It hasn’t been a good month for Dorel. Following a recall two weeks ago of 447,000 infant car seat/carriers, the company is now recalling 213,000 play yards with bassinets because they pose a suffocation hazard. The recalled play yards are labeled Safety 1st Disney Care Center and Eddie Bauer Complete Care. The one piece metal bars supporting the floorboard of the bassinet attachment can come out of the fabric sleeves and create an uneven sleeping surface, posing a risk of suffocation or positional asphyxiation. No injuries have been reported. The portable play yards were sold with a bassinet attachment and a built-in changing station. Models included in this recall are 05025, 05026, 05037, 05088, and 05350. The model number is printed on a sticker on one of the support legs underneath the play yard. “Safety 1st” or “Eddie Bauer” are printed near the bottom of the fabric sides of the play yards. Babies “R” Us, Kmart, Sears, Target and Walmart sold the play yards from January 2007 through October 2009 for between $100 and $130. Consumers should immediately stop using the bassinet attachment to the play yard and contact Dorel Juvenile Group for a free repair kit including replacement bassinet fabric, bassinet bars and installation instructions. For additional information, contact Dorel Juvenile Group at (866) 762-2166 or log on to www.djgusa.com.
Since your home office is filled with stuff that could be dangerous to kids, it might be helpful to be able to lock the door to it when you are not there. If you need to have the kids with you while you are working there, be sure to childproof the room with anti-tip devices, outlet covers, and other means. (See Childproofing your home office, part I.)
You might also keep a stash of items in your office that will occupy your child so you can work. This can be as simple as a box of crayons and a coloring book, some stickers and a sticker book, or a special toy. This entertainment box will keep him busy and away from sharp items on or in your desk. Here are other tips for a safe home office:
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Neither Consumer Reports nor The Consumerist receive anything in exchange for featuring these deals; the posts are intended to be purely informational. These deals are often fleeting, with prices changing or products becoming unavailable as the day progresses.
These posts are not an endorsement of the featured products or the Web sites that sell them. Price shouldn't be your only criterion. Be wary of lower-priced deals that seem too good to be true, and check return policies and other gotchas.
For general buying advice for children's products, check out our free Babies & Kids Buying Guides.
“Just because a lot of people are taking off for the holidays does not mean that this flu virus will.” So says Anne Schuchat, M.D., director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
Just before Christmas, Schuchat had some cheerful and some cautionary news about the H1N1 bug. The “disease is at a better state around the country than it had been,” she said in a press conference. What’s more, about 111 million doses of vaccine had been made available around the country and an estimated 60 million people had been vaccinated.
But all the flu the CDC is seeing is the H1N1 virus, “so its not gone at all,” Schuchat noted. Since “none of us know what the weeks and months ahead will bring,” she added, “it’s very important not to be complacent right now about the ongoing risk.”
Of particular concern to Schuchat are children under 10. The CDC continues to recommend two doses, about one month apart, for this age group but her data shows that as of early December only about 2 million had gotten a second dose. “It’s really important to finish the series,” she said, even if the second dose is five to six weeks after the first. “You do need to get that second dose in.” (Learn more about the importantce of hand-washing.)
A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that only one dose of the vaccine may be sufficient to provide adequate immunization in children. However, Schuchat disagreed, noting that study involved only one particular vaccine in one group of children at one point in time. “Based on everything that I know right now, I think it’s very important for parents” to make sure their children get the second H1N1 dose, she said.
That’s probably all the more true in case your child got a dose from a recently recalled batch of vaccine. The CDC has announced two recalls, neither for safety but both because they may have lost some of their desired potency since they were shipped.
The first recall involved four lots—800,000 doses of certain prefilled syringes of pediatric vaccine made by Sanofi Pasteur. The second recall involved 13 lots, totally 4.7 million doses, of nasal spray vaccine from MedImmune.
Dan Levy, M.D., a pediatrician and spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics, says parents should not be overly concerned about the recalls. There’s no need to call your pediatrician and try to find out if your child had one of the recalled doses, he says. “Kids who got a dose with reduced potency may not have the degree of immunity we expected but the dose may be enough to reduce widespread recurrence. And even if the child does get the flu, it’s very possible it will be a more mild case and won’t last as long” as it would if the child had never gotten a dose, Levy says.
