Newborns: Safety At Home

Keeping your child safe is a major priority for parents. Here we have many excellent articles that will help parents protect their newborn children. Unlike the other areas at KidSource, we're not rating these articles individually because we think they all are important. The newborn categories are:

• General
• At Home
• Clothing
• Poisoning
• Recreation, Travel and Holidays

We suggest that you also refer to the Product Recall Notices and to our overall list of Safety articles.

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Report Finds Soft Bedding a Factor in Playpen Deaths The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released a report on deaths in playpens. Since 1988, CPSC has reports of more than 200 babies who died while in playpens. In almost 100 of these deaths, soft bedding or improper or extra mattresses were present in the playpen and the babies died of suffocation or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Preventing Choking Among Infants and Young Children Many infants and children die each year from choking. These deaths can be prevented if parents and care givers watch their children more closely and keep dangerous toys, foods, and household items out of their reach.

Toy Boxes and Toy Chests The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns parents and guardians of young children about strangulation hazards associated with certain toy chest and other containers.

Tis' the Season for Holiday Safety - More Holiday Safety Tips The scene is all too familiar -- frenzied parents rushing through packed-to-the-ceiling aisles searching for the perfect gifts and decorations to celebrate their holiday festivities. With all of the decorating, gift giving and festivity fanfare, making your holiday safe for children will be the most important preparation of all.

Free Coloring Book and Free Safe Toy Purchasing Guide Available For the Holidays To keep children's safety in mind during your holiday shopping, Prevent Blindness America is offering a free toy safety card. The card, designed to fit easily into a wallet, lists safe toy suggestions and provides space to keep your holiday shopping list.

Report Shows Decrease in Nursery Product-Related Injuries The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released a report showing that U.S. hospital emergency room treated injuries from nursery products dropped almost 20 percent over the past 5 years. CPSC, Babies "R" Us and the Pampers Parenting Institute launched a new "Safe Nursery" campaign to reduce injuries even further. The campaign will alert parents about potential safety hazards in their nursery and how to buy and use nursery products safely.

CPSC Warns That Smoke Alarms in About 16 Million Homes Do Not Work The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) suggests consumers spend extra time testing to ensure that their smoke alarms work properly. Fire is the second leading cause of unintentional death in the home. Each year, nearly 3,200 people die in residential fires, and there are more than 390,000 residential fires serious enough to be reported to fire departments.

Food Safety Tips for Summertime Eating For many people, summer means picnics and cookouts. But make sure the same food safety practices you use in your kitchen travel with you to the picnic to ensure that your food is safe, indoors or outdoors. Here are some tips from the National Food Processors Association (NFPA) for safe picnics and cookouts.

CPSC Releases Test Results on Crayons The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released results of tests on crayons after concerns were raised about asbestos in some popular brands. CPSC tests concluded that there is no cause for concern. Parents and teachers can continue to use the crayons they have and purchase crayons from store shelves.

CPSC Releases Study on Pool Alarm Reliability Pool owners, especially those with young children and grandchildren, should always keep in mind the deadly hazards a pool can pose. Most of the cases of drowning or near-drowning involve residential pools. To prevent this tragedy, many pool owners use pool alarms designed to sound a warning if a child falls into the water.

Safety Barrier Guidelines for Home Pools Swimming pools should always be happy places. Unfortunately, each year thousands of American families confront swimming pool tragedies - drownings and near-drownings of young children. These tragedies are preventable. This U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) handbook offers guidelines for pool barriers that can help prevent most submersion incidents involving young children.

Old Accordion Style Baby Gates Are Dangerous The U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns of an entrapment and strangulation hazard that exists with accordion-style baby gates manufactured prior to February 1985. These gates have V-shaped openings along the top edge and diamond-shaped openings in the sides that are large enough to entrap a child's head.

CPSC Warns Consumers of Suffocation Danger Associated withChildren's Balloons The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns parents and guardians of young children about the suffocation hazard presented by uninflated toy balloons and pieces of broken balloons.

Carbon Monoxide Questions and Answers Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. It is produced by the incomplete burning of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels.Every year, over 200 people in the United States die from CO produced by fuel-burning appliances (furnaces, ranges, water heaters, room heaters). This article describes the problem, prevention methods and what to do if you suspect if someone is a victim of CO poisoning.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors Can Save Lives The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends that consumers purchase and install carbon monoxide detectors with labels showing they meet the requirements of the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) voluntary standard.

KidSource Calendar/Summer Safety Parents can do quite a bit to ensure the safety of their children during the active summer months. This calendar is filled with 30 ideas, activities and resources to help you get prepared for summer fun and safety. From water safety to vacation safety, and more, this is a great resource to start the summer off on the right foot. Accompanying this chart, are articles and websites, all on summer safety issues.

