Furniture safety

With curious toddler’s attention to your furniture is extremely important. There are many ways a child can get into trouble with furniture.  Finger pinches, cuts from the corners or exploring the contents of drawers and cabinets. Although these can cause serious injury, the most common issue that causes serious injury is a child tipping a bookcase or dresser over on himself. In the U.S. there is a fatality every week because of this very preventable accident.  Have your furniture secured properly. Use quality straps (not the ones the manufacturer have to provide), installed into the studs of the wall to ensure the best result.

Summer Infant Recalls to Repair Baby Bathers Due to Fall and Head Injury Hazard
Consumers should order free repair kit

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, 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. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Mother’s Touch/Deluxe Baby Bathers

Units: About 2 million in the United States and an additional 65,000 in Canada

Manufacturer: Summer Infant Inc., of Woonsocket, R.I.

Hazard: When the bather is lifted and/or carried with an infant in it, its folding wire frame can suddenly disengage from the side hinge, dropping the baby out of the bather, posing a fall hazard and a risk of serious head injury to infants.

Incidents/Injuries: CPSC and Summer Infant have received seven reports of incidents in the U.S., including five reports of infants suffering head injuries from falls from the bathers. Four children between two weeks and two months old received skull fractures, including one that required intensive care for bleeding on the brain. The fifth child received a bump to the head requiring emergency room treatment.

Description: This recall involves Summer Infant baby bathers with a small, nearly square blue or pink plastic base measuring about 13 ½ inches long by 12 ½ inches wide and with the following model numbers listed below. Model numbers are located either on the side of the baby bather near the warning label or on the front near the wash instructions. Some units have multiple model numbers. Model numbers with an additional letter at the end of the model number are also included in this recall.

Recalled Summer Infant Baby Bathers
Model Numbers
08020, 08050, 08054, 08070, 08401, 08409, 08404, 08405, 08650, 08655, 08659, 08754, 08940, 08944
18004, 18040, 18049, 18050, 18120, 18125, 18129, 18254, 18360, 18375, 18379, 18390, 18394, 18440, 18445, 18449, 18470, 18475, 18479
38510, 38515, 38750, 38755
The bathers have adjustable side hinges with five rivets each and a white wire frame with a mesh fabric sling seat and two or three positions for the seats. Some also have a head support cushion. The fabric seat comes in various colors including white, blue, green, yellow and orange with fish, turtles, butterflies, frogs, flowers and duck patterns. Bathers manufactured since July 2007 include the warning “Never lift or carry the bather with infant in it.”

Sold at: Mass merchandise stores nationwide and on the Web from September 2004 through November 2011 for between $15 and $30.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the bathers and contact Summer Infant for a free repair kit that includes a locking strap and instructions. Note: Even with the new locking strap installed, the baby bather product should never be used to lift and carry an infant.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Summer Infant at (800) 426-8627 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s website at www.summerinfant.com/batherrepairkit. Do not return to stores as the retailers will not have the repair kit

Note: Health Canada’s press release is available at http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=1675

Side hinges have five rivets

Bathers manufactured since July 2007 include the warning “Never lift or carry the bather with infant in it.”
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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov

CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $900 billion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

Under federal law, it is illegal to attempt to sell or resell this or any other recalled product.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, go online to: SaferProducts.gov, call CPSC’s Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054 for the hearing and speech impaired. Consumers can obtain this news release and product safety information at www.cpsc.gov. To join a free e-mail subs

Have you checked or adjusted your child’s car seat harness straps lately? I’ve noticed that often times parents will adjust their child’s harness straps either too early or too late. Proper adjustment of these straps is a vital step to your child restraints safety function.

Remember:

If your child is still REAR FACING (2 and under) then your harness straps need to be AT OR BELOW THE SHOULDERS. Make sure the chest clip is at armpit level and that when the harness is tightened you are unable to pinch any material at the shoulders. Your car seat, when properly installed, should move no more than one inch side to side or front to back. READ YOUR MANUAL.

