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Baby Care & Safety Advice Baby care & safety is your natural instinct in the protection of your baby. Over a period of years child safety products availability has increased enormously and there are now a multitude of choices. A check on the internet indicates numerous items produced by baby product manufacturers. Below are examples of primary baby safety products on the market, security gates, child safety catches for cupboards and drawers, window guards, child safety cabinet locks, door stoppers, corner bumpers, electrical outlet plugs, anti-scalding devices, baby medical emergency kits, blind cord safety tassels, baby safety blind, wire protective covers, fire guards, nursery thermometer, baby monitor and many other childproofing gadgets in baby safety. Install safety devices throughout your home, such as a smoke alarms in every room, window guards and/or window stoppers. Install safety outlet plug covers over all electrical equipment especially electrical outlet power points. Much has been written and documented by medical experts, researchers and statisticians, etc. concerning the greatest fear for all parents, that is Sudden Infant Death Syndrom, (S.I.D.S). No one single factor can be portrayed as been the direct cause of S.I.D.S. However, many safety precautions are now been highlighted in the prevention of this dreaded occurrence. I outline, hereunder, a number of safety procedures which should be adherred to: 1. Crib Purchase - A safe crib will have as a basic requirement, tight fitting mattress, no missing hardware or slats, no cutouts in the head and/or foot boards. Corner posts should not be higher than 1/16" and slats should be no more than 2 3/8" apart. 2. Mattress specifications in a crib must, by law, be at least 27-1/4" by 51-5/8" and no more than 6" thick. Must fit the crib perfectly. (If you can place more than two fingers between the mattress and frame, the mattress is not suitable). Remove plastic mattress covers before fitting it in the crib. The retention of such material would cause overheating 3. Never use pillows, quilts, duvets, comforters, toys or other loose material in a baby crib or moses basket. 4. Use crib sheets that fits securely around the corners. 5. Do not use Polyester blankets if nursery is too hot. 6. Use Acrylic cellular blankets in a cool room. 7. Sheets and blankets should be the correct size as there could be dangers with a wrigley baby. 8. In a room heated to 75F only a single top sheet is needed, any drop in temperature, a blanket is required. 9. Do not overdress your baby boy or baby girl in the crib. Many mothers opt for sleeping suits or sleeping bags. 10. Always comply strictly with the manufacturer's manual. After 6 months baby should be moved from the crib to a cot. 11. Excess crib bedding creates overheating for the baby and can be a contributing factor in S.I.D.S. 12. Your baby should be put to sleep on its back or on its side. Research indicates that a baby put to sleep on its tummy is at greater risk of cot death. 13. Never put your baby to rest or sleep on an adult bed, soft surface, e.g., a sofa, waterbed, etc. 14. Never sleep in your bed with your infant beside you. Statistics indicate that a very high number of reported infant deaths are attributed to accidental suffocation. In the area of 'Safe Sleep' for babies, the infant survival Group, First Candle are working tirelessly in educating parents about the need to always have baby in a safe place to sleep. Visit http://www.firstcandle.org 15. If you are a working Mom and placing your loved one in a daily nursery care center, ensure that your care & safety standards are in place at the center. 16. Smoking Mothers - stark news - Research now show that nine out of ten mothers whose infants died from SIDS were smoking during pregnancy. Babies exposed to secondhand smoke are at greater risk. The moral of the story is absolute no smoking in the home where baby lives. Medical experts have indicated that secondhand smoke affects children as they grow especially causing asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, earaches, tooth decay, an increased risk of cancer and heart disease. Advice on Safe-Proofing your Home: 1. Safety devices, e.g. Fire extinguishers, Handrails, Smoke Detector, Safety gates, Covers for electrical connections, out-of-reach curtain cords, etc. should be put in place and implemented. 2. All medicines, chemicals, etc. should be stored on upper cupboards. 3. Ensure that you are CPR proficient. 4. A well stocked First Aid Kit is essential. 5. Electrical appliance cords should always be out-of-reach. 6. Remove spring type doorstoppers with the white rubber tip as baby may remove the rubber tip and swallow it. Replace with an all-in-one rubber type. 7. Furniture item with sharp edges should be protected with soft infits. 8. Check your stair bannisters. If the posts are more than 4" apart have panels installed. 9. If you have house plants in your living area have them checked out for toxins. 10. Open windows during warm weather is an invitation to small children. Keep chairs, stools, etc. away from open windows. It is strongly advised to fit window guards as screens may not be a sufficient deterrant. 11. With your childproofing knowledge, put it to good use when you arrive at your hotel room on vacation.