CPSC Warns Against Baby Mattresses, Pads That Make Unfounded Claims About Reducing SIDS The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers that certain baby mattresses and mattress pads encourage the potentially deadly practice of placing babies to sleep on their stomachs, and claim that the products reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Safety Tips Due to Winter Storms or Year 2000 With the winter season upon us and the possibility of power loss due to storms or the Year 2000, care should be taken with alternative lighting sources, and for monitoring our children for signs of stress. This article will provide some advice for doing both.

CPSC Summary List of Dangerous Recalled Toys This is the summary list of toys, description of problems and contact information for recalled toys still being used by consumers. These are toys that have been recalled in 1998 and 1999.

CPSC Announces Holiday Toy Safety Round-Up The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is conducting a holiday toy safety round-up to get hazardous toys out of people's homes before the holidays. Despite recall notices and public warnings, CPSC has found that many products with the potential to seriously injure or kill are still being used by consumers.

CPSC Holiday Safety Tips for Avoiding Fires and Injuries As the holidays approach, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging people to look for and eliminate potential dangers from holiday lights and decorations that could lead to fires and injuries.

Tips for Safe Toy Selection With holiday toy shopping in full swing, the American Academy of Ophthalmology -- the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons -- reminds gift givers to keep safety in mind when selecting toys. To prevent eye injuries, the Academy offers these tips for choosing safe toys

20 Ways to Make Your Home Safe During the Holidays To help consumers avoid possible fires and injuries during the holidays, here are 20 lighting and electrical safety tips.

CPSC Warns that Smoke Detectors in About 16 Million Homes Do Not Work CPSC warns the smoke detectors in about 16 million homes do not work. CPSC suggests that consumers test to ensure that their smoke detectors work properly.

Safety Calendar - A Month of Activities This great calendar has 30 things you can do to safeguard your family. We're all so busy, that we tend to postpone taking these basic steps. This calendar will help by defining discrete and often small things that you can do that could make a big difference in protecting your family. Check it out today!

CPSC Warns Against Placing Babies in Adult Beds The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning parents and caregivers about the dangers of placing babies to sleep in adult beds. A CPSC study found that placing babies to sleep in adult beds puts them at risk of suffocation or strangulation. An average 64 deaths per year occur to babies under the age of 2 years placed to sleep in adult beds, including waterbeds and daybeds.

Childproofing Your Home - 12 Safety Devices to Protect Your Children About 2-1/2 million children are injured or killed by hazards in the home each year. The good news is that many of these incidents can be prevented by using 12 simple child safety devices on the market today.

Beware of Dog Bites More than 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs every year -- most of them children, according to the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASPRS) and the Independent Insurance Agents of America (IIAA), who are joining forces to launch "Beware the Bite," a national dog bite prevention campaign.

CPSC and CNA Join Offer Free Home Childproofing Brochure The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and CNA, a major insurance organization, are joining together to offer a free brochure highlighting low-cost safety devices for making homes safer for young children. CPSC estimates that more than 2.5 million young children are injured or killed each year in often-preventable incidents at home.

CPSC Warns -- Never Use Charcoal Grills Indoors Across the U.S. this winter, snow and ice storms have caused the loss of electrical power to hundreds of thousands of homes. Because of this, some people could be tempted to use a charcoal grill indoors. This can be a deadly mistake, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

CPSC Urges Seasonal Furnace Inspection As the home heating season approaches, the CPSC urges consumers to have a professional inspection of all fuel burning appliances to detect deadly carbon monoxide (CO) leaks.

Preparing a Family Safety Plan for Emergency Situations Planning and preparation is especially important for families if children may be at school and parents at work when a disaster strikes. To help avoid injury and panic in your family in case of an emergency, it is important to create a family preparedness plan, and to help you create such a plan, the National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the American Red Cross have devised the following four-step process.

After Deaths in Maryland, CPSC Issues Warning About Infant Suffocation After the deaths of two infants in Maryland from suffocation, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is reissuing its warning about the suffocation risk of putting infants to sleep in adult beds or on top of soft bedding. Press reports indicate that on May 13, 1998, two 5-month old boys apparently suffocated on an adult bed with soft bedding while at a Stevensville, Md., home daycare center.

Set Your Sights on Eye Safety: Tips to Help Children See into the Future The eyes have it. Whether they are darting glances or in wide-eyed wonderment, eyes are constantly soaking up visual stimuli. From infancy, children use their eyes to learn about the world around them, so their care should be "eye-deal."

Stoop to Snoop; Prevent Household Injuries by Getting on a Child's Level While poisonings and falls make up many emergency room visits each year, the three primary killers of children -- airway obstruction, drowning and burns -- can also occur at home. Although a quarter of preventable injuries involve motor vehicle accidents, most injuries to toddlers occur at home. Parents can best prevent injury to their children by anticipating problems that might occur.

