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Baby Sling Closeout Special! Extended through May until sold out!
Buy a baby sling for a friend and get one free for yourself or get just one at 50% off.
Buy one get one free Discount code: freesling
Or 50% off your babysling Discount code: halfoff expires: 05/30/08
*Not valid in conjuction with any other offers.
Your privacy is a PRIMARY consideration of AskDrSears.com. Your
e-mail address is used ONLY by AskDrSears.com for the purpose of
announcing news, events and special offers available only
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Choose a stroller with a wide base and rear wheels well behind the weight of
the baby, so it will not tip when baby leans over to the side or rocks backward.
If the stroller adjusts to a reclining position, be sure it will not tip
backward when baby is lying down.
Place packages directly over the front of the rear axle to prevent tipping.
Test the brakes. Brakes on two wheels are safer than brakes on one wheel.
Be sure that latching devices fasten securely. Latches can be accidentally
tripped, causing a stroller to collapse. Strollers with two latching devices
are safer than those with only one.
When collapsing or opening a stroller, be careful of fingers – yours and
baby's.
Periodically do a loose nuts and bolts check and look for sharp edges and
unsafe wheels.
Before buying or giving a baby a toy, check to make sure it has no small
parts that could cause baby to choke – for example, doll shoes, buttons, beads,
squeaker buttons in squeak toys, toys stuffed with small pellets. (Testing
tubes for checking toy size are available at toy stores. If the part can fit
through the tube, it can enter baby's airway. Blocks, balls and other small
toys should be no less than one-and-one-half inches or four centimeters in
diameter.)
Make sure toys have no sharp edges or splinters and inspect them frequently
for loose parts. Perfectly safe toys may become unsafe through wear and tear.
Avoid toys with dangling strings longer than eight inches (twenty
centimeters), or remove the strings.
Make sure unsafe toys are out of reach, such as balloons, beads, Lego's, or
pellet-like objects less than one-and-a-half inches in diameter.
Be sure to tell older children not to use loud toys, such as cap guns,
around the baby; they may damage baby's hearing.
Make sure toys fit baby's stage of development and temperament. If your
baby is a thrower, get soft cloth or foam toys. Missile-type toys, such as
darts and arrows, can cause eye injuries.
Be careful of crib toys that are fastened between two side rails and hang
over the crib, giving baby something to look at and reach for. These toys are
recommended only from birth to five months and should be removed when baby is
old enough to push up on hands and knees.
Be careful of plastic toys that are thin, brittle, and likely to break
easily, leaving sharp or jagged edges – airplane wings, for example. Before
buying a toy, bend it a bit to see how breakable the plastic is.
Be careful when balloons pop, especially at parties. Quickly gather up the
pieces, and keep them away from babies who like to mouth objects and could
possibly choke on the remnants of the popped balloon. Avoid letting babies play
with uninflated balloons, as these can also cause choking. Always supervise
play with an inflated balloon.
Throwaway plastic wrapping as quickly as possible when unpacking toys.
Babies love to play with this type of wrapping, as well as with plastic garment
bags, and may suffocate.
Store toys properly. Avoid toy chests with attached lids that can fall on a
child and cause injury and strangulation. Hinged lids should stay open by
themselves, without propping. Instead of toy boxes, toy shelves are much safer
and teach the developing child a sense of order.
The Perfectly Safe Catalog
7245 Whipple Avenue N.W.
North Canton, OH 44720
(800) 837-KIDS
Safety by Design Safety Kit
P.O. Box 4312
Great Neck, NY 11023
(516) 488-5395
The Injury Prevention Program (TIPP)
Materials for accident-proofing your child's environment.
Available from the
American Academy of Pediatrics.
(800) 433-9016; in the Chicago area (708) 228-5005
also visit their web site at www.aap.org
The Family Guide to Carseats.
A helpful brochure listing all of the approved carseats.
Available from the
American Academy of Pediatrics at the above phone number.
AskDrSears.com is intended to help parents become better informed consumers
of health care. The information presented in this site gives general advice
on parenting and health care. Always consult your doctor for your individual
needs.