Caroline Mayer, guest blogger
Kids love to explore every nook and cranny of your home—including the home office. Here are some handy childproofing measures you can take:
Anchor any furniture that’s on wheels. If furniture can move, your toddler will push against it and the next thing you know his legs will be out from under him. One good choice is to use those rubber coasters sold to protect floors from furniture feet. They capture the wheels to prevent them from moving. Just be sure they’re large enough not to be a choking hazard, and check periodically to be sure that they are securely fastened to the wheels and that no small pieces are loose.
Keep wires out of reach. In a home office, your computer, monitor, printer, and other devices may have resulted in a nest of wires beneath or behind your desk. You’ll want to keep those wires organized so you can tell which ones go where, but also so you can keep them out of your youngster’s reach to prevent her from trying to use them as a jump rope, or worse. (Learn more about the increase of computer-related injuries.) Also, use a covered power strip to keep your child away from the plugs and outlets.
Keep little hands out of your electronics. Make sure your children can’t get their hands inside any of those high-tech devices. Either keep your electronics in an enclosed cabinet or buy a guard that will prevent little hands from exploring them.
Install sliding outlet covers. Some caps designed to keep fingers out of outlets are small enough to be a choking hazard. A better idea is to replace your outlet covers with ones that incorporate a panel that automatically slides closed when you remove a plug. To use the outlet, you have to use the plug to align the holes in the sliding panel with the outlet holes. Another option is to use a device that fully covers the outlets, even when they are in use.
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Now that the holidays are over, if your baby ended up with duplicate gifts, a malfunctioning or unsafe product, or something you’re sure they won’t use, don’t hesitate to return or exchange it. Here’s how to get that refund or store credit with less hassle.
1. In-store return policies should be clearly spelled out on the gift receipt. Any reputable Web site should also have a section that explains return procedures. You’ll need to return the item before the retailer’s return period runs out (usually 30 to 45 days from the date of purchase but sometimes longer). But if the return clock has run out, don’t feel defeated. Persistence and politeness will often get you into overtime.
2. Save your gift receipt, or packing slip, and the original packaging. Some retailers won’t let you return an item or make an exchange without a receipt. Online retailers may let you return an item at their retail stores, unless the packing slip or the Web site terms state: “Not returnable in stores.” When returning a product through the mail, send it back in its original package by certified mail so the item can be tracked if it gets lost.
3. If the baby product you buy is defective or damaged, contact the customer service department at the retailer before returning it or contacting the manufacturer. If the first representative you speak with denies you a refund, ask to speak with the manager. By selling you an item, a store gives an implied warranty of merchantability. That means that if the product you bought doesn’t do what it’s supposed to, or if it malfunctions or fails within an unreasonably short time for that type of product and price, the retailer is obligated to correct the problem, no matter what its return policy says. If you’re told that you’ll have to take your complaint to the manufacturer, stand firm. Tell the manager you’re prepared to keep going—to the company’s head office, the local Better Business Bureau and, if necessary, your state’s attorney general. Keep records of all telephone conversations and the original paperwork, such as receipts, warranties, and e-mail correspondence; make copies if you need to send anything to the retailer’s corporate headquarters.
4. If all else fails, contact the manufacturer. Many baby products are under manufacturer warranty. Send in the registration card and hold onto warranty information so you can refer to it. That small step can also help the manufacturer contact you in the event of a recall.
While enjoying the gift-giving, keep your baby safe this holiday season with these easy tips:
Throw away wrapping paper. After opening gifts, toss all wrapping paper, strings, ribbon, and bows. A toddler can easily put a ribbon around her neck, a plastic bag over her head, or paper in her mouth while you are momentarily distracted.
Never throw wrapping paper into the fire. Don’t let your children throw wrapping paper into the fire (and don’t do it yourself). Fires started with wrapping paper burn rapidly and intensely, and they can create a flash fire. In addition, the inks used in wrapping paper may contain heavy-metal compounds and metallic materials, and even a small amount can pose risks when released into the air when the paper is burned.
