Chicago Tribune writes about dangers of crib bumper pads, CPSC agrees to take a 'fresh look'

Both Aiden's and Preston's families have shared their stories with KID and we have been warning for years against crib bumper pads. But bumpers continue to be marketed to new parents, show up in many retailer 'staging' of cribs, and even CPSC has previously dismissed the hazards.

But now, the Chicago Tribune has written another impactful story on a juvenile product safety concern -- crib bumper pads. The article cites the stories of these two families whose children suffocated on bumper pads this year. It also cites additional data at CPSC of dozens of other deaths in which bumpers were involved.

We urge parents and caregivers to read the article, throw out your bumpers if you are currently using them, and pass this safety message unto any new parents you know. CPSC has agreed to re-examine the safety of bumpers. As safe sleep groups have been saying for years, a safe crib is a bare crib -- a tightfitting sheet only and a baby on its back.

Our hearts go out to Preston's and Aiden's families and we thank them again for sharing their stories -- it will save lives.

Updated Playground Safety Guide released by CPSC

It is estimated that in recent years, there have been more than 200,000 injuries annually on U.S. public playgrounds that required a trip to the emergency room. To reduce the risk of playground-related deaths and injuries, follow these recommended guidelines from CPSC to create a safer playground environment for all children. The handbook touches on the following public playground safety issues:

• Potential of falls from, and impact with equipment
• Need for impact attenuating protective surfacing under and around equipment
• Openings with head entrapment potential
• Scale of equipment and other design features related to user age and layout of equipment on a playground
• Installation and maintenance procedures
• General hazards presented by protrusions, sharp edges, and crush or shear points
• Supervision and sight lines

A complete Playground Safety Checklist is included in the handbook and can be used when deciding on a public playground for your children. Ensure that the safety of each individual piece of playground equipment as well as the layout of the entire play area is considered when designing or evaluating a playground for safety.

Childcare personnel, school officials, parks and recreation personnel, equipment purchasers and installers, playground designers, and any other members of the general public concerned with public playground safety and interested in evaluating their respective playgrounds should refer to the complete handbook listing from CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook.

UPDATE: CPSC warns against Simplicity Bassinets

Following the news this week of another death in a Simplicity Bassinet, CPSC has issued a warning urging parents and caregivers to stop using the bassinet involved. This warning is in lieu of a recall because CPSC can't get the company that now owns Simplicity to agree to a recall -- another sign of the weakness of the agency that hopefully will be remedied with the new legislation. CPSC did get six retailers to agree to recall the product, so if you bought it from one of these stores, you can return it for a refund. Please, send the CPSC warning out to anyone who might be using this product.

Kids In Danger offers holiday safety tips

“Stories of lead in toys, dangerous magnets and cribs that fall apart have been in the news this year,” states Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids In Danger. Parents might be overwhelmed with how to shop safely for their children and keep them safe over the holidays. KID has some common sense tips.

First, when shopping for gifts for children, KID recommends that parents:

• follow age recommendations and safety warnings,
• check for flimsy or easily broken toys, and
• keep up to date on recalls through the US Consumer Product Safety Commission website and email lists at www.cpsc.gov. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is predicting recalls up through the holiday, so parents need to check products they may have already bought for holiday giving.

Sites with safe shopping advice and information include:

• Holiday Shopping Safety Poster
• Illinois Attorney General Safe Shopping Page, and
• Toy Safety.net

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Always use an appropriate infant or booster car seat when traveling – in your car, grandma’s car or a rental or taxi.Check www.nhtsa.gov to make sure the seat hasn’t been recalled. If they give you a recalled seat at the rental agency, request a new one.In most states all children up to age 8 should be in a booster or car seat.

Make sure your baby has a safe place to sleep.Bring along a safe bassinet or portable crib.The old crib from the attic will not be safe for your child. Check all cribs for recalls and loose or missing hardware or slats.Don’t use a crib if a soda can passes through the slats or if it has corner posts or cut-outs that might catch a child’s clothing.Remove all soft bedding, don’t use adult sheets on a crib mattress, and don’t put babies in a bed with older children.

Check borrowed high chairs, strollers and other children’s products for recalls. High chairs and strollers should have three point harnesses to keep your baby from falling out.

With all the hectic unwrapping and strewing about of toys, keep an eye out to make sure younger children don’t get hold of inappropriate toys that might have small parts or magnets that can be dangerous.Talk to older children about keeping their toys out of reach of their younger relatives.

Finally, with lead tainted toy trains and collapsing cribs, it is time to make children’s product safety a priority in this country.In Congress, policy makers are considering increasing the budget, staff and powers of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Parents and grandparents should take a minute to send an email to their elected officials at the state and national levels, asking them to put children first and pass real reform of the children’s product safety system. Find more information at http://www.kidsindanger.org/advocacy/index.asp.