Children not carried correctly in slings have greater chances of suffocation. Yet, supporters of babywearing tout its benefits, including better bonding between mother and child. So, what should you pay attention to?

Some parents still are not aware of the risks of using slings. Australia had its first sling-related infant death recently, and as a result, the Australian Competition and Consumer Committee (ACCC) issued a safety warning. According to newspaper The Age, a mother was carrying her 2-day-old boy in a sling under her clothing and noticed he went cold and stopped breathing. As a result, the ACCC is also developing safety standards for baby slings.

Slings and other similar baby carriers are popular alternatives to strollers. Nevertheless, carriers in which the baby faces forward to pose some risks, and a few basic points need to be kept in mind. A child should never have his chin and chest touching and his mouth or nose should never be covered. The New York Times’ Motherload gives some more points to watch for:

• A baby in a sling must be in the same position as in your arms once you let go. A baby should never move away from the parent once in the sling.
• A parent should be able to kiss the baby’s head without bending his or her neck.
• The carrier needs to be tight enough so that no space is between the parent and baby.
• A baby’s face must always be visible.
• Parents should not feel back or neck pain when using slings. Otherwise, the carrier is being worn incorrectly.

If you need better visualization of how to put on and wrap a baby in a sling and how to carry your child, watch the video below for a few babywearing methods:

Drop-side cribs, even with millions of recalled products dating back 10 years, just won’t disappear. While retailers have changed their product selections and daycares and hotels removed all hazardous models, drop-side cribs can still be found over the internet, according to a story from USA Today. In general, used baby furniture is risky, because of wear and tear or past recalls, but purchasing it over the internet is even riskier. A parent searching for a deal has to wade through fuzzy or blurry photos, read through descriptions that may not be fully accurate, and has to determine whether or not a crib has a drop side.

EBay and Craigslist, in this regard, are the greatest offenders. More than a month after drop-side cribs were banned, eBay still manages to have advertisements for such products – and even with blockers in place, sellers of such items can slip through them. eBay, however, has since put a stop to crib auctions.

Craigslist, on the other hand, does not have proper blockers in place and, instead, relies on users to flag listings. Although the site did update its “prohibition notices and information page,” listings for drop-side cribs can go up and will stay posted unless flagged.

If saving money in purchasing baby products is a primary concern for you, think first about where you obtain secondhand items and their quality. As furniture, in particular, should be examined and tested for sturdiness and faulty hardware, items from internet listings are the least reliable. Thrift and consignment stores and hand-me-downs are better, and while not ideal for baby furniture, they allow you to see the product in person and examine it closely – not rely on a photo or description. Ideally, clothing and toys are better secondhand purchases, while furniture is the most reliable when new and not recalled.

Is it discriminating against children, or is it keeping adult spaces free of disturbances? Be it restaurant patrons, concertgoers, or Brooklynites in bars, adults through editorials or outright bans are stating that they want their spaces child-free. Parents, on the other hand, feel that not bringing their children along, especially if the child is well-behaved, is restrictive, if not discriminatory.

A year ago, a writer for CNN wrote an editorial about parents bringing their babies to bars in Brooklyn; the introduction of a baby to an adult-oriented space, she states, essentially requires everyone to become child-friendly:

Single hipsters and others without (and sometimes with) kids complain about being asked to watch their language, to not smoke outdoors near strollers and to keep their drunk friends under control so as not to scare the little ones. They don’t want to feel pressure to play peekaboo. They want to cry over their beers, they say, without having an infant drown them out. If anyone is spitting up, they want it to be them.

Brooklyn hipsters might complain about babies, but a Pennsylvania restaurant owner banned them and all children under 6 years of age entirely. His reasons? Children cause too much of a disturbance and are too loud.

Parents quoted in a PennLive.com editorial shot back, feeling that such bans don’t take responsible parents into account. But, what exactly is a responsible parent? Someone who takes a crying or whining child outdoors for a time out? Or, someone who understands that certain spaces, be it a bar, concert, or restaurant, just aren’t for children?

Tony Hicks, a writer for the Costa Mesa Times, falls into the latter category, especially after seeing toddlers in the audience of a Katy Perry concert. But, rather than singing along to songs like “Firework,” the kids were essentially asleep or bored. A concert, Hicks argues, can also expose a child to disorderly or drunken behavior, drugs, or an overly-sexual atmosphere. He writes:

The bottom line is that some concerts shouldn’t be open to kids of a certain age. I could see taking a 12-year-old to Katy Perry; maybe even a 10-year-old. But 2 and 4? That’s why they have “Sesame Street Live,” the Wiggles, “Disney on Ice” and Justin Bieber, who’s kind of like a Muppet with better hair. Kids aren’t supposed to be our little party buddies. They’re supposed to be home, getting a good night’s sleep. They have plenty of time to get their eardrums blown out at concerts later in life.

Do you agree with him? Or, with children running wild in restaurants and babies in bars, what, exactly, do you consider a responsible parent?

