Here's Liz Atwood with this week's Tween Tuesday:

I noticed a few days ago that the Maryland General Assembly is considering legislation that would require kids under age 13 to sit in the back seat of the car. Currently, the state recommends kids under 13 sit in the back, but doesn’t require it.

I don’t know about you, but I think it’s a great idea. The Maryland State Medical Society, also known as MedChi, supports the measure as a way to reduce the chance of kids being seriously hurt in car crashes. That’s good, of course, but I have more selfish reasons for supporting the plan.

If the law passes, I won’t have to play referee with my kids about who gets to sit up front. One boy is 10, the other 15. The matter will be settled. The younger one will complain of course, but I’ll be able to say, “Sorry, honey, that’s the law.”

I already use that answer when he moans about going to school. “Sorry, you can’t stay home from school. That’s the law.”

So I’m asking the legislature on behalf of parents throughout the state—pass this law so I’ll have one less argument to settle. And maybe while you’re at it, pass a law that settles which kid has control over the car radio.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Child Safety, Teens
        

State health officials are proposing to ban the sale of crib bumpers.

If successful, Maryland would be the first state to prohibit the crib accessory. Here are some excerpts from a story by my colleague Meredith Cohn's story:

The pads have little safety benefit and pose a small, but potentially deadly risk, according to members of a state task force formed this year to advise state health officials.

"Crib bumpers are not part of the safe sleep ABCs — babies should sleep alone, on their backs in a crib," Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, secretary of the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said at a news conference announcing the proposal. "And we're adding a fourth letter, 'D' for 'Don't use crib bumpers.'"

Sharfstein, who reviewed the panel findings before moving ahead with the proposed ban, said education will be important to convey the risk to the public.

The state's move follows a ban by the city council in Chicago two weeks ago. The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission is also investigating crib bumpers.

Not surprising, the group that represents bumper manufacturers is not happy with Maryland's proposal. The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association maintains that the pads, when used properly, are not only safe but protective.

Cohn reports that studies nationally have found that 27 baby deaths can be directly attributed to bumper pads in the last 20 years, while another 25 infants suffered nonfatal injuries.

In Maryland, one child was asphyxiated by crib bumpers.

We've had discussions over this issue when the state task force recommended the ban on crib bumpers in May. My unscientific poll found that many parents have used or are using bumpers.

The state is accepting public comments regarding this proposal.

Comments can be submitted until 5 p.m. Nov. 4. Send to Michele Phinney, Director, Office of Regulation and Policy Coordination, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 201 W. Preston St., Room 512, Baltimore, MD 21201. Calls can be made to 410-767-6499 or TTY: 800-735-2258 or emails can be sent to regs@dhmh.state.md.us

Or have your say here.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Child Safety
        

There are no words to describe Leiby Kletzky's tragic death.

May he rest in peace, and my thoughts are with his family.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 9:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Child Safety
        

Here's a number of interesting and insightful stories on parenting around the web:

National Public Radio's All Thing Considered began a series of reports this week exploring childbirth and parenting practices around the globe. Stories, audio and blogs explore issues from Africa, Asia and Europe.

A parent and therapist Lori Gottlieb explores how our obsession with raising happy kids may have the opposite effect. Check out her thoughtful article here.

On a sobering note, three top news organizations, NPR, ProPublica and Frontline, examined child death cases and found that forensic pathologists often misdiagnose the cause of death. As a result, innocent parents and caretakers have gone to jail. The full story is here.

Feel free to comment on any of these stories or pertaining issues.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Child Safety, On the Web, Parenting in general
        

New parents will no longer be able to buy cribs with sides that drop after a new federal rule goes into effect today.

According to the Associated Press, this new child safety mandate prohibits the sale of drop-side cribs even at yard sales.

New cribs on the market won't really look different other than the obvious absence of a movable side that drops down. Now, all four sides will be fixed and the cribs should be sturdier because of the tougher testing requirements.

Drop-side cribs have been around for decades. But they have increasingly come under scrutiny in recent years because of malfunctioning hardware, sometimes cheaper plastics, or assembly problems that can lead to the drop-side rail partially detaching. That can create a dangerous "V"-like gap with the mattress in which a baby can get caught and suffocate.

