Keep the clutter out of baby’s crib! And we are not only talking infants here. From 2002-2004, 241 children under age 5 died in nursery incidents - 40% attributable to beddings and toys. Beware of the bath too - during that period 36 deaths were attributed to bath seats. There are about 65,000 nursery product related accidents per year. Of course accidents do happen, just be aware to try to prevent them if at all possible.

Spanking leads to sexual deviancy? This is a survey that is probably going to get conversations going. Spanking your child. This often ends up in the “hot topics” area. There is a survey out that those who are in the “no spanking” camp may use as a reason. The survey says that children who were spanked in childhood will grow up to be more aggressive and could have sexual issues. What sexual issues are they referring to?

One stat: the 25 percent of university students who ranked highest on a corporal punishment scale insisted on sex without a condom, compared with the 12.5 percent of university students who scored lowest on the scale. Another: 75 percent of college students who’d been spanked a lot said they were sexually aroused by masochistic sex, compared with 40 percent of students who were never spanked.

Those in the “spanking is OK” camp say that in proper circumstances and done properly, it can be effective without any damaging effects. This is surely one of those things that will always be controversial and an individual parenting decision.

This baby is an amazing survivor! A pregnant woman in India was riding on the train. She went to the bathroom, started labor (prematurely) and passed out. The baby was born into the toilet and slipped out onto the train tracks. (For those who aren’t frequent train travelers, it is often the case that toilet waste is disposed that way.)

The family, worried she was gone a while, went to find her. When they realized what had happened, the pulled the emergency button, and a search was on for the baby somewhere along the tracks. Nearly 2 hours later, they found the infant on the tracks - alive! It was taken to the hospital and is under care and it is considered a miracle.

Sad Recall: The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of Jetmax International boys’ and girls’ wooden storage racks with canvas totes. The racks can tip over, causing an entrapment and asphyxiation hazard. The CPSC received a report of an eight-month-old who was asphyxiated when he pulled a rack over and the top rail landed on his neck. From the recall site:

They were sold at Wal-Mart stores nationwide from August 2004 through July 2005 and Ollie’s stores nationwide from July 2006 through June 2007 for about $40. Consumers should immediately stop children from using the recalled storage racks and contact Jetmax International to receive a free repair kit that adds stability to the base.

Also recalled: Hobby Lobby Halloween baskets, for lead paint violations (sample below, see recall page for other recalled designs.)

Crib Recall: The CPSC issued a recall of Wendy Bellissimo Collection Convertible Cribs, sold exclusively at Babies R Us, because the bolts at the top corners of the cribs can become lose, which can create a gap that poses a strangulation hazard. Parents should stop using the cribs and contact Bassettbaby at (888) 897-4689 for a free repair kit.

Lead Toy Recalls: The CPSC is recalling Curious George plush dolls, sold with activity or story books, because the paint on the dolls violates lead paint standards. (Sample picuted below, see the recall site for additional recalled models.)

The CPSC is recalling children’s yellow sunglasses, sold at Dollar General stores nationwide, because they have excessive levels of lead.

The CPSC has issued a recall of pearl-like beads accompanying Tween Brands girls’ gift sets, sold at Limited Too, because they contain excessive levels of lead.

Good News for Preemies: A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that premature babies who are treated with caffeine therapy to alleviate breathing problems do not suffer from neurological problems as a result. In fact, caffeine may protect preemies against cerebral palsy and cognitive delays. Caffeine is used with preemies to treat apnea or to help ease babies off of mechanical ventilators. (Thanks, Sonya, for the link!)

Warning - Aqua Dots Beads Contain “Date Rape” Drug: Spinmaster of Toronto and the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall of about 4.2 million sets of the popular Aqua Dots toys because the coating of the beads that causes them to stick together when wet is toxic if ingested. The toys were manufactured in China.

Two children are reported to have become comatose after swallowing the beads. Parents should take Aqua Dots away from children and contact Spinmaster for a free replacement toy.

The chemical on the beads actually converts into GHB (gamma-hydroxy butyrate), or the “date rape drug”, once metabolized.

Aqua Dots are sold in Australia under the name “Bindeez Beads”.

Lead paint toy recalls: Schylling Associates Inc., of Rowley, MA, and the CPSC are issuing recalls of four toys imported by the company, sold at specialty toy stores and gift shops nationwide, because of lead paint violations. The recalled toys are:

Duck Family Collectible Wind-Up Toys,

Winnie the Pooh spinning tops,

Dizzy Ducks Music Boxes,

and “Robot 2000” tin robot.

The CPSC also issued a recall of Northern Tool and Equipment Co.’s Big Red Wagon because of lead paint violation.

Also recalled for lead paint violations are Dragster and Funny Car toys sold at National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) events through Schumacher Racing, and Matco Tools through door to door sales by its representatives.

Also recalled for lead paint are pull back action toy cars sold at Dollar Stores (sample pictured below, see recall site for more photos).

All of the above were manufactured in China.

Two non-lead related recalls: Fisher Price and the CPSC are recalling the Laugh & Learn Kitchen because pieces of the faucet and clock hands can detach, posing a choking hazard for young children.

