SAFETY SQUAD: Empowing Your Family

Prenatal Exercise: It's Safe

Why It’s Important & How To Get Started

Not long ago, if you saw a pregnant woman jogging or working out, you would have thought she is doing harm her unborn child. We knew little about exercise’s effects on child and mother, and advice given to moms-to-be was based on misconceptions and hearsay. Three decades of research have brought clarity to exercising safely during pregnancy and how exercise benefits both mother and child.

Guidelines and recommendations for exercise during pregnancy continue to evolve as more comprehensive research is performed. For example, in 1984, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published the first exercise guidelines for pregnancy. One guideline stated that the maternal heart rate not to exceed 140 beats per minute. Even though it was revised in 1994, this guideline is still cited today. Current research has found that maternal heart rate is not an accurate indicator to gage exertion due to the physiological adaptations that occur in a pregnant woman’s body.

Is your bassinet a safe sleep environment for baby?

Unlike cribs.. cradles, bassinets, and co-sleepers are not regulated by the federal government. During the past 13 months, more than 1,000,000 bassinets by 3 different  manufacturers have been recalled. The latest re-issued recall involved the Simplicity close sleeper or bedside sleeper.  This particular recall was preceded by the death of more than one child.  In fact, Simplicity has been involved in many recalls over the past few years. 

What can parents do to ensure their newborns's safety while sleeping?

• Be proactive and sign up for a recall notification system.  Do not wait for the manufacturer to notify you of a recall.  In fact, the Consumer Products Safety Commission states that "recalled products" are one of the 5 hidden home hazards. We suggest the monthly newsletter from Chicago-based Kids in Danger.  It is concise, easy to read, and offers action steps for parents. 
• Evaluate your bassinet in many of the same ways you would for your crib.  See Safety Squad's previous post on crib safety.  Be sure the mattress fits tight, use a bassinet without drop down sides, avoid bumpers, blankets, and stuffed animals/toys in the bassinet.
• Use a blanket alternative.  The Halo sleep sack keeps baby warm and snug.  The guardian sleeper for bassinets keeps baby warm, helps with reflux, and keeps baby properly aligned to prevent baby from moving into a compromising position.
• Be the one who doesn't use a bassinet. There is no "rule" that newborns have to sleep in a bassinet.  It is perfectly fine to return a newborn to his/her crib to sleep or nap. Are you breastfeeding and want to room share with your baby?  Sleep in your baby's room for the first few months or move the crib into your room.  The round crib by Stokke fits through standard doorways. It also converts to a toddler bed and now accomodates a nicer organic mattress.
• Follow other SIDS precautions.

Safety Squad Advice: What infant car seat should I buy?

The easiest way to guide you into the right infant seat is to tell you the following: Most of the reviews, blogs, testing, polls, etc. you'll read rarely get you any closer to the best infant seat, than if you guessed. We actually work with car seats every day... in cars. The following is the best advice you'll get.

1. Don't buy a convertible seat for a newborn (AKA toddler seat). The harness slots are too high for almost all newborns.
2. Buy an infant seat with a built in lock-off. A lock-off will make installation in the middle easier and safer for baby.
3. Buy an infant seat with both a low starting weight and a high end weight/height.  "4 lbs to 30+ lbs".  Even full-term babies will fit better in these seats. Higher weight means staying rear-facing longer, which is good parenting.
4. Don't worry about stroller compatibility. If it happens to be compatible with your stroller, great, but don't abuse it. Babies get flat-head and breathing issues when they spend too much time in car seats.

5. Get instruction from a professional car seat technician. We are guiding you to a good seat, but it won't install itself.

Our top two picks:
1. Chicco KeyFit 30
2. Britax Chaperone

For families without a car (iGo, Zipcar, Rental, Taxi)
1. Combi Shuttle (has rebound bar built into the carrier). The Shuttle 33 will be released soon.  It only goes to 22 lbs when out of the base, but the fit is amazing while traveling.

New Car Seat Blanket for Cold Weather

We do most of our car seat business in Chicago. It shouldn't be a surprise to learn that most of the year it's very cold. There are very few infant car seats that include robust cold weather accessories (one notable exception is the Teutonia T Tario ). In response, endless aftermarket manufacturers have created solutions for keeping baby warm in the car seat. 

The problem with nearly all these products is that they solve one problem, then cause another. We don't like to see products that add padding behind the head, neck or back, restrict airflow or integrate with the harness.  At the very least, they are not tested by your car seat manufacturer. Nearly all carseats forbid use of these products.

New product prevents injuries & fires: Safety Gate

So what's a restart? When the power goes out, whatever you were using at the time will "restart" when the power is restored. This is fine if you want your freezer to stay frozen, but not so great when something like a table saw or space heater kicks on when you're not looking. The manufacturer says that using this product results in a reduction of injuries and fires.

The Safety Gate product is designed to stop restarts by cutting power to your electrical device. In order to return power, one must physically turn the item off and then on again. This product shows a lot of promise. As firefighters and medics, we know this situation too well. This might be the solution to a totally preventable accident. Watch the video:

ABC: Chicco takes innovative step: Accessory Products

There is plenty to report from the All Baby and Child Conference in Vegas, but we were compelled to tell you about a new stance Chicco has taken with 3rd party products (also known as aftermarket products). Chicco has instituted a new accessory policy which allows Chicco to crash test products they believe will not affect crash dynamics (they are not looking for products to test). Their first approved accessory is the Bokoo car seat cover from bokoocovers.com for the Chicco KeyFit 30. The Bokoo provides a safe way to protect the KeyFit. This will allow users to clean up baby's messes quickly.