The AP says drop-sides are blamed for more than 30 infant and toddler deaths since 2000.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Child Safety
        

It seems as though every summer we hear of a tragic accident involving a parent unintentionally leaving a child alone in the car.

This month, a toddler in Howard County was hospitalized for heat exposure after being left in a car for three hours. Fortunately, the mistake didn't result in a death.

In response, Howard County Health Officer Peter Beilenson is offering tips on preventing similar accidents.

My colleague Andrea Walker over at the PIcture of Health blog provides more detail. Check it out here.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Child Safety
        

Maryland officials are considering banning the sale of pads that line the crib amid safety concerns.

My colleague Andrea K. Walker reports that a task force made such a recommendation last week.

Maryland could become the first state in the nation to ban the sale of bumper pads that line the inside of cribs after a state panel recommended Friday that health officials declare them a hazard because they can suffocate or strangle babies.

The recommendations made by the four-member task force of mostly pediatricians will now go to Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, secretary of the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, who will decide whether to write them into regulation.

The recommendations would not prevent parents from using the crib bumpers — which have been attributed to at least two dozen infant deaths nationwide — or buying them in other states.

There have been cases where babies have gotten their faces stuck on bumpers, causing them to suffocate. Others have been found dead with the bumpers' stings wrapped around their necks.

But bumper manufacturers say otherwise, arguing that they pose no danger if they're installed correctly.

Federal regulators are also looking into the issue after the Chicago Tribune inquired about the safety of crib bumpers.

Most, if not all, materials related to baby registries and articles on "must-have" nursery room items include crib bumpers.

Do you use a crib bumper or have you used one for your child? Take the poll here:

Posted by Hanah Cho at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Child Safety
        

Just when I switched the car seat for 15-month-old Jake from rear facing to forward facing, the American Academy of Pediatrics today issued new guidelines that advise car seats to remain rear facing until the child is 2 years old. (Thanks reader MadCow for the alert!)

AAP advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. It also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.

Like many parents, I followed AAP's previous policy, which recommended that infants and toddlers ride rear-facing up to the limits of the car seat, but it also cited age 12 months and 20 pounds as a minimum.

Because Jake weighs more than 25 pounds and his legs seem to be squeezed, I decided to finally make the turn the car seat to forward. I'm going to read the car seat's manual again and find out its maximum height and weight before I decide whether to switch the seat to rear facing.

Dennis Durbun, AAP's lead author of the new car seat policy statement, says a rear-facing child seat is better at supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash because "it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body."

Posted by Hanah Cho at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Child Safety
        

Last week, I switched Jake's car seat from rear-facing to forward-facing with some trepidation and excitement. (He's getting older and bigger so quickly!)

I read the instructions several times and checked the buckles and attachments to make sure the car seat was properly installed. But I still worry.

It appears that some of my concerns may be warranted. A recent Washington Post article discusses the concerns over the inadequacy of crash test dummies for child safety seats:

Seats for children who weigh more than 65 pounds - a growing part of the car seat market, partly because of the increase in childhood obesity - are not held to any government safety requirements. Seats for smaller children and infants are regulated only for their effectiveness in front-end collisions.

That's because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has yet to develop a lifelike child crash test dummy that can accurately ensure that seats for heavier children provide the protections promised.

Problems with developing child dummies are also a key reason why seats for all children have no federal requirements for effectiveness in side-impact, rear-end and rollover collisions, car seat experts said.

I did a lot of research before purchasing an infant car set and a convertible one for my 15-month-old. Mostly, I examined Consumer Reports studies and read comments from other moms and parents on blogs and web sites.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration official tells the reporter that car seat manufacturers "self-certify" that their seats meet existing safety standards.

The NHTSA only tests for crash protections that are regulated. That leaves parents to rely on manufacturers' assurances for the higher weight seats and for side-impact protections, seat-belt fit and other potential injury factors.

Are you concerned about child safety seats?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Child Safety
        

The Maryland State Highway Administration is lending reflective safety vests to parents or guardians for their children to use on Halloween.

The vests will be available for free at most counties. You could pick up a vest today and Friday at SHA maintenance facilities from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on a first-come first-served basis. The vests must be returned by Nov. 5.

