A Safe Drink: Chemicals in Baby Bottles and Cups

Water is good for you. But when water, formula, milk or juice is stored in a container that leaches chemicals, the nourishing drink that you’ve prepared for your baby turns into something more – a chemical soup that you don’t want anyone to drink, let alone your child. Recently, there has been a lot of concern over a specific chemical, BPA. What are the concerns with chemicals in baby bottles and cups? As plastics are heated in the microwave or the dishwasher, they can release chemicals like Bisphenol A (BPA). This particular chemical mimics the female hormone estrogen, and too … Continue reading

Baby Shampoo and Lotions that Contain Carcinogens

If we didn’t have enough to worry about concerning the BPA plastics that hold baby shampoo, baby bath and baby lotion causing developmental issues in our children, now we have to be concerned about the products themselves causing cancer. The report I was recently made aware of through an article posted in the Boston Globe scares me to no end, since we are regular users of some of these products. In fact, my own parents used some of these same products on me throughout my baby hood and childhood. What I thought was gentle and safe for my babies may … Continue reading

Are Your Children Safe with Their Grandparents?

This past summer, my husband and I had to make the hard decision between ourselves that we would not leave our children alone in the care of their grandparents. I won’t go into details, but it became obvious to us that our children’s safety might be compromised, were they in the sole care of their grandparents. This wasn’t an easy decision to make, of course. Feeling would be hurt, and the matter had to be handled delicately. But, we feel that it was the best decision for our family and for the safety of our children. Depending on your situation, … Continue reading

Bassinet Safety

Bassinets, co-sleepers, portable play yards and cradles are all great products to use for an infant when you want the baby to be close and hand. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents share a room with their baby but not a bed, and a bassinet can do the trick. One thing that many parents don’t realize (I know I didn’t, and we used a bassinet with all three of our children) is that there are no federal regulations regarding bassinets as there are with cribs. In other words, cribs must follow safety standards set by the Consumer Product … Continue reading

Kitchen Safety

The kitchen is a room that most families spend a lot of time in, cooking and cleaning up. In some homes it is actually the heart of family living. Because so much time is spent in the kitchen, it is where many accidents occur. When babies and small children are involved, kitchen hazards can be devastating. While most people put chemicals out of reach and install a stove guard, there are other hazards lurking in the kitchen. Here are some tips on how to keep your kitchen safe, including some areas that are usually overlooked. Trash With small children, trash … Continue reading

Infant Product Recall: Gas Relief Drops

Here is another recall, this time for infant gas relief drops. Johnson & Johnson is recalling one-once bottles of infants Mylicon gas relief drops in the non-staining version. There is a possibility that these drops might contain metal fragments that could have gotten into the product sometime during the manufacturing process. The recall includes more than 12,000 bottles of these infant gas relief drops. If you have these drops, stop using them immediately and call the manufacturer at 1-800-222-9435. They will tell you the details of the recall, including how to dispose of the infant gas relief drops and how … Continue reading

Protect Your Baby: Free DVD

Your baby could be in danger in your own home. Baby proofing is so important, but some areas of baby proofing can be easily missed. Any experienced parent probably has at least one or two stories of near misses where their baby narrowly avoided disaster, despite vigilant care. Babies can get into all kinds of things, and this can be dangerous. I recently hosted a play date where there were babies in attendance. Although I make every effort to baby proof the play areas, one very enterprising crawler got around my efforts. She pulled off one of those sticky pads … Continue reading

Warning about Carter Baby Clothing

If your baby has a mysterious rash all over his back, chances are that it could be caused by his onsie or pajamas. There have been more than 400 reports about infant developing rashes on their backs after wearing Carter clothing. Some of the rashes reported in the news are so severe that blisters have formed. Read more to learn about the details. MSNBC.com reported yesterday on the official government warning for parents against using Carter’s Inc. baby clothing, specifically the 2007 line which contains tagless baby garments. More than 110 million garments are affected. The Consumer Product Safety Commission … Continue reading

Should You Worry About Infant Abductions?

We have all heard the scary stories about babies being taken away from their parents. I remember worrying so much about this when each of my children were infants. What if someone came in to the hospital and snatched our child? What if I turned away for a moment at the grocery store and turned back to find that my child wasn’t there. Of course, the worry that your child will go missing stays with you probably forever. I still make sure to keep my kids in site at all times whenever we are in public. When I gave birth … Continue reading

Baby Blog Week in Review: July 28th Through August 3rd

Safety and summer fun have been two themes occurring in the Baby Blog for last week. From tougher toy standards and new information about you baby and second-hand smoke, to fun in the baby pool and enjoyment through volunteering, you’ll find a variety of information and opinion. Some of it might even be controversial. Add your comment! Here, now, is the week in review. July 28th Baby Blog Week in Review: July 21st Through July 27th What types of activities do you like to do with your baby? Is it playing on the floor, reading or taking walks? How about … Continue reading