seat, which is at least 40 pounds but often much higher, safety experts say. Children should remain in booster seats until adult belts fit them properly — usually between 8 and 12 years old, Colella says. For more information:
Tips on choosing and using a car seat[2]
Locate an inspection station to get your child car seat inspected for free[3]
CRIBS
Sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDs, is another leading cause of death for children. Those thinking bedding down with their babies — called co-sleeping — is the solution to any indecision about the best crib need to think again. There are just too many ways for babies to suffocate with all of those pillows and blankets and even by their own parents. Three-sided co-sleepers are products that can be used right next to the bed for parents and infants who want to stay — safely — close, Quinlan says.
The once popular drop-side cribs are now banned by the CPSC. Shop for a new — and safer — alternative. The new safety standard[4] also means regular cribs have a host of other safety improvements.
"Whether it is used or new, you want to make sure a crib was made after June 28, 2011," says Rachel Weintraub, legislative director at Consumer Federation of America, referring to the new standard's effective date. For more information:
CPSC: Learn how to create a safe sleep environment[5]
WINDOWS
"Screens may keep flies out, but they don't keep children in," reminds Quinlan, who is also a Chicago-area pediatrician. If you have windows that are on a second or higher floor, consider investing in window bars that will keep children in. Window sashes that keep windows from opening more than a few inches are a less-expensive option — letting a breeze in but preventing children from falling out.
Window blinds are another possible nursery danger. Children can get tangled in the cords and strangle. Even cord stop devices or products sold to keep cords out of reach can fail, says Nancy Cowles of advocacy group Kids in Danger. She says the "only completely safe blinds are those with no accessible cords longer than 7 inches — including inner cords that can be pulled out." For more information:
CPSC: Safety issues with window coverings and cords[7]
BATTERIES AND MAGNETS
Tiny objects are among the biggest risks to young children. They can easily swallow button-size batteries or magnets that are part of once-popular desk toys. The batteries, often found in small electronics and remote control devices, can be hugely hazardous to young children who ingest them. The electric current can discharge as the battery is swallowed and can burn the esophagus and sometimes cause fatal injuries.
CPSC banned the powerful small magnets that are part of many desk toys — such as Buckyballs — and new less-dangerous versions are now on the market. Older versions can cause dangerous obstructions in the intestines, which require surgery to remove.
Stores are filled with products designed to keep your children safe, but don't let any childproofing product lull you into a false sense of security. Close supervision and safe driving are the best protection of all. For more information:
CPSC: afety information on magnets [8]
FIVE PRODUCTS TO AVOID
Industry, government and safety advocates seldom agree, but here are five products that many safety experts warn against buying — or borrowing:
• Drop-side cribs can trap children.
• Baby bath seats create a false sense of security and can tip over.
• Window blinds with cords can strangle children.
• Crib bumpers pose a suffocation risk.
• Trampolines present the risk of injury when used by more than one child.
References
- ^ http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Newsroom/News-Releases/2012/CPSC-Approves-New-Federal-Safety-Standard-for-Play-Yards1/ (www.cpsc.gov)
- ^ http://www.safercar.gov/parents/carseats.htm (www.safercar.gov)
- ^ http://www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm (www.nhtsa.gov)
- ^ http://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/115716/cribrules.pdf (www.cpsc.gov)
- ^ http://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/cribs/ (www.cpsc.gov)
- ^ http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Safety-Education/Safety-Guides/Kids-and-Babies/Cribs/Crib-Safety-Tips1/ (www.cpsc.gov)
- ^ http://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Window-Covering/ (www.cpsc.gov)
- ^ http://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Magnets/ (www.cpsc.gov)