Learn more about childproofing and safety tips while staying at Grandma's house.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Ikea Home Furnishings, yesterday announced a voluntary recall of about 600 Ikea Leopard high chairs. The snap locks used to secure the seat to the frame can break and allow the seat and child to drop through the frame, posing a fall hazard to young children. Detached snap locks can pose a choking hazard to young children. (See our high chairs buying and safety guide.)
The seats were sold exclusively at Ikea stores nationwide from October 2009 through November 2009 for about $60. The frame sold for $40 and the seat for $20.
Consumers should immediately stop using the highchairs and return them to any Ikea store for a full refund.
Ikea has received 11 reports worldwide of failing snap locks, including one report of a child falling through the frame and suffering bruised legs. In addition, the firm has one report of a child mouthing a detached snap lock. No incidents have been reported in the United States.
The recall involves all colors of the Leopard highchairs sold as a seat and a frame individually. The seat and tray has an adhesive label affixed to the underside with the words Leopard and “Made in Italy,” an eight-digit article number and a five-digit supplier number (19589).
For additional information consumers can contact Ikea toll-free at (888) 966-4532 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.ikea-usa.com.
When it comes to premature or low birth-weight babies, it’s common for hospitals and parents to evaluate a newborn baby’s car seat recline position to ensure that it’s not compromising the child’s breathing function. But full-term newborns may not be evaluated as closely.
For babies who don’t have enough neck strength to hold their head upright, car seat recline angle is a delicate art that balances crash protection with comfort and breathing. If a car seat is too upright, a baby’s head can flop forward, which can not only be uncomfortable, but could close off a new baby’s airway—even in normal sized newborns.
Too much recline can also be dangerous, as it can allow the child’s body to slide toward the top of the seat during a crash, exposing the head to injury, especially if the child is large and heavy.
Ideally, the back surface of a child car seat should be angled at around 45 degrees (about halfway back—not more) for a newborn, and can be adjusted to a slightly more upright position as the baby grows—up to about 30 degrees. Some seats, like the Baby Trend Flex-Loc car seat, for example, have started providing dual indicators. One gives recline level for babies weighing up to 20 lbs., and a second for babies weighing between 20 and 30 lbs.
In our most recent evaluations of the recline position of both infant and convertible car seat models designed to be used by newborns (see our car seats buying guide, and infant car seat Ratings and convertible car seat Ratings, available to subscribers), we took a close look at how well the recline-level indicators on each seat indicated appropriate recline position. Some seats’ recline-level indicators showed the seats were correctly positioned when we determined that some were potentially too upright to keep a newborn’s head sufficiently reclined. And some recline-level indicators showed that the seats were in the “correct” position over a range of reclined angles, leaving the exact (correct) position open to interpretation. Complicating matters further is the fact that if the seats of the vehicle aren’t flat, they may not allow you to sufficiently recline your child’s car seat without some additional bolstering under the “foot” area of the seat (a rolled towel or pool “noodle”), even after you’ve used the full range of the car seat’s recline adjustment (if it has one).
So what’s a parent to do? First, park the car on level ground when installing the car seat. Then use the car seat’s manufacturer’s instructions, paying close attention to the recline-level indicator on the seat, to find the correctly indicated setting for newborns. In addition, once you begin traveling with your newborn baby, we recommend you make the first few trips with him or her in the back seat, so you can observe firsthand whether the car seat is reclined enough. The baby’s head should rest against the back of the car seat not only when they’re asleep, but when they’re awake, as well. The risk comes when the head flops forward so much that their neck isn’t strong enough to lift it back up. Conversely, you don’t want to recline it too far back (more than 45 degrees), which potentially increases the risk for injury in a crash.
If you’re having trouble installing your seat, want someone to check your work, or think your seat may be overly upright, consult the help of a Child Passenger Safety Technician for help. Go to seatcheck.org or NHTSA.gov to find a child seat check event or station near you.
Read more about child car seat installation, and see an infant seat installation video from NHTSA.
—Artemis DiBenedetto
