National Public Health Week

April 4 - 11, 2011 is National Public Health Week

Safety is NO Accident

It only takes a moment for an injury to happen – a fall on a stair, a moment’s glance away from the road, a biking or sports-related injury, a medication mix-up. But it also takes just a moment to protect against injuries and make communities safer. The potential for injury is all around us. Each year, nearly 150,000 people die from injuries, and almost 30 million people are injured seriously enough to go to the emergency room.

Injuries are not "accidents", and we can prevent them from happening. Taking actions such as wearing a seatbelt, properly installing and using child safety seats, wearing a helmet and storing cleaning supplies in locked cabinets are important ways to proactively promote safety and prevent injuries.

During National Public Health Week 2011, the American Public Health Association (APHA) needs your help to educate Americans that "Safety is No Accident". Together, we can help Americans live injury-free in all areas of life: at work, at home, at play, in your community and anywhere people are on the move. We all need to do our part to prevent injuries and violence in our communities. Join us as we work together to create a safer and healthier nation.

Thanks to the American Public Health Association for the wonderful information. 

You can find even more on their website at: http://www.nphw.org/nphw11/first1.htm

Do you have a favorite car seat?

If I was switching over from the infant seat to a toddler seat here are a couple favorites I might choose and why. There are so many more choices now then even just a few years ago!

The Britax Boulevard sets the industry standard for safety.  A five point harness, side impact wings, and both the HUGS AND LATCH systems make this one hard to beat.  If there is no price too high for your child’s safety or your own peace of mind, stop searching here. You can use it rear facing until 40 lbs! (My little girl is 4 and weighs only 37 lbs.). And the forward facing until 70lbs. Britax also has a wonderful quick-adjust harness which I'm not sure most people understand until you actually have used it on a regular basis. But trust me it's great!

OR

The Sunshine Kids Radien80. This one folds well, has a great shoulder strap,  and is certified for use on aircraft.  It’s narrow width lends it to many uses – in addition to air travel. And fits 3 across in the back seat of our SUV much easier then others. This is a top-notch choice when used in forward-facing capacity.  You can use it rear facing until 45 lbs. and forward facing until 80 lbs.   The fact that you can be safe and still fit 3 across is great because once your kids are in pre-K and Kindergarten the play dates begin and with 2 kids I still have 3 car seats in the car because of how often we have an extra child in our car. 



OR

The Britax Marathon is durable, comfortable, and considered one of the best forward-facing convertible car seats in the industry. If the comfort of your child is your highest concern, your search may be over.  And it's a bit more affordable then the Boulevard. It's good for rear facing up to 35 lbs. and forward facing up to 65 lbs. (My 6 year old boy only weighs 47 lbs.)  If this car seat was an option for us when he was younger he'd still be in it! But we had a smaller sedan at the time and he was 20 lbs at 6 months so we used the Britax Roundabout since it fit rear facing nicely in our car.

Here are just a few places you can check out reviews from:

ConsumerSearch.com
BabyProducts.About.com

I also came across this nice article on BabyCenter.com on how to buy a car seat.

And remember you can check SeatCheck.org to find a car seat installation location near you!

Perfect fit for the stroller!

This blankie doesn't get caught in the wheels while strolling around. It really is the perfect travel size!

My Carseat Blankie®, was originally designed for the car seat. It works just as well with the stroller. One of our moms that owns one made this observation for us in the first few months of selling out at craft fairs out in Gloucester, MA, and it has been a huge selling point since then! Thank you to whoever that was!! She walked up to the table, took a sample and placed it on her baby in the stroller and that was it. Sold she said, "now I don't have to worry about it getting caught in the wheels".

You can SAVE 20% on your own My Carseat Blankie using coupon code: BLOG at check out at www.mycarseatblankie.com

When to switch to a booster?

Happy April Fools!

Buckling up the right way on every ride is no Fools Joke. It's the single most important thing a family can do to stay safe in the car. But finding the safest way for each member of the family to ride can be confusing if you don’t have the right information.

Once they outgrow their forward-facing car seat with a harness, it's time to travel on a BOOSTER SEAT ... but still in the rear seat. They should ride in the back seat