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Vikki Sloviter In April 2006, Consumer Reports published its list of eight child-related products not to buy because they are deemed unsafe to use. Though parents - especially new parents - may be tempted to buy or use some of these products, Consumers Union (the non-profit, non-partisan organization that publishes Consumer Reports) says parents should not risk their child's life by buying or using the following items: Soft Crib Bedding: This type of product is one of the hardest to convince new parents they should not use. High-end baby stores and even regular retailers like Target feature soft crib bedding in delightful designs to make parents want to create as soft and cozy a sleeping environment for their new baby as possible. But, all those crib bumpers, pillows, blankets, quilts and stuffed animals pose suffocation hazards to newborns, and they are entirely unnecessary. A crib should only have a firm crib mattress with tight-fitting mattress pad and a crib sheet. No blankets. No bumpers. No pillows. No stuffed animals. If you want to make your baby's room inviting and colorful, try painting the walls. Baby Bath Seats: These are not baby bath tubs, but seats that often clamp on to the side of the tub and that sometimes swivel. Baby bath seats were re-designed in 2005, but Consumers Union still thinks they are unsafe. Since 1983, when they were introduced to the baby products market, 120 children have drowned and 160 other children have been injured while using a baby bath seat. Most of the incidents occurred when the person giving the baby a bath left the baby unattended for a moment. The baby bath seat gives parents a false sense of security by making them think their baby won't slide or slip under the ring of the seat. Baby bath tubs, on the otherhand, have a steeply-angled back and are safe to use under proper adult supervision (never leaving the baby unattended, even for a few seconds). Sleep Positioners: New parents are told their baby must be put to sleep on his back to reduce the risk of SIDS, so sleep positioners are meant to keep a newborn in place while he sleeps. But, since they are soft, they pose a suffocation hazard and haven't been proven to be more effective or safe than not using sleep positioners. Three-sided Changing Tables: Many changing tables have only three raised sides (the back and two sides) and leave the front side, where the caregiver stands to change the baby, open and level. This open space poses a danger to babies, especially ones that have started to roll over. If left unattended, even for a moment, the baby can roll off the changing table. Every year 2,000-3,000 babies are injured when using a changing table, and many of the tables had three sides. Many changing table mattresses have raised sides that help reduce the risk of the baby rolling over, but parents should make sure to buy a changing table that has four sides. Trampolines: They may look like fun, and they may provide exercise for your energetic kid, but in 2003, there were 98,000 trampoline-related visits to nationwide emergency rooms. The American Academy of Pediatrics also suggests that trampolines be banned from households because they think trampoline injuries are an avoidable epidemic. Trampolines are dangerous not only because children can be injured while using them, but also the rubber degrades over time when stored outdoors, they are too easy for young children to access when not supervised, and they are particularly dangerous when used near trees. All-terrain Vehicles (ATVs): Though ATVs have become safer in recent years, they still caused 450 deaths in 2004, one-third of which were children under age 16. Children often can't handle the vehicle correctly or hold onto the handlebars safely. And, apparently, helmet use does not necessarily make riding an ATV safer. Twenty percent of the children who died using an ATV were wearing a helmet, and more than 50% of the deaths did not involve the head. Consumers Union suggests that children under age 16 not use ATVs at all. Inflatable Pools: It's very tempting, and affordable, to get an inflatable pool for the backyard if you don't have access to a swim club or friend's pool. The problem is that the large pools that hold hundreds or thousands of gallons of water are a drowning hazard if left full and uncovered or unfenced. In-ground pools must be fenced in, but most people do not fence in inflatable or temporary pools. Children can too easily wander to a backyard pool and fall in. Consumers Union suggests that any pool larger than a kiddie wading pool should be fenced. Yo-yo Balls: These rubber, bouncy, stretchy toys are very popular with kids, but they are dangerous and can be, among other threats, a strangulation hazard. Between December 1, 2002 and October 31, 2006, the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) received 416 reports of incidents involving yo-yo balls, 16 of which involved the user losing consciousness after 'partial strangulation.' The CPSC has not yet recalled this toy, even though it's banned in Canada, but Consumers Union strongly urges parents not to buy these toys for their children. Articles on the Same Topic Armed Adolescents Bicycle Helmet Safety Booster Seats in Cars Car Seat Crying Family Home Sweet Home Firearm Safety in the Home Infant Carseat Safety Alert! Keeping Your Child Safe at Home Kellogg's Pop-Tarts Frosted Blueberry Toaster Pastries Medication Safety Playing with Guns Preventing Dental Sports Injuries Rating Child Safety Seats Safer SUVs? Safety Helmets School Bus Safety: Parents Can Help Stroller Injuries Teaching Gun Safety Test Your Sun-Safety IQ Toy Injuries What Child Safety Seat Should My Child Use? What Did That Say? |
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