Prevent Drownings of Young Children The arrival of hot weather around much of the nation means many people are now opening the family pool for the summer. Pool owners and parents, especially those with young children, should always keep in mind the hazards a pool can pose. A young child can drown quickly and silently, often without any splashing or screaming. It can happen in just the few minutes it takes to answer the telephone.

Take the Bite Out of Dogs: Advice on Preventing Canine Attacks As many as one million people each year require medical attention because of dog attacks. An equal number of people go untreated or do not report the attack. Children account for 60 percent of all victims. Responsible pet ownership and safe behavior around dogs are other measures to curb the possibility of your dog biting someone, or you being bitten by a dog.

Laser Pointers Not Toys Says American Academy of Ophthalmology American Academy of Ophthalmology advises parents to keep laser pointers away from infants and children.

CPSC Releases Safety Tips for the Holiday Season As the holidays approach, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging people to look for and eliminate potential danger spots from holiday lights and decorations that could lead to fires or injuries. Each year, about 1,300 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries related to holiday lights and trimmings. In addition, Christmas trees are involved in about 500 fires annually, resulting in an average of $20 million in property loss and damage each year. This article provides specific information you can use to have a safer holiday in your home.

Babies and Buckets an Unsafe Combination Turning your back on a child and a five-gallon bucket with liquid in it is as dangerous as leaving a baby alone in a bathtub or by a swimming pool.

CPSC Announces Study Results of Drowning Danger Using Infant Bathtub Seats The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning parents and caregivers about the dangers of leaving children unattended in infant bathtub seats. Drowning is the third leading cause of accidental death in the U.S., and children under the age of 5 are at particularly increased risk.

CPSC Releases Lead and Cadmium Test Results on Vinyl Products Greenpeace released a study today alleging that hazardous levels of lead and cadmium are present in many popular vinyl children's products. Testing by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) does not support this conclusion.

Fire Safety Tips For Fire Prevention Week Knowing how to prevent home fires and teaching children what to do in the event of a fire can save your child's life. The National SAFE KIDS Campaign offers parents and caregivers safety precautions.

CPSC Issues Warning for Pools, Spas, and Hot Tubs The U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is alerting consumers and public health officials to steps they can take to reduce entrapment deaths and injuries associated with pools, spas, and hot tubs. The main hazard from hot tubs and spas is the same as that from pools - drowning. Since 1980, CPSC has reports of more than 700 deaths in spas and hot tubs. About one-third of those were drownings to children under age five.Other hazards include body part entrapment and hair entanglement.

Your Used Crib Could Be Deadly: Safety Alert An unsafe used crib could be very dangerous for your baby! Each year,about 50 babies suffocate or strangle when they become trapped between broken crib parts or in cribs with older, unsafe designs. This article provides specific guidelines to follow when evaluating a crib.

Safe Pool Season Means Carefully Following Safety Tips In addition to using caution and good sense, parents should supervise all pool activities. "Never leave small children unsupervised -- even for just a few seconds," cautions Worters. The I.I.I. offers these tips for a safe and enjoyable swimming pool season.

Children Are at Greater Risk For CO Poisoning; Know How to Protect Your Family Children, infants and unborn babies are more vulnerable to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning than healthy adults, according to toxicologists and medical professionals. Younger family members are particularly susceptible due to their higher metabolic rates -- meaning they require more oxygen and use it faster than adults. Review this article to learn how to protect your family.

Most Commonly Ingested Plants Here is a list of the 20 most frequently ingested plants. Not surprisingly, there is a strong correlation between the list and top sellers in the plant industry. Included are the common names by which these plants are known, the frequency of ingestion, active toxins (if any) and toxic effects.

CPSC Re-Issues Pool Safety Guidelines As the swimming season begins, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is re-issuing its pool barrier guidelines to help prevent about 300 drownings of children each year in residential swimming pools.

New Toy Labels Mean Safer Holidays For Kids The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission describes the new warning labels on toys that could choke small children.

Safety Tips for the Holiday Season As the holidays approach, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging people to look for and eliminate potential danger spots from holiday lights and decorations that could lead to fires or injuries.

American Trauma Society Offers Tips For Safety In The Home Here you'll find a list of ways to reduce the possibility of injuries around the home. These tips are organized by room and include the nursery, kitchen and more. This is a good checklist to review periodically with your family.

Children Can Strangle in Window Covering Cords This article provides a warning to parents and caregivers that young children can become entangled and strangle in pull cords for window coverings. It describes how to identify potential problems and what to do about your window covering cords to make them safer for your children.

