Spinoff to crib question

So I pulled up my handy dandy Consumer Reports web site -- and found this little gem. I think it is good for all to see.... A few of these things I just assumed I would register for for my single baby - not now!

Surprise hazards
8 products NOT to buy for kids

They may be heavily advertised. Every other kid on the block may have them. Your children might be pleading for them, too. But we recommend that you avoid buying and using the following eight children's products, including playthings and baby gear, because of the injuries or potential injuries associated with them.

Baby gear

5. Baby bath seats. These seats attach to the side of the tub, and can give parents a false sense of stability. They've been associated with roughly 120 drownings and 160 injuries since 1983. Nearly all those deaths occurred when a parent or caregiver left the baby unattended momentarily. (Note that baby bath seats are different than baby bathtubs, which have a steeply angled back that helps the parent support the baby during baths. Baby bathtubs are useful provided caretakers don't leave the child unattended.)

Consumers Union was among the first organizations to call for a ban on baby bath seats in 2000. A new design emerged in early 2005; our tests found it to be unsafe. (See our January 2005 report on baby bath seats).

6. Soft bedding. The ads in baby magazines suggest that if your crib isn't spilling over with frills and fluff, you're somehow shirking your parental duty. In fact, the safest crib is one that has a firm mattress, a snug-fitting mattress pad and crib sheet--and nothing else. No bumper guards, no stuffed animals, no pillows, no quilts. Experts have long recognized the suffocation risk inherent in such soft crib bedding.

In winter, dress your infant in a one-piece bunting. If you insist on a blanket, keep it at waist height, tucking ends firmly under the sides and bottom of the mattress. (For more information, see our November 2005 report on crib safety.)

7. Sleep positioners. These are wedge-shaped pieces of foam meant to keep infants in a secure sleeping position. But we believe they're a suffocation hazard and our medical experts don't recommend them. (See our March 2005 report and video on sleep-positioner dangers.)

8. Changing tables with only 3 side rails. Changing tables are associated with 2,000 to 3,000 injuries per year, and many of these involve changing tables that have just three side rails. A new industry standard will require changing tables to have barriers on all four sides. Seek out this type when buying a changing table.

For a complete list of recalled children's products, see our Recalls section.

Message edited 11/11/2006 10:32:49 PM.

Re: Spinoff to crib question

what happened to 1-4. They dont apply to your singleton.

PS- I had a baby bath seat when he was a toddler. I knew it was a hazard so I watched him like a hawk. BUt I LOVED that thing.

I also had an unsafe changing table, but again I knew it so my hands NEVER left him.

There are lots of things that are unsafe if the parent isnt vigilant!

Re: Spinoff to crib question

Nope, just one for me!! Did I mention that?

1-4 were for older child toys...too much to read at once!

I agree, probably aplies to people who get that false sense of security. Like the guy in the Winnebago who put it on "Auto Pilot" and went in the back to make coffee --yes while he was driving down the highway!! Needless to say, the WInnebago now says Cruise Control.

Message edited 11/11/2006 10:44:09 PM.

Re: Spinoff to crib question

Posted by karacg

Nope, just one for me!! Did I mention that?

I agree, probably aplies to people who get that false sense of security. Like the guy in the Winnebago who put it on "Auto Pilot" and went in the back to make coffee --yes while he was driving down the highway!! Needless to say, the WInnebago now says Cruise Control.

Re: Spinoff to crib question

No lie -- and he WON the lawsuit!!


No, not ME .......!!

Message edited 11/11/2006 10:47:10 PM.