If your child is OVER TWO YEARS OLD and is now FRONT FACING, then your harness straps should be AT OR ABOVE THE SHOULDERS. Make sure the chest clip is at armpit level and that when the harness is tightened you are unable to pinch any material at the shoulders. Your car seat, when properly installed, should move no more than one inch side to side or front to back. READ YOUR MANUAL.

Did you remember to send in the registration card that came with your car seat? This is paramount when it comes to child safety seats. This allows the manufacturer to notify you of any recalls which for obvious reasons is a must know situation! If you didn’t fill one out and lost it, go on the manufacturers website to obtain one for your specific car seat.

-Mr. Baby Proofer

Today, Mr. Baby Proofer will have a camera crew on one of our installations shooting footage for a  new show that will air in July on ABC Family called Beverly Hills Nannies! This is a reality show that will follow five family’s and their nannies to show the day in the life’s of nannies and the family’s they work for. Should be fun and interesting! Look for us this season!

When baby proofing your home, there are many important steps and details to consider before you start your job. One key factor is product selection. Each product you choose must be the right one to fit your home’s application.  With stairway gates, there are so many variables that can make installation quite a task. Even with twenty years of experience, I still encounter stairways that require me to install a gate in a way that I’ve never done before. Home’s are not designed to be baby proofed so installations can be very tricky.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with most or all of the products on the market. Each product we install gets tested for safety, ease of use and durability.  Cost may be a factor, but most of these items are within $10 to $30 apart, so the better quality safety product is always the best choice. Budgeting is great, but when it comes to safety, safety comes first.

This head to head review is on two gates that look almost identical to the eye, but are two very different gates.

Kidco Safeway Gate vs.  Summer Sure & Secure Gate

Kidco Safeway Gate Model #G20

The Kidco Safeway gate was the first gate of it’s kind. When this gate was invented, it solved a lot of problems. It made quality installations possible on difficult stairways. It also was the first durable, white metal gate (also comes in black) with a decent height of 31″  tall. This gate was a breath of fresh air, because it allowed us to offer a gate to our clients that we could actually trust. The gates available prior to this gate were substandard, hard to use, unattractive and would often add a safety hazard because of this.

Pros:

• One hand operation
• Latch mechanism is dependable
• Attractive
• Removable
• Very safe
• Versitale

Cons:

• Medium degree of difficulty to install
• Price
• Finish can have rust from overseas shipping, the really need to fix this!

Summer Sure & Secure Gate model#07210

Summer has a full line of child safety products. This gate has been on the market for 6 years and is designed to look like the Kidco gate.

Pros:

• Price
• One hand operation
• Versatile
• Expands to 54″
• Removable

Cons:

• Finish is a strange off white
• Latches are very bulky making it very difficult to install in many areas
• Very heavy again making it hard to install on banister rails
• Hardware isn’t great
• Floor stand (because of weight of gate) is needed which over time will scratch a wood floor or damage carpet.

And the winner is……….

Kidco Safeway Gate model#g20

Why?

The Kidco gate has evolved to a level that surpasses all of the copies that are out there. This gate wins hands down because it installs in more places, is easier to use and the hardware quality is superior to the other gate. I’ve installed both gates many times. I’ve encountered installation and hardware problems with the Summer gate. So for the consumer I recommend to spend a couple of extra bucks on the better Kidco gate, you’ll be glad you did.

Grandparents need baby proofing too! Many of my clients have struggled with getting the grandparents on board with baby proofing. Twenty years ago it was close to impossible, and I’ve been witness to many of these situations. Often times the end result would be a stand off with the parents not taking the baby over unless they baby proof their home!

Being in the business now for over twenty years I’ve seen many attitude changes towards baby proofing. Over the past few years I’ve seen a consistent increase in Grandparents baby proofing their homes! This to me is amazing! You have know idea how many times I’ve debated child safety with a grandparent (with folded arms).  It’s very refreshing to see how many grandparents are getting involved in baby proofing.  It cuts down what used to be a tremendous stress for new parents.