What makes this notable is the acknowledgment from a major manufacturer that some products can be used without reducing intrinsic safety. There are many products that are have no business being put in car seats, but there are some exceptions. Allowing specific items makes sense. We find that parents will use aftermarket products anyway. Safety Squad believes that this is a practical change in policy. As always, if you have questions about using products in your seat, check the manual. More to come...

Lap babies: We get why it happens, but now what?

Well, we're in Las Vegas again for the All Baby & Child Expo, but of course we had to fly here first. Steve was sitting next to a perfectly quiet and cute "lap baby".  The lap baby issue has always made us concerned, so while the flight attendants were telling what we already know about safety while flying, I decided to read in the seat back booklet what the airlines recommend for parents in emergencies with lap babies.

Most of the children we and you see on planes are not in car seats. Generally, the airlines don't care much if you bring a car seat or not, but if they are going to condone travel for babies without restraints, you'd think they give parents some guidance on how to prepare for a crash or turbulence with a human being in their lap.  So did we.

In the last few days, I've flown Southwest and United. In the safety booklet in the seat back, Southwest was kind enough to tell you how adults and older children should position themselves in a crash. They show infant seats (in the booklet the car seat is in the middle seat... it should be against the window), but the one thing they missed... the lap baby. No mention, no picture. Way to go.

Getting ready for baby's safety: Car Seat, CPR.. and Cord Blood Banking

Just like learning infant CPR and how to use your baby's car seat, Cord blood banking needs to be taken care of before you deliver your baby.

Every day we work with savvy, motivated parents who understand the importance of 'planning' to ensure their baby's safety. Have you thought about what to do with your baby's cord blood?  Your baby's cord blood contains precious stem cells that have the potential to treat or cure life-threatening illnesses. However, the cord blood is routinely discarded after delivery, as part of medical waste, unless you tell your health care team otherwise.

Expectant parents have the option to privately store their baby's cord blood or donate it to the public system.  When you donate, you give up the ownership rights to the cord blood, allowing it be used for the general public through the National Marrow Donor Program. If you are having a hospital delivery at one of the 37 LifeSource participating hospitals, there is a streamlined process in place for donation through this system. There is a critical shortage of cord blood within the public system, especially for minority populations.  Donation is free of charge, but you must call 6-8 weeks before delivery to register. To learn more, visit LifeSource.  Click for more..

Breastfeeding is nature's safety net for baby

Safety for baby is about more than 'baby gear' and 'car seats'. At the cuspe of World Breastfeeding Month and the recent demonstration in Lincoln Square, we felt the need to "thank" all of our breastfeeding clients.  Everyday, Safety Squad works with families who are committed to doing everything they can to keep their children safe.  We recognize that breastfeeding is best for mom and babies.  We applaud all our moms who are striving to provide this benefit to their family. 

As emergency responders, we have encountered disasters both here and abroad. Most of us remember the spine-chilling stories of Katrina survivors who could not feed their infants and young toddlers because there was no clean water to mix with the formula. We understand the vital and global role that breastfeeding plays in emergency preparedness .  We advocate for active protection and support of breastfeeding now, and before emergencies.  Supporting breastfeeding during non-emergent times will strengthen the capacity of health care workers, emergency responders, and parents to cope during an emergency.

What do we say to the ladies who gathered at Lincoln Square? Keep up the good work to raise public support of breastfeeding.  We know it is not easy.  What do we say to the 'gentleman' who made the 'beach' comment to the Sun-times?  

It's a Safety Seat first... then a Stroller Seat

"Safety First!"  We hate this cliche. It says so little, so often.

But in this case, "Safety First" is actually an appropriate call to action. Parents are choosing their favorite stroller first and then a car seat that is compatible with that stroller. In the simplest terms, its a CAR SEAT first, then a stroller seat.

Why is this so important?
1. Some car seats are better than others, in general.
2. Some car seats fit better in your vehicle that others do.
3. Some infants fit better in certain infant carriers than others.

The point? The car seat that is compatible with your stroller, may not be compatible with your child or vehicle.

Just as important: It is not that important to match a car seat to a stroller. The AAP has found that infants are spending too much time in car seats... out of the car. This is leading to flathead syndrome, and as highlighted in a recent study, can reduce oxygen saturation levels in infants. The AAP recommends limiting the time your baby spends in the carrier or other upright seat and to ensure frequent breaks. This is especially true for pre-term and low birthweight babies. Essentially try to use the car seat only for travel. For long road trips, make stops often to allow baby time out of the car seat.

Our advice:

1. Make sure the infant seat is installed correctly
2. Learn how to fit baby correctly into the carrier (improved positioning optimizes oxygen exchange)
3. Keep it fresh. Don't abuse the convenience of the carrier. Align your practice with best practice (AAP).

We understand why parents are taking the Stroller-Car Seat route, but in the short term, the car seat is the most important piece of baby gear you can buy. *Revised from 9/2008