Fire-retardant chemicals, in concept, seem beneficial. After all, in theory, they should slow a fire’s spread and save more lives. Yet, at the same time, many fire-retardant chemicals are toxic and can be found in items ranging from furniture to clothing to baby products. Because going green is beyond a trend and, at this point, has become a necessary lifestyle, USA Today ran a piece recently about the hazards of fire-retardant chemicals in baby products.

Fire-retardant chemicals are so omnipresent that even the dust in your house has traces of them. If you consider the habits of a baby, including sleeping and putting objects into his or her mouth, exposure to fire retardant chemicals seems unavoidable. In fact, such chemicals are found in the polyurethane foam in baby mattresses; up until the 1970s, they were added to baby clothes, until a study showed that these substances cause cancer in animals.

According to the USA Today article, the concentration of fire-retardant chemicals in toddlers and preschoolers is three times the amount in adults. While such chemicals are harmful to people of all ages, they can affect behavioral and brain development in children, lower IQ, or result in learning products.

But, is the addition of such chemicals even necessary? According to an article published in the Los Angeles Times in 2009, fire-retardant chemicals worsen emergency situations, as materials like polyurethane foam release the chemicals into the air during a fire. Although California, the state with the most strict fire standards, has made an exception for baby products, a significant amount of furniture is still made with fire-retardant chemicals: 56 percent of infant carriers, 44 percent of car seats, and 40 percent of portable cribs.

Finding baby products free of these chemicals is difficult but not impossible. Baby mattresses are a particular concern, as a child sleeps for 70 percent of its first year, and Naturepedic makes products that are organic and free of toxic chemicals. Containing no PVC, vinyl, or phthalates (a plastic softener), Naturepedic baby mattresses are tested for chemical emissions and are Greenguard certified. Each baby mattress has a 100-percent food-grade polyethylene waterproof surface, organic cotton filling, and a non-toxic and naturally-derived fire barrier system.

At the end of 2009, if you can remember, a large amount of Maclaren strollers was recalled. Although the amount of recalled products has died down a bit since the drop side crib ban at the end of 2010, plenty of products still pose safety hazards, and Maclaren strollers are one of these. But, instead of a new product being taken off shelves, the same group of 1 million Maclaren strollers from 2009 is being recalled for the same reason: A hinge mechanism poses a fingertip amputation or laceration hazard to a child when the stroller is unfolded.

Maclaren strollers aren’t the only baby product recalled recently. Falls Creek slipper socks, which are bug shaped and designed with balls at the ends, were taken off shelves as well; the balls can detach and become choking hazards to young children. Maclaren strollers, on the other hand, include single and double umbrella models sold from 1999 to November 2009. Strollers sold after May 2010 are not affected.

Two years ago, 149 reported incidents lead to the recall of 1 million strollers; presently, the same group of products caused 37 additional safety incidents. If you own a Maclaren stroller, what should you do at this point? The manufacturer has a repair kit for the hinge cover available, just like it did two years ago, and can be contacted by email or telephone.

Before you purchase a repair kit, stop using the stroller first. Although the stroller may have not caused an injury, it still poses a hazard to your child and could result in one in the future. Second, either purchase a repair kit or a new stroller – don’t keep on using the same recalled model. Because the models recalled are umbrella strollers, purchasing another is not a significant expense and may be safer for your child in the long run. If you are concerned about purchasing another recalled product, check with Recalls.gov before purchasing a new stroller.

Ever since January, many parents have been stuck in a quandary: Keep the drop side crib or toss it? A ban on drop side cribs became effective as of January 2011 but applies to places selling or using drop side cribs only – not parents. While it’s not illegal for parents to use drop side cribs, retailers, secondhand stores, daycares, hotels, or any similar establishments need to replace them with stationary designs. But what do you do when a drop side crib has functioned for years or when you can’t afford new baby furniture?

In theory, all parents could purchase new stationary cribs, but everyone has a different situation. Drop side cribs may be given as an heirloom or hand-me-down, or parents may have one already from an older child. Still, with millions of drop side cribs recalled by multiple manufacturers during the past decade, owning this design can be risky.

The North County Times offers a few points to parents on the fence about keeping the old crib or purchasing a new one:
• Check if the manufacturer or the particular model has had any recalls. Drop side cribs were a nursery staple for several decades, and not all brands or designs were recalled. You may likely have a crib that has never had structure or hardware problems.
• Examine the crib. Cribs are taken apart and put back together for multiple children or when given as hand-me-downs. Check to see if the hardware is sturdy. Poorly-designed hardware that broke and let the drop side fall was often a cause of many crib injuries or deaths.

If you plan to purchase a new crib, which model should you choose? All designs available are stationary, but convertible cribs have become popular. Once a child is too large for the crib, the furniture’s frame folds out into a toddler bed and also into a full-size or sofa bed.

These days, children are expected to be reading well by the time they finish kindergarten. But should you be expecting your child to read by the time he or she turns 2? Or, furthermore, can you even expect a 2-year-old to start reading? Educational product line Your Baby Can Read thinks so. If you’ve ever watched late-night infomercials, you likely caught one for Your Baby Can Read. If you haven’t seen it, here’s the product’s commercial:

Consumer advocacy group Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood claims these commercials are misleading and deceptive and claims Your Baby Can Read products are harmful to children. Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, but this instance is not the first time the organization questioned a baby product’s claims.

