Sliding Switch Plate Covers vs Plug-in Outlet Covers

According to American Academy of Pediatrics, anything that can fit through a toilet paper roll is a potential choking hazard for your child. Can you guess what childproofing product this includes? Plug-in outlet covers! The plug-in outlet covers are a great example of a babyproofing product (designed to reduce hazards) becoming the hazard itself. One alternative to the plug-in outlet covers are the Sliding Switch Plate Covers.

The main benefit of using a  sliding switch plate cover is that it helps prevent a child’s access to outlets. The sliding switch plate covers are easier to use than the plug-in outlet covers; which have caused this mom many broken nails! Instead of removing, you simply insert the plug and slide to the right. If you or your child removes the plug, the special cover snaps shut to protect little fingers from the outlet.

Many parents also prefer the aesthetics of the sliding switch plate cover, which comes in White, Beige or Brown, but outfitting your home completely with sliding plate covers can add up. If cost is a concern, the plates can be purchased in bulk quantities. You can also consider using outlet plugs in areas which are “out of bounds” to your child or in outlets that you generally do not use. Use sliding switch plate covers for rooms like the bedrooms, playrooms, and family rooms, or for outlets that are frequently used.

For questions about the sliding switch plate cover or other babyproofing products or concerns, email us at info@safestartbaby.com.

Toys "R" Us Wants Your Old and Used Baby Products! Give Them What They Want!

While Safe Start Baby is not advertising for Toys "R" Us, we’re certainly giving them a round of applause and encouraging you to take part in their “Great Trade-In Event”.

From Friday, January 29 to Saturday, February 20 this event will take place at Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us nationwide.

They will accept returns of any used cribs, car seats, bassinets, strollers, travel systems, play yards, high chairs and toddler beds in exchange for a 25% savings when you buy any new baby item, in any of these product categories, from select manufacturers.

While you may think your first child’s crib still works just fine 10 years later, the reality is the crib may be dangerous by today's safety standards.

Don't take that chance!

Your baby's crib, car seat, bassinet, etc may have been recalled or affected by recent revisions in federal and voluntary standards and regulations for safety testing, making older models unsafe or non-compliant with current standards.

For example, voluntary standards updated just last month ask that cribs no longer be made with a drop-side due to the number of recalls and child injuries and deaths associated with them.

So what are you waiting for? Start digging through your clutter and get all your old baby products ready! Who knew spring cleaning was starting in January?!

Carbon Monoxide: A Hidden Hazard

What’s invisible, tasteless, impossible to smell, and deadly before you know it's in your home? We hope you guessed “carbon monoxide.”

This poisonous gas can come from cars and other sources such as chimneys, wood or gas stoves, gas dryers, water heaters or gas or oil furnaces. Your kitchen, garage, basement or fireplace areas are likely locations where the gas can build to dangerous levels.

Young children are especially vulnerable to the effects of carbon monoxide, also referred to as CO, and may show symptoms sooner than a healthy adult. Because of their smaller bodies, children process CO differently than adults and may be more severely affected by it.

Another issue is that the most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and confusion, which resemble many ailments and your common cold in the winter season! If there is a CO leak in a home, it’s not uncommon for more than one person in the house to suffer from the same symptoms at the same time, making you think that you all have the “cold”.

To prevent CO poisoning:

• Install a CO detector outside every sleeping area and on every level of your home.
• Place CO detectors at least 15 feet away from every fuel-burning appliance (fireplaces, gas stoves, space heaters) to reduce the number of nuisance alarms.
• Test detectors every month and replace them every 5 years.
• Make sure they can be heard when you test them.

Almost all of us have had our alarms go off, but how many of us did the right thing? Never ignore an alarming CO detector!

If your CO detector goes off, follow these steps:

• Get everyone out of the house as quickly as possible into fresh air. Then call for help from a neighbor's home or a cell phone outside of your home.
• If you're experiencing symptoms, call 911 for medical attention.
• If no one is experiencing symptoms, call the fire department. They will let you know when it’s safe to go back inside.

Need another detector for your home?

Our carbon monoxide detector with battery backup is UL approved and it plugs into any standard 120 volt wall outlet and continuously monitors for carbon monoxide. It sounds a warning if low levels of carbon monoxide are present, and triggers a loud 85 decibel alarm at hazardous levels. It also includes a self-test feature, test/reset button and 5-year comprehensive warranty.