There are different needs for a grandparents home when it comes to baby proofing. Unless the child is there on a weekly basis, very little needs to be done.  I approach the job much differently then I would for an everyday situation. My goal is to zone a smaller area (kitchen/family room) to help the grandparent watch the baby. When a grandparent is watching a child, usually the focus is only on the child versus a parent going about their daily routine.  One of the main things to make sure gets done in EVERY grandparents home is the swimming pool.  Make sure they get a fence around their pool before the baby is walking.

I would like to commend Grandparents for all they do, and opening their minds to baby proofing!!

-Mr. Baby Proofer

Mr. Baby Proofer would like to wish a very Happy Mothers Day to the most special people in the world-MOM’s! For all you do, everyday should be mothers day! Enjoy your day!

-Mr. Baby Proofer

New Age-Focused Guidelines Help Parents Make More Informed Choices

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has revised its child restraint guidelines to be categorized by age rather than by type of child seat in order to keep pace with the latest scientific and medical research and the development of new child restraint technologies.

Under the new guidelines, issued today, NHTSA is advising parents and caregivers to keep children in each restraint type, including rear-facing, forward-facing and booster seats, for as long as possible before moving them up to the next type of seat.

For instance, the safety agency recommends using the restraints in the rear-facing position as long as children fit within the height and weight limits of the car seat as established by the manufacturer. The rear-facing position reduces stresses to the neck and spinal cord and is particularly important for growing babies.

NHTSA said that its new guidelines are consistent with the latest advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which advises parents to keep kids in rear-facing restraints until two years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat’s manufacturer. There is no need to hurry to transition a child to the next restraint type.

“Safety is our highest priority,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “The ‘best’ car seat is the one that fits your child, fits your vehicle and one you will use every time your child is in the car.”

NHTSA Administrator David Strickland pointed out that while all car seats sold in the U.S. must meet federal child restraint safety standards, he said, “Selecting the right seat for your child can be a challenge for many parents. NHTSA’s new revised guidelines will help consumers pick the appropriate seat for their child.”

Administrator Strickland said that parents should also consider other factors when selecting a car seat, including their child’s weight, height, physical development and behavioral needs, as well the family’s economics and type of vehicle.

Additional recommendations for child seat use from NHTSA include the following:

• Always read child seat manufacturers’ instructions and the vehicle owner’s manual for important information on height and weight limits and how to install the car seat using the seat belt or the LATCH system.
• All children under 13 should ride in the back seat.
• Children in rear-facing car seats should never ride in front of an active passenger air bag.

>> View NHTSA’s new child restraint guidelines

>> View NHTSA’s Ease-of-Use Ratings for child restraint brands

It’s time! You have made it through many stages, the night-time feedings, the early morning feedings, taking turns getting up, taking on the extra bed so Dad can get up and safely drive to work without falling asleep. Now it’s time to transition to the “big kid bed”!  This stage can be a scary as it is exciting, the realization will hit that your child is now able to get up and move about the house as you sleep. Please don’t fear! It will be just fine, and below are some tips to keep your little one safe and give you peace of mind during this exciting stage of transition.

• Do a thorough inspection of your child’s room.
• Pay attention to electrical hazards and make sure that all cords and outlets are secured.
• Secure furnitures such as dressers, TV’s and any furniture that is taller than it is wide.
• Install a safety gate on your child’s door so if your child is to awake he or she will go to the gate and be able to call out to you versus panicking because the door is closed.
• Keep your baby monitor on.
• Make sure your child’s toddler bed is equipped with a bed rail to prevent him from falling out of bed.
• Make sure all mini-blind cords are tied up out of your child’s reach.

After making sure your child’s room is as safe as can be all that is left is to put your child down at bedtime and be patient! Your little one will adapt to that big kid bed before you know it!