May 26, 2011 | Front page story
The Consumer Product and Safety Commission issued new rules for crib safety last December which take effect this June–the biggest change is no more drop sides. From now on both crib sides will be stationary like European cribs:
“[T]he mandatory crib standards will: (1) stop the manufacture and sale of dangerous, traditional drop-side cribs; (2) make mattress supports stronger; (3) make crib hardware more durable; and (4) make safety testing more rigorous.”
The rules start rolling out in June with crib manufacturers and retailers, and allow 2 years for compliance by child care centers, hotels and other facilities providing cribs:
“Effective June 2011, cribs manufactured, sold, or leased in the United States must comply with the new federal standards. Effective 24 months after the rule is published, child care facilities, such as family child care homes and infant Head Start centers, and places of public accommodation, such as hotels and motels, must have compliant cribs in their facilities.”
The CPSC believes that most drop side cribs are less safe than fixed side cribs and lists manufacturers issuing recalls and providing immobilizers for drop sides. They also created a Questions & Answers page to explain the regulations in more detail.
Safer cribs are a great thing, the only challenge will be reaching over the rail to get older babies and toddlers out of the cribs when the mattresses are at the lowest settings. Be careful of your lower back!
May 16, 2011 | Front page story
May is the month of Mother’s Day and to raise awareness about supporting moms Postpartum Support International (PSI) has declared May National Maternal Depression Awareness Month.
Encouraging women to “Speak Up When You’re Down”, PSI works with health care providers and states to create and support education and treatment programs. The PSI site is a great resource for women too, offering free live chats with an expert every week. We also find thoughtful insights and helpful links at the blog Postpartum Progress.
Part of the challenge with maternal depression is women may feel uncertain about asking for help, and friends and family may not realize when a mom needs support. Living in LA after the birth of one of my kids, I remember feeling particularly overwhelmed one day as I sat nursing the baby on the couch. I looked out the window to see Brooke Shields pushing a stroller past, smiling and laughing with a friend. In that moment I wanted to be her, outside on a sunny day, happy. Months later when Shields shared her experience with postpartum depression, which was happening right around the time she walked past my living room window, I thought about the unyielding emotional range of motherhood. And how much we can help each other by sharing our stories.
March 30, 2011 | Front page story
We’re back from our (extended) winter break with some safety news. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently updated its car seat guidelines in response to new research about rear facing car seats and boosters.
Rear Facing Car Seat Until Age 2: The AAP now recommends that children remain rear facing in car seats until 2 years old. The rear facing car seat protects a child’s head and neck from flying forward in a crash. Children are 75 percent less likely to suffer severe or fatal injuries in the rear facing position.
Booster Seat Until 4 feet 9 inches tall and 8-12 years old: Children under this height need to use a booster seat for the seat belt to fit properly across their lap and shoulder. For us, the booster update is the more challenging change as our school age kids have friends who don’t use boosters and they wonder why they must when others do not. We took out the tape measure to see how tall they are, then read the new AAP announcement with them and explained that we decided to follow the guidelines.
The AAP also recommends that children ride in the back seat until they are 13 years old, a concept we’re introducing now since 12 years old has been the much looked forward to demarcation line.
More helpful info on car seats: AAP Car Seat Guidelines and Healthier and Safer Car Seats.
August 13, 2010 | Front page story
The bounce house birthday party turns out not to be as reliable as we thought! The California Attorney General filed a lawsuit this week claiming that the vinyl used in some bounce houses contain unsafe levels of lead. The suit arises from a study by the Center for Environmental Health which tested dozens of bounce houses and discovered lead levels ranging from 5,000 to 29,000 parts per million. The federal limit is 90 to 300 parts per million.
California wants manufacturers to change to lead-free vinyl and party rental stores to include warnings about lead in bounce houses. Until the new lead-free editions, we can wash kids’ hands and faces after they play in a bounce house. We also are pulling out new party ideas–cookie decorating, fishing in a kiddie pool, painting and planting flower pots, decorating magic boxes and treasure hunts.
July 28, 2010 | Front page story
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has released new guidelines for vaginal deliveries after a cesarean section (VBAC) stating that vaginal birth is a “safe and appropriate choice” for women who have had a cesarean delivery in the past, and for some women who have had two previous cesarean deliveries.
The new guidelines are in response to ACOG’s former guidelines which led many hospitals and doctors to limit VBACs, or refuse to allow them, for fear of liability if they did not follow ACOG’s more stringent recommendations. The former guidelines were interpreted by some health care providers as requiring a surgeon and anesthesiologist to be at the hospital at all hours, and even the presence of two doctors during a VBAC. Cesarean rates have increased to reach 31% in 2007, an alarming number that obstetricians are working to reduce for the health of mothers and their babies. More