taking the hazards out of home life
Posted by safeBABY on June 2, 2008
Today’s Wall Street Journal featured a story about parents paying to baby-proof their dogs. One trainer had a woman walking through the house with a stroller, playing a CD of “annoying” baby cries and tugging on dog’s ears and tail the way a toddler might. The concern, of course, is dog bites … the WSJ reports that dog bites affect more than 4.7 million people each year - the majority of them children … Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in baby-proofing, injury prevention | Tagged: dogs and babies | No Comments »
Posted by safeBABY on April 11, 2008
A tip for these early days of spring: daffodils (botanic name Narcissus) are powerfully emetic. Translation? They’re poisonous. And they’ll give your kid a bad case of the pukes, perhaps worse, if they’re eaten. It’s an attribute that gives the story of Narcissus of Greek mythology a little kick: He was a hero known for his beauty and, also, for spurning the love of the nymph Echo. When he saw the reflection of his own face in a stream, though, he fell in love and remained and died in that spot, where the flower Narcisuss was said to later have sprouted.
Not every poisonous plant has such an epic story, but there are many common plants - including houseplants - that are poisonous to kids if they’re ingested. Here’s a quick rundown of some to warn your wee ones about:
[left to right] Azalea, Foxglove, Philodendron, Amaryllis, Hydrangea, Peace Lily, Juniper, Calladium, Lily of the Valley, Iris, Gladiola, Cyclamen:
A whole list of indoor and outdoor plants to be cautious about can be found at Safe Kids USA.
Posted in baby-proofing, outdoors | Tagged: poisonous plants, toxic plants | No Comments »
Posted by safeBABY on April 4, 2008
Remodeling? Then you should test painted surfaces and your plumbing for lead. Kids and developing babies are highly sensitive to the effects of lead: it can cause birth defects, anemia, behavioral and learning problems, slowed growth and hearing issues. Adults are also prone to complications, including reproductive problems .
This week, the EPA issued new rules for contractors renovating older homes where children or pregnant women live. The standards will require them to get training for proper lead abatement, including avoiding the use of sandblasters and other power tools that work up lead dust. But, contractors won’t be required to meet the standards until 2010.
So, until then, how can you safely renovate your home?
Posted in baby-proofing, detox your home, in the womb, lead | Tagged: home renovation, lead paint, lead poisoning | No Comments »
Posted by safeBABY on March 20, 2008
A do-it-yourself contest on Design Sponge, a home and product design blog, prompted a flurry of harsh criticism from angry parents. Their issue? One of the contest finalists was a custom-built crib … and posters didn’t hold back in pointing out what they saw as the design flaws, saying ’Soft bedding is a danger to infants,’ ‘Those slats are too far apart,’ and ‘A baby’s life should not be endangered for the sake of pretty’.
Undeterred, Design Sponge fans voted the crib to third place in the contest. DIY is great, in my view, but kudos to Design Sponge for altering the build directions, posted here (scroll down a bit), to reflect national safety standards.
Posted in baby-proofing, nursery | Tagged: baby DIY, baby product safety, build your own crib, cribs | No Comments »