Latest Baby Product News: Another Chemical in Baby Bottles: Following experimentation in animals, etc., it has been found that the chemical Tributylin when tested activated the receptor PPR Gamma, which controls the production of fat cells.This chemical is used in the production of plastic baby bottles and other plastic recepticals. Another good reason to throw out those bottles. Another Scare for Parents: Exposure by babies to chemicals used in the making of products such as plastic baby bottles or plastic food wraps may lead to obesity later, according to a new research announced recently. Emmissions from some Nursery Furniture: A report reveals that some Nursery Furniture which includes, cribs, changing tables, etc. emitts a chemical known as 'formaldehyde' at high levels which can trigger allergies and asthma in babies. One Doctor recommendes house plants in the romm such as spider plant, boston fern or potted mums. Opening a window also helps. Canada: The Canadian Government have announced that Canada will be the first country to ban plastic baby bottles with bisphenol A as it has concluded that the chemical is toxic. Many of Canada's major retailers have already removed baby products, such as, plastic baby bottles, plastic food containers and plastic sipping cups from their shelves. Nalgene Outdoor Products, New York, who manufactures baby bottles which are known to be hard, clear plastic have announced that they will no longer be manufacturing these bottles. Food Manfacturing Material Warning: Certain food & agriculture produce containing manufactured nanomaterials which are toxic and pose health risks are not yet regulated and believed to be sold internationally.For further information visit http://www.theage.com.au/text/articles/2008/03/10/1204998320564.html Increase your knowledge on Toxins & Skin Care Products: Visit http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php Maryland State Leading the Way: Maryland Lawmakers are processing bills through the General Assembly banning toxins from children's toys. The bills will have the effect of lowering the permissible amount of chemicals in child products, such as, lead, phthalates, and bisphenol A. Canada: A study commissioned by the Canadian group Environmental Defence, found that the bottles ooze Bisphenol A (BPA) into the beverage inside in levels that surprised the researchers. The report warns about the dangers of popular plastic baby bottles sold in Canada noting that when heated, the bottles can release potentially harmful chemicals. Nine polycarbonate bottles were tested. Further research is ongoing. Avoid clear hard plastic bottles marked with a 'PC' or a '7' More on Plastic Bottles: Study indicates that constant regular use of plastic bottles increases the release of higher levels of chemicals as the bottle gets older. Regular change of bottles is appropriate or better still purchase glass bottles. The banning of BPA in the manufacture of plastic bottles is being mooted by many environmental organisations. Warning on Plastic Containers: Plastic containers or bottles marked with recycling codes, No. 3, polyvinyl chloride or PVC, No. 6, polystyrene or No. 7 usually polycarbonate. The codes are used by manufacturers to indicate the composition of the plastic. For use in food consumption container codes 1, 2, 4 & 5 are considered safer. Visit http://iatp.org/foodandhealth for further information Chemicals Warning: Traces of chemical known as phthalates have been found in elevated levels of baby's urine. Those babies had been shampooed, lotioned or powdered. There is a possible link between these chemicals and the reproductive system. Non-Toxic Information: Visit http://thesoftlanding.com/ind.html for details of non-toxic baby products. Toys Check: Avoid PVC plastic toys particularly soft plastic types. Consumer Action Guide to chemicals in toys can be found at www.healthytoys.org. Click Dreamtime Baby to view Baby care & safety products.
http://www.SkinCareBaby.com AWARD WINNING non-allergenic, Herbal, Organic Baby Skin Care Products & Natural Hair Care Products! Loving Baby Swaddle Blanket: http://www.lovingbabyinc.com Useful Links http://www.seattlechildrens.org/child_health_safety/health_advice http://www.cheerios.com/forNewParents/forNewParents_home.aspx http://www.thebabydepartment.com/search.aspx?keywords=baby%20safety http://www.toysrus.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=2256208&cp=2255984
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