Besides putting the reflective vests over children's costumes, SHA suggests you also could create a new costume: Combine the vest with a hard hat, a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and boots. Good idea.

Click to the next page for a list of participating SHA facilities.

Continue reading "Halloween safety: Free loaner reflective vests" »

Posted by Hanah Cho at 9:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Child Safety, Holidays
        

(Photo courtesy of Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy)

We've discussed swimming lessons for toddlers and drowning prevention. Drowning accidents can also happen inside the home.

Starting tomorrow, FOX45 will begin airing public service announcements targeting moms and other caregivers in Baltimore about the risks of indoor drowning.

The PSAs, developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, offer these tips:

• Always stay with your children during bath time
• Use just one inch of water in the tub, and drain immediately when finished
• Use toilet locks
• Empty water buckets after use

The center also runs the CARES mobile safety center, a 40-foot vehicle built as a house that visits Baltimore neighborhoods to teach parents about injury risks at home and ways to make their homes a safer place.

You can request a visit from CARES Safety Center to a neighborhood event.

Let us know if you catch the public service announcement.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Child Safety
        

That's according to Men's Health magazine, who ranked Baltimore as the third most unsafe city in the U.S. to raise a child.

My colleague, Andrea Walker, blogs about the ranking at Picture of Health.  

The magazine determined its rankings by looking at five factors: accidental death rates, the number of car seat inspection locations per child, sex offenders per capita, the percentage of abused children protected from further abuse, and the strength of bike helmet and child restraint laws.

Baltimore ranked 98th for accidental deaths, 72nd for car-seat inspections, 75th for sex offenders and 73rd for abused children protection. The city received an overall grade of F. The unsafest city was Jacksonville, FL, and the safest was Madison, Wis.

I find rankings of all kinds very subjective, but I'm sure it doesn't help with the city's image.

What do you think? What other factors should be considered?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Child Safety
        

Baltimore is launching a new public awareness campaign to tell parents that babies should sleep alone on their backs in a crib, as my colleague Meredith Cohn reports today.

The B'More for Healthy Babies project will feature real moms who have lost their children. Their stories will be featured on billboards and on radio spots as well as on video to be shown in maternity wards.

One mother, Dearea Matthews, who will be involved in the project, lost Charlie on Dec. 29. He slept in bed with his parents, just as his two siblings had done and as other members of his extended family had done with their parents.

Although many moms here and elsewhere believe in co-sleeping for convenience and safety reasons, Meredith notes that 27 infant deaths last year in Baltimore were tied to unsafe sleeping practices.

Babies who are not alone in a crib can be crushed by a sleeping parent or sibling, or suffocated by blankets or toys. On their bellies they can also more easily choke. Charlie's death remains unexplained, but health officials say sudden infant death syndrome, formerly known as crib death, is far less likely to happen to babies properly positioned for sleeping.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Babies and Toddlers, Child Safety
        

Imagine this scary scenario: Your newborn baby is missing from the hospital nursery and after a frantic search, you find the infant in another woman's room. The relief, however, is later replaced by horror when you discover that your baby had been breast-fed by another woman.

This is a situation that Suzanne Libby found herself in, according to The Washington Post. Libby and her husband found out that an aide at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington failed to match the baby's ID bands with the other woman's.

The article notes that it's hard to know how many breast-feeding mix-ups there are because states don't require hospitals to report them unless there is "serious harm." 

The incidents also point to a larger problem of accurate patient identification -- a major cause of health-care errors. That is a particular risk with newborns, and experts say sleep-deprived mothers are sometimes confused: It can be hard to recognize a swaddled infant brought by the nursing staff for feeding in the middle of the night.

Has anything like this happened to you? How can hospitals beef up its patient identification system?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Babies and Toddlers, Child Safety, Health
        

With recent crib and toy recalls, Consuming Interests blogger and reporter Liz Kay offers a great tip:

Here’s a task that new parents should tackle after the baby shower but before the thank you notes: Filling out product registration cards.

Once an opportunity for companies to glean marketing information from consumers, product registration cards now a means for manufacturers to promptly and directly notify families and caregivers about recalls. Under new federal law, the registration cards must be included with many infant and toddler nursery items constructed after June 2010.