And Swimways Corp. and and the CPSC are recalling Skippy pool toys due to laceration hazards.

If you don’t want lead and the “date rape” drug on your kids’ toys, please sign our Toy Safety petition.

For what it’s worth, a few things I learned on our just-completed adventure flying across the country and back with our two little ones:

• Even if your two-year-old is religious about pooping once a day, he will find the resources to grant you a bonus once he notices he’s on an airplane. The severity of this surprise poop will be in proportion to how difficult it is at that moment to get to the airplane bathroom.
• It’s not smart to play Chad Vader in front of your preschooler, because he’ll pick up on the one or two salty phrases in it and debut them just when the the nice man sharing his row tries to engage him.
• It is smart to bring an extra pair of pants in case your three-year-old has an accident, but even smarter to bring an extra shirt too in case he has a mishap of a different variety and your husband is unable to procure a barf bag in time. Sadly, I am not smarter.
• Those folks who clean airplanes between flights are probably underpaid.
• If you let your three-year-old pick out a replacement T-shirt at an airport store during your layover, he may well insist on the one that says “Friends don’t let friends vote Democrat.”
• It won’t matter, though, because he’ll refuse to wear the shirt you just blew $15 on because it doesn’t say Red Sox.
• After enough legs of a plane journey, even M&Ms completely lose their bribery power.
• All inconveniences of plane travel with little kids are counterbalanced by the fabulous Travelmate by Go Go Babyz. I’ve said it before: Worth every penny.

Posted by MommaSteph.

Low-Down Bumbo: The Consumer Product Safety Commission is issuing a recall of Bumbo infant baby seats because of reports of falls and serious head injuries. Bumbos are never to be used on elevated surfaces, as babies can tumble out of them. The CPSC has received reports of three head fractures after babies were left in Bumbos placed on tables.

Consumers can contact Bumbo International at (877) 932-8626 or www.bumbosafety.com to obtain a safety sticker that says “WARNING – Prevent Falls; Never use on any elevated surface.” The Bumbo web site notes that the Bumbo chair is “perfectly safe when used properly.”

Baby Bargains Book Blog notes that some of the confusion may have been generated by Bumbo International itself, as its web site used to feature pictures of babies in Bumbos on counter tops and tables.

Old time MomSquawkers note that Bumbo envy is a sad, sad affliction…

Boo. Jeffrey Weidenhamer, chair of the chemistry department at Ashland University in Ohio, purchased 22 Halloween novelty items and tested them for lead. He found that three of them - a Frankenstein cup and two trick-or-treat buckets - had unacceptably high levels of lead. The cup tested at 65 times levels deemed acceptable by US authorities. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio requested the study and forwarded the results to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Senator Brown’s letter noted, “China makes nearly 80 percent of the toys that are imported into the United States, yet adequate safety measures have not been taken to assure that toys produced in China do not contain lead paint…As you know, lead is significantly more harmful to children than adults because it can affect children’s developing nervous system and brain. Small amounts, even dust and particles, can cause damage or possibly death.”

Yesterday, the CPSC issued a recall of the lead paint Frankenstein tumblers. No word yet on the trick-or-treat buckets, one depicting a purple witch, the other a white skull.

More recall news: The CPSC issued a recall of Kids II Baby Einstein Discover & Play Color Blocks because of the discovery that the blue block contains lead paint.

The CPSC is recalling some KB Toys wooden toys due to lead paint violation:

Wooden Pull-Along Alphabet & Math Blocks Wagons and Learning Blocks Wagons,

10-in-1 Activity Learning Carts,

and Flip-Flop Alphabet Blocks.

Also recalled, aluminum water bottles imported by Sports Authority, of Englewood, Colorado, as the surface paint contains excessive amounts of lead. Sample bottle:

The CPSC also issued a recall of Eveready Battery “Pirates of the Caribbean” medallion squeeze lights, as the paint on the leather strap contains excessive levels of lead paint.

Also recalled for excessive lead: bookmarks and journals imported by Antioch Publishing, of Yellow Springs, Ohio.

And also recalled, Totally Me! Funky Room Decor Sets sold at Toys R Us, because surface paint on the back of the mirror contains excessive lead paint:

And also recalled, metal keychains containing words of inspiration, such as “love”, “hope”, “dream, “wisdom”, “truth”, and “believe.” They were sold at dollar stores nationwide from June, 2005 through August, 2007 and contain high levels of lead.

We are inspired to shop shopping altogether.

Finally, the CPSC and Target are recalling plush baby boy rattles, shaped as baseballs, footballs, and basketballs, because the rattles can break open, releasing small beads, which are a choking hazard.

Yeeeowch! The CPSC announced a recall of Mini Zooper Doll Strollers sold at Pottery Barn Kids because kids’ fingers can become caught in the rectangular metal clips or the black plastic side hinges; additionally, the strollers pose an entrapment hazard. Pottery Barn Kids has received three reports of serious lacerations, including a two-year-old who lost part of his finger. Consumers can contact Pottery Barn Kids at (888) 367-0144 for information on obtaining a repair kit.