A few years ago, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood took the same approach to Baby Einstein, and parents who purchased Baby Einstein products were eventually refunded. Baby Einstein claimed their products assist with building young children’s vocabulary. Studies, however, disproved these claims, finding instead that children who exclusively watched Baby Einstein videos knew fewer words than those who just interacted with their parents.

Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood takes their argument a step further. They claim that, while young children can recognize words aurally and visually, they are not developed enough to read. Additionally, they state that the amount of time Your Baby Can Read requires a child sit in front of a television or computer is harmful.

Your Baby Can Read, of course, denies these claims, and says that one million families have bought their product and are satisfied.

Still, although Your Baby Can Read involves interaction between the parent and child, sitting a child in front of a computer or television is no substitute for talking to and reading with your child.

Although old news by now, the internet has been a-buzz over the past two weeks over the $1,500 Bugaboo Donkey Stroller. Everyone from mommy bloggers to print writers has an opinion on this product, but all come down to this final conclusion: Even designed with all the safety features possible, no stroller is worth $1,500.

Unless, of course, you’re specifically looking for a status item. The Bugaboo Donkey, apparently, has the brakes and suspension of a bicycle, is slim enough to fit down any aisle, and supposedly allows your child to sleep better. Even with these features, however, a $1,500 stroller is out of many parents’ price ranges. Should only those with money to burn have the safest strollers out there? Slate magazine’s XX blog seems to sum up this sentiment best:

It’s likely that the components that go into a Bugaboo Donkey or its predecessors, once laughably expensive at just $1,000 or even a tad less, raise the manufacturing costs well into three digits. Consider the braking and suspension on a higher-end bicycle, and concede that there’s (at least a little) more going on here than an artsy design and a price established solely for the purpose of making your neighbors’ eyes bug out. But even granting that Bugaboos are more than revamped $15 umbrella strollers, $1,500 seems a bit … extreme.

Plenty of strollers are out there, so why feel guilty if the Bugaboo Donkey does not fit in your budget? After all, not every stroller has a high-price for simply safety.

Take pram strollers, for instance. A common sight with celebrities a few years ago, prams have the design of old-fashioned baby carriages with all the features of a modern stroller. Prams, however, can range from $500 to $1,500, but as this type can be seen as a novelty or status item, the stroller’s design is primarily just for show.

That crib you own, the car seat you use, or your baby’s favorite toy – one day you find it recalled and don’t know what to do. For a major recall, as we saw with the drop side cribs, the story will hit the news. If a toy by a smaller manufacturer is recalled, however, you may not hear of it until later. When something like this happens, the typical response is panic. But instead, develop a course of action for keeping your child safe.

First, stop using the product. Take the car seat out, disable the crib, or remove the toy. Although the item has not posed problems for you yet, it may at some point. Why take the risk?

Second, find out about what the manufacturer plans to do. Is the company permanently taking the product off shelves, or is it repairable? Expect a kit or replacement part for the latter option. In this case, sending in the registration card months before is helpful.

Don’t wait for a recall to question the baby products in your home, however. Instead, always be looking for parts or features that pose a hazard to your child, especially with toys and baby furniture. If you are unsure of what to look for, an article from U.S. News & World Report gives some suggestions:

• Always look for broken parts on the toy and around your home.
• No parts should be small enough to fit in a baby’s mouth.
• Toys for older children should be out of reach.
• Avoid cords, strings, balloons, and motorized toys.
• Find out if toys are safety tested.
• Always dispose of packaging.

Take a similar approach to examining baby furniture. Hardware, in particular, is often a cause of injuries, so see that is it always secure. Additionally, if the furniture has a seat or uses a harness, make sure that the child cannot escape or take it off.

Until recently, rear-facing car seats were considered necessary for babies up until age 1. Now, studies done by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that a child is safest in a rear-facing car seat until age 2, according to the Associate Press.

Evidence from crashes influences these two studies (not done in conjunction with each other) and the new safety recommendations. Seatbelts can cause abdominal and spinal injuries in children, and if a child is in a rear-facing car seat, he or she is five times less likely to be injured in an accident. Rear-facing car seats provide better spine, neck, and head support and distribute the force of a collision evenly over a child’s body.

Additional recommendations for older children in cars have changed as well. Children should be in booster seats with seatbelts until they are 4’9”, and those under age 13 need to stay in the back.

As The Star Press article shows, not all parents are sold on these recommendations. In fact, to some, they appear superfluous and do not think of the needs of a child. A car seat, according to one parent quoted, are too small for her 18-month-old, and for another, she wants to see her child as she drives.

If you need to buy a new car seat, what types of features do you need? Manufacturers of car seats now offer models that support toddlers up to 35 pounds. In addition to finding a larger design that accommodates a heavier child, you need to have a car seat with a five-point harness. The harness, preferably, should have strap slots below the shoulders and an adjuster. The seat, for infants and newborns, should recline to a 45-degree angle and, ideally, should indicate the incline.