Number of Children Strangle in Window Cords Under-reported About half of the deaths of children who strangle in window cords have not been reported, according to an article in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association and co-authored by a staff member of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

CPSC Reissues Warning About Carbon Monoxide After a family of five died yesterday from carbon monoxide poisoning, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reissued its warning about the hazard of carbon monoxide (CO).

Big Save Sued for Importing Hazardous Children's Products The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that with the Department of Justice it is suing Big Save International Corp. of Los Angeles, Calif., an importer and wholesaler of children's products. Between 1991 and 1995, Big Save imported more than 70,000 banned or mislabeled products including bicycles, baby walkers, pacifiers, rattles, toys, and crayons.

Protect Your Child Each year, more children die in home accidents than from all childhood diseases combined. Watch your children as they play - nothing can substitute for careful supervision, says the CPSC.

Soft Bedding Products and Sleep Position Contribute to Infant Suffocation Deaths The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urges parents not to place infants to sleep on soft bedding products, including those products intended for use by infants. The results of the Commission studies also support the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation that healthy infants be placed on their back or side to sleep

Safety Alert: Save A Child - Use Child-Resistant Containers A study indicates that all consumers regardless of whether they have young children of their own or not, should always take care to obtain their prescriptions in child-resistant packaging, to close the caps tightly, and to keep medicine stored out of sight and out of reach. Thirty-one percent of all medication involved in the reported accidental ingestions belonged to someone other than the child's immediate family, such as grandparents and other older adults. Additional safety information is also provided in this article.

Child Safety Campaign to Get Hazardous Products Out Homes In an effort to rid consumers' homes of hazardous products, CPSC has enlisted the help of state and local officials, as well as national and state health and safety organizations. Governors, state health officials, and grassroots groups will help publicize the safety campaign, and distribute information on the hazardous products. In some states, recalled products will be rounded up and brought to a central location for disposal.

Lead Poisoning Hazard for Young Children in Imported Vinyl Miniblinds After testing and analyzing imported vinyl miniblinds, the U.S.Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has determined that some of these blinds can present a lead poisoning hazard for young children. Read this article to find out what to do.

Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home Detailed steps are given to protect your family from lead poisoning, as well as guidelines to follow when purchasing, renting or renovating a home. Extensive contact information is provided for state and federal agencies regarding rules and additional information.

Mercury Vapors Are Hazardous U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is alerting consumers that mercury vapors (which have no odor) are hazardous. Some herb-selling shops or "botanicas" sell mercury for use in homes, and some ethnic traditions encourage the sprinkling of mercury around the house for religious reasons. This is hazardous because people - especially young children - could breathe the mercury vapors.

Prevent Finger Amputations to Children From Exercise Bikes The Commission warns parents always to keep children away from exercise bikes. Never use a bike without a chain guard, and when not using the bike, store it where children cannot get to it.

Child Safety Protection Act Fact Sheet The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission outlines specific warnings that must be placed on different kinds of toys to warn parents. Specifications and warnings are given for different toy categories.

Some Crib Cornerposts May Be Dangerous:Safety Alert from the CPSC The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns of a strangulation hazard that may exist with some cribs that have projections on the cornerposts. This article describes how you can evaluate our crib, and what to do if your crib is considered dangerous.

CPSC Reminds Pool Owners that Barriers Prevent Drowning The dream of owning a home with a swimming pool can become a nightmare when a young child drowns in that family pool. About 300 children under 5 years old drown each year in residential pools nationwide. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reminds pool owners, especially those with small children, there are steps they can take to help prevent these deaths.

Safety Tips for Infant Carrier Seats The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends that parents keep a close watch when a child is in an infant carrier seat because the seat can fall or turn over and the child can be injured or killed.

Furniture Can Tip Over On Children- Warning from the CPSC According to reports received by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, from 1982 to 1986 several deaths and thousands of injuries occurred to children when furniture tipped over. This article describes these and describes measures you can take to protect your children.

Drowning Hazard With Baby "Supporting Ring" Devices The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is aware of deaths and non-fatal injuries associated with baby "supporting ring" devices. Do not rely on these devices to keep baby safe in the bath.

Baby Safety Checklist This is a room by room checklist that you can use to safeguard your home for your baby.

Deadly Threat Of Carbon Monoxide Can Be Stopped Children, infants and unborn babies are more vulnerable to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning than healthy adults, according to toxicologists and medical professionals. Younger family members are particularly susceptible due to their higher metabolic rates -- meaning they require more oxygen and use it faster than adults. Review this article to learn how to protect your family.

Prepare Children To Survive A Residential Fire Do your children know the facts about fire? According to the United States Fire Administration, over 65 percent of children who die in home fires are under age five - 1,200 children age 14 and under die in home fires each year. Follow the helpful fire safety suggestions for children that you'll find in this article.