New Ringworm Drug: The FDA has approved a new version of the drug Lamisil that may be used to treat ringworm in kids ages four and up. The drug is formulated as crumb-sized granules that may be sprinkled on a child’s food. “A parent’s ability to sprinkle it on the food of a child, who may not like to take medicine, should go a long way to helping ensure the infection is properly treated and to limiting its spread,” said Steven Galson, director of FDA’s drug center.

Move to Ban Infant and Children’s Cough and Cold Meds:  The FDA is being urged by its safety experts to enact an outright ban on over-the-counter cough and cold medication for children under six, noting that there is little evidence that the products are effective in young children and reason to believe they may be dangerous.   From 1969 to 2006, at least 54 children died after taking decongestants, and 69 died after taking antihistamines, the report said. And it added that since adverse drug reactions are reported voluntarily and fitfully, the numbers were likely to significantly understate the medicines’ true toll.  The Consumer Healthcare Products Association, a trade group that has consistently defended the children’s medications, issued its own report recommending mandatory warning labels stating that the products should not be used in children under two.  A spokesman for a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary announced that he agreed with the trade group’s position, but would not elaborate on why his company continues to sell Concentrated Tylenol Infants’ Drops Plus Cold.

More Drug Dangers: The FDA announced a crackdown on unapproved prescription drugs containing the narcotic hydrocodone. Improperly used, hydrocodone can cause breathing problems, cardiac arrest, impaired motor abilities and judgement, and death. The FDA said it was particularly concerned about improper pediatric labeling of unapproved hydrocodone cough suppressants — also known as antitussives. None of the drugs that contain hydrocodone has been approved for children younger than 2 years old. “There are hydrocodone-containing products on the market that claim they are suitable for children as young as 2,” [Deborah M.] Autor, [director of the agency’s Office of Compliance, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research] said.

Play Yard Recall: As noted by Mally, Kolcraft infant play yards are being recalled after a 10-month-old was strangled to death on the restraining strap on the changing table that was hanging down into the play yard. Also hazardous is the rocking cradle on the Contours 3-in-1 play yards, as a baby can roll and get trapped against the side of the cradle and be in danger of suffocation.

Models included in the recall include the Travelin’ Tot series, the Contours 3-in-1, the “Sesame Beginnings” play yards, Carter’s Lennon Travelin’ Tot, and the Jeep Sahara series.

The CPSC site has pictures and model numbers for the recalled play yards - please check to see if your play yard is part of the recall. Contact Kolcraft at (888) 655-8484 for a free non-looped restraining strap (cut the looped strap off the changing table in the meantime) and a repair kit to secure the rocking cradle.

Always remove the changing table, bassinet, or cradle from the play yard before placing your child in it.

Lead Paint a Global Problem: Researchers from the University of Cincinnati and the University of Ibadan in Nigeria collaborated on a study that finds that increased globalization and outsourcing of manufacturing has resulted in a flood of goods with unacceptably high levels of lead, and the problem is increasing in urgency in underdeveloped countries where lead safety standards are not enforced.

For this study, researchers analyzed lead levels in five colors of paint, from each of five brands, marketed and sold in Ibadan, a city of more than 2 million people in southwestern Nigeria. Each paint sample was applied in a single layer to a wood block, left to dry and then removed and analyzed in UC laboratories for lead content.

They found that 96 percent of the consumer paints available in Nigeria contained higher than the recommended levels of lead.

The researchers conclude that a consistent, global ban on lead-based paint is urgently needed.

Thomas Recall Update: You probably heard that more Thomas trains are being recalled for lead paint…what you may not have heard is that some parents received these lead-tainted toys as replacements for the lead-tainted toys they sent back after the last recall. “You would think they would test the trains they are giving to kids,” said Jill Cataldo of Huntley, who received one of the Toad railway cars as a bonus after she sent three of her son’s Thomas toys back to the firm following the June recall of 1.5 million wooden railway toys.

Cancer and Pregnancy: A Norwegian study presented at the European Cancer Conference in Barcelona suggests that pregnancy does not adversely affect the health outcomes for women with cancer, whether they become pregnant after treatment or are diagnosed while pregnant. One of the researchers notes, “Many women are concerned about pregnancy after cancer, as are many doctors. There have been several hypotheses for decades proposing that complex hormonal changes and immunologic alterations associated with pregnancy might promote cancer growth…Those studies that confirm such hypotheses are often based on small numbers and the findings could be due to selection bias. I see our results as further reassurance that pregnancy factors are not influencing the cancer development per se.”

On the heels of the toy recalls this morning, there is news of yet another safety recall associated with items made in China. This time it involves playpens made by Kolcraft. The safety strap on the changing area of the playpen has caused at least one strangulation death.

According to the CPSC, these were sold between January 2001 through September 2007. For recall information, please contact Kolcraft.

I have personally had it with the recalls. I have been living in a dream world thinking the US will keep my children protected from things like this. The number of recalls as of late proves that the safety procedures in place were not nearly enough.

Posted by Mally