Check out the rest of her post about the 2008 Consumer Products Safety Improvement law, which also requires the creation of mandatory standards for many durable infant and toddler products.

Posted by Hanah Cho at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Child Safety
        

I'm a shopaholic, so I thought I would enjoy buying baby items when E. and I were preparing for J.'s arrival.

Boy, was I wrong. There were so many choices and so many things to consider, namely safety concerns.

Besides buying a car seat, choosing a crib took the most time because of the research involved in finding a safe but affordable one.

With increasing crib recalls, The Wall Street Journal offers some insights into what makes a crib safe. Forget those drop-side cribs. Buy a crib with sturdy fixed sides, according to an expert interviewed by the WSJ.

Most of the cribs recalled since 2007 have involved "drop sides," which slide up or down. The safety commission voted last week to ban the design—popular for years because of its perceived safety and convenience—and to tighten other crib standards, including those for safety testing, wood quality and mattress support.

Continue reading "Crib safety" »

Posted by Hanah Cho at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Child Safety
        

UPDATED 2:06 p.m. 

The drowning death of former NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham's 2-year-old son is a sad reminder of how dangerous water can be for children.

In fact, the drowning fatality rate for boys ages 1 to 2 is high: 4 or 5 per 100,000, according to Sue Baker, a professor in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. For girls in that age group, the fatality rate is cut in half, Baker says.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently revised its previous recommendation against swimming lessons for children under 4, saying parents should decide whether to enroll their children in classes. The group recommends swimming lessons for children 4 years old and older.

Baker says parents also should keep these tips in mind if you have small children.

Consider learning CPR. Baker tells the story of her brother-in-law, who took a Red Cross course, knowing he was going to spend part of the summer near a lake with his grandson. He ended up saving the life of his 2-year-old grandson, who fell into the lake when nobody was looking. "It was a long time ago, but it's vivid in my memory."

Continue reading "Drowning Prevention: Tips for parents" »

Posted by Hanah Cho at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Child Safety
        

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Proctor & Gamble are recalling about 35,000, one-liter size of Scope Original Mint Mouthwash because of malfunctioning child-resistent caps.

No injuries have been reported.

From the CPSC:

Hazard: The mouthwash contains ethyl alcohol and certain bottles have malfunctioning child-resistant caps and lack the statement, “This Package for Households Without Young children,” as required by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act. Ethyl alcohol is toxic and can cause serious injury or death if ingested by children.

Description: This recall involves some bottles of Scope® Original Mint Mouthwash in 1 liter sizes. The recalled bottles have the number 4 on the bottom of the bottle. The bottles with the 4 on the bottom may not be child-resistant. Consumers can also attempt to twist the cap open. If the cap can be twisted off without squeezing the tabs on the cap, the package is not child-resistant.

Sold at: Drug stores, grocery stores and other retailers between January 2010 and June 2010 for about $4.

Continue reading "Recall: Scope Original Mint Mouthwash" »

Posted by Hanah Cho at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Child Safety
        

My blogging colleague Liz Kay over at Consuming Interests writes about a crib recall and offers for free repair kits:

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced seven manufacturers are offering free repair kits and other solutions to repair another 2 million cribs after at least 16 reports of babies getting trapped, in one case requiring hospitalization.

Most of the cribs in question are drop-side cribs, 9 million of which have now been recalled by manufacturers in the last five years, reports the Associated Press. Two of the cribs were fixed-side, however.

Continue reading "Another crib recall and repair kits available" »

Posted by Hanah Cho at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Child Safety
        

Reader Becky posed a question about teaching toddlers how to swim.

In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics last month released new guidelines that revised its earlier recommendation against swimming lessons for children under 4. The group now says it's open to classes for younger children as new drowning risks -- such as inflatable pools-- have emerged in recent years.

In the past, the AAP advised against swimming lessons for children ages 1 to 3 because there was little evidence that lessons prevented drowning or resulted in better swim skills, and there was a concern parents would become less vigilant about supervising a child who had learned some swimming skills.