Baby It's Cold Outside! Winter Safety Tips for the Entire Family

For many of us, this could be the coldest winter in recent memory. So imagine my dismay when my 13 year old (who should know better) decides to head to the bus stop with no more than a sweatshirt- in single digit temperatures. As I watched him jog in place attempting to keep warm, I struggled with a common parental decision: Do I chase after him with his coat shouting “you’ll catch pneumonia,” or do I leave him on his imaginary treadmill hoping he will learn his lesson?

As parents we must find the balance between Natural Consequences and protecting our child’s safety. For my son, being cold hopefully resulted in his desire to wear a coat; however not all lessons can be learned naturally. For example, you will not let your child stick a fork in an outlet to teach a consequence. Each parent has a natural consequence threshold, but during this bitterly cold season, you may wisely choose to forgo the age old adage that they will learn their lesson. Here are some safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics that shouldn’t be left as a lesson to be learned.

Frostbite and Fingertips

• Set time limits on outdoor activities and have frequent breaks inside so they warm up.
• If frostbite occurs, bring your child inside and place the frostbitten parts of his/her body in warm (not hot) water.
• Use warm washcloths on frostbitten nose, ears and lips, but don’t rub the frozen areas. Keep your child dry and warm.
• If the numbness continues for more than a few minutes, call your doctor.

Sledding the Backyard Slopes

• Supervise your children.
• Keep them away from busy streets and cars.
• Teach them to sled feet first or sitting up, instead of lying down head-first. This prevents head injuries.
• Make sure your child wears a helmet.
• Look for sled slopes covered in snow (not ice), not too steep and that end with a flat runoff.

Dressing for the Occasion

• Use several thin layers to keep your child dry and warm.
• Kids should wear thermal long johns, a turtleneck and/or one or two shirts, pants, a sweater, a coat, warm socks, boots, gloves and a hat. Avoid sweaters with drawstrings and long scarves.
• Use an onesie, socks and a sleep sack to keep your baby warm. Steer clear of using blankets and other loose bedding that may contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Winter Hazards in the Home

• Turn off space heaters when you leave a room and when you sleep. Place them at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn.
• Keep children and pets away from heating equipment so they don’t tip them over or get burned by older models that can get very hot.
• Have working carbon monoxide (CO) alarms on every level of your home and outside each sleeping area. Learn more about carbon monoxide poisoning.

Don’t be careless or overconfident this season. Get through winter with your health and home in one piece. So yes, during this record breaking winter, I will chase my son to the bus stop (likely in my slippers and robe) to make sure he wears his coat! Stay warm and enjoy a safe winter season.

A Look at the Two Biggest Recalls of 2009

Quick! What do peanut butter, window blinds, pistachios, cribs, cookie dough and sweatshirts with drawstrings have in common?

The answer is: “Many of them have been recalled over the past year.”

When a product is being sold on the market and then found to be dangerous, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the manufacturer can recall the product and remove it from store shelves. The CPSC works to protect us from serious injury risks or death from thousands of different consumer products like toys, household goods, bicycles, off-road vehicles, etc.

As you may have noticed in 2009, many products were recalled because they were unsafe. Unfortunately, manufacturers are not obligated to test most children’s products for safety before they are sold to you. That’s why you hear about all these recalls…

Here is a quick look at two of the biggest recalls of 2009:

• The first recognition goes to the massive recall of ALL Roman and roll-up blinds due to their risk of strangulation. The number? Over 50 million recalled products! It’s safe to say 2009 was the year for blind recalls…

• Another record breaker in 2009 occurred with the largest crib recall in U.S. history. More than 2.1 Stork Craft drop-side cribs were recalled after the tragic death of two infants. The CPSC urged parents to immediately stop using the cribs and to find an alternate safe sleeping environment.

Got an Evenflo Envision high chair, a Simplicity close-sleeper/bedside sleeper bassinet, a Rettig Belgium wall-mounted radiator or a Hill Sportswear hooded sweatshirts with drawstrings? Click here to find out what to do with your recalled product.

Make your life easier. To find out if a product you’re using has been recalled, visit http://www.recalls.gov/.   You can also sign up here to receive product recall alerts. These alerts will keep you up-to-date with current information about product recalls, the hazards, and the actions you should take.