Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Child Safety’

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a great deal of information for parents concerned about Bisphenol A, also known as BPA.

 Here are some safety tips  the HHS lists for families to limit a newborn’s exposure to BPA.     

 *Follow Recommended Guidelines to Feed Your Infant – HHS supports the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations for infant feeding and supports breastfeeding for at least 12 months whenever possible, as breast milk is the optimal source of nutrition for infants.  

 *Discard Scratched Baby Bottles and Infant Feeding Cups -Worn baby bottles and cups are likely to have scratches that harbor germs and – if they contain BPA – may release small amounts of the chemical.

 *Temperature Matters – Be careful how you heat up your child’s breast milk or formula.  Studies have found there is a very small amount of BPA in plastics and other packaging materials that can transfer to food and liquids. 

 *Check the Labels On Your Bottles and Food Preparation Containers - As a good household practice, only use containers marked “dishwasher safe” in the dishwasher and only use “microwave safe” marked containers in the microwave.

BPA is one of the world’s highest production-volume chemicals and is used in making baby bottles, pacifers, sippy cups and baby toys.  Many states have passed laws banning the use of the chemical BPA in products intended for children under the age of three. Playtex and Gerber have announced they will stop using BPA in the production of their baby bottles. For more consumer information on child injury protection and child safety, visit our Florida Child Injury Lawyer section of our law firm website.

With the big game coming up, safety officials are warning families to be safe and keep kids away from a potential TV that could cause injury if overturned. This also includes TV stands that could be a hazard as well, if pulled or climbed upon.

Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News

As reported by the New York’s Lower Hudson website, “Injury rates have been increasing year after year. It’s a serious problem,” said Don Mays, senior director of product safety and technical policy for Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. “The good news is that it’s very preventable.”

Just a reminder to keep children safe while watching the Super Bowl game this weekend and also throughout the year!

Information surfaced recently that TASER International, a leading provider in technology solutions, would be unveiling a new platform designed to help parents monitor their children. 

 The product is called PROTECTOR.   It’s an extraordinary toolset that gives parents the ability to monitor  their child or teen’s cell phone usage as well as driving habits. Parents will have the opportunity to manage the contact lists and content of their child’s mobile phone.  The intent is to help parents help their children.   Calls, texts, emails, photos and videos can all be monitored.  Phone functionality can also be limited to stop dangerous distractions while driving.  

 PROTECTOR works on multiple devices and is accessible through smart phones, PC’s Mac’s or smart TV’s.  Permissions and settings can be changed in real time.  Interested parties can call TASER International at (800) 978-2737 or visit their website at www.TASER.com.

The day and age of mercury thermometers are over.  If you still have one lying around your house you should dispose of it, especially if you have young children.

 The old glass thermometers can break and cause cuts, as well as expose young children to mercury.  Dr. Lois Lee, a physician at Children’s Hospital Boston sees the problem as two-fold.  Lee states if a mercury thermometer breaks, a child may require  imaging procedures to locate pieces of glass, which exposes a youngster to radiation, especially during computed tomography scans, also known as CAT scans.  This is especially pertinent because children are much more sensitive to radiation than adults are, according to the National Cancer Institute.  It’s important, therefore,  to be safe and reduce exposure. 

Additionally, the old mercury thermometers hold particular dangers if the mercury spills. When this happens, the mercury forms droplets that can accumulate in tiny spaces and emit vapors into the air. Mercury vapor is odorless, colorless and toxic. One-half gram of mercury from a broken thermometer can detectably pollute 5 million gallons of water, if it is washed down a sink. Whole families have been poisoned at home from mercury spills which were not cleaned up or were cleaned up with an ordinary vacuum cleaner. Children are at highest risk.

The small volume of mercury in a fever thermometer is not likely to cause a problem, but should still be promptly cleaned up.  Digital thermometers are much easier to read and don’t expose a child to the dangers mercury poses. 

Find out more about digital thermometers and the options available.

A recent public safety recall by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, suggests a product recall for the Amby Baby Motion Beds and Hammocks.

As a public service, we provide you with the information from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website which lists:

Name of Product: Amby Baby Motion Beds

Units: About 24,000

Manufacturer: Amby Baby USA, of Minneapolis, Minn.

Hazard: The side-to-side shifting or tilting of the hammock can cause the infant to roll and become entrapped or wedged against the hammock’s fabric and/or mattress pad, resulting in a suffocation hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Amby Baby is aware of two infant suffocation deaths in the Amby Baby hammock. In June 2009, a 4-month-old girl in Lawrenceville, Ga died in a baby hammock and in August 2009, a 5-month-old boy from Gresham, Ore.

Description: The Amby Baby Motion Bed consists of a steel frame and a fabric hammock which are connected by a large spring and metal crossbar. There is only one model of the hammock available which can be identified by a label sewn onto the hammock stating: “Amby – Babies Love It, Naturally.”

Sold online at: Ambybaby.com and other Internet retailers from January 2003 through October 2009 for about $250.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the Amby Baby motion beds/hammocks and contact Amby Baby USA for a free repair kit. Parents and caregivers are urged to find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Amby Baby USA toll-free at (866) 544-9721 between 9 a.m. and 5p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.ambybaby.com