But new evidence shows that children ages 1 to 4 may be less likely to drown if they have had formal swimming instruction. The studies are small, and they don’t define what type of lessons work best, so the AAP is not recommending mandatory swim lessons for all children ages 1 to 4 at this time. Instead, the new guidance recommends that parents should decide whether to enroll an individual child in swim lessons based on the child’s frequency of exposure to water, emotional development, physical abilities, and certain health concerns related to pool water infections and pool chemicals. (Emphasis added.)

The group points out that not every child will be ready to learn how to swim at the same age. It does not recommend formal programs for infants younger than 1.

I've always been scared of the water, probably because I don't know how to swim. So, it's important that my baby, J., learns how to swim at an early age.

Take the survey below:

Posted by Hanah Cho at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Child Safety, The Monday Consult
        

McDonald's is recalling 12 million "Shrek" glass cups because the paint on them contains cadmium, a toxic metal.

If you bought any (they were sold for $2 apiece, according to this report), they should be returned to McDonald's for a refund. In the meantime, the story says, please keep them away from your children.

Associated Press photo

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (26)
Categories: Child Safety
        

A few weeks ago, Mommy asked an important question for the Monday Consult. I want to get an expert's answer to this, but first I am curious what readers of this blog would do in a similar situation. Here's Mommy's question:

I saw some old friends from college recently and our kids played together for the day downtown. One of my friend's sons (he's 6) was misbehaving, so the dad took him aside as I shepherded the other kids along (at the aquarium). Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my friend push his son into the wall! It was dark in the aquarium and I wasn't completely sure it was as egregious as I think it was. But, what really tipped me off, was that the dad rejoined us and said his son 'banged his head.' To me, this sounds like a classic abuser - 'tell them you fell down' story. The mom was not there and I am unsure what to do. When the dad made an excuse about why his son was crying, it really made me cringe. I guess this whole question is really about when to intervene on a child's behalf. Thanks.

What would you do? Take our poll and expand on your answer in the comments...

Continue reading "Poll: Is a friend hitting his kid?" »

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Child Safety
        

Speaking of crib recalls and hazardous strollers...

Maryland Public Interest Research Group (known as Maryland PIRG) today released its annual report on "Trouble in Toyland" to keep you from picking up hazardous toys when you venture out for holiday shopping this Black Friday and beyond.

The worst dangers to look for, the group says, are choking hazards, noise, and toxins such as lead and phthalates. The group is also warning consumers about small magnets, sometimes in toys where you might not expect them, that if swallowed can cause serious infections or death in children because the magnets attract even in the body.

U.S. PIRG has a toy safety Web site designed for smart phone use with more tips on safe toy shopping. Here's the group's list of unsafe toys for 2009.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Child Safety
        

New parents are often shocked at how often complete strangers feel free to come right up and touch a tiny baby, without asking if it's OK to do so.

Even the common cold can turn dangerous for a new baby, much less swine flu. That means all the touching can drive a germ-phobic parent right up the wall.

One, a mom named Tara Williamson, decided to make the sign you see on the right, which you can hook right on to a stroller. And now she's selling them, for $7.95 apiece. (There's even one in Spanish.)

Of course, you could make one yourself for free. Or just summon your courage and tell the stranger (or, let's be honest, overly touchy acquaintance/relative/friend) to wash up first.

But something about the official-looking nature of this sign may be the ticket. It's passive-aggressive messaging at its finest, isn't it? Because after reading it, even with clean hands, who would dare to approach the baby?

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Six companies have recalled millions of window blinds and shades after three children died from being entangled in their cords,  the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday.

The recall includes about 4.2 million roll-up blinds and 600,000 Roman shades imported by Lewis Hyman Inc., of Carson, Calif. The Roman shades were sold exclusively at Target stores nationwide and on Target.com from March 2006 through December 2008. The roll-up blinds were sold at retail stores nationwide from January 1999 through December 2003.

The CPSC said that in November 2007, a 1-year-old boy from Norridgewock, Maine, became entangled and strangled in the loop of a roll-up blind that had fallen into his crib. In October 2008, a 13-month-old boy from Conway, Ark., was found with his head between the inner cord and the cloth on the backside of a Roman shade.

Continue reading "Window blinds and shades recall" »

Posted by Joe Burris at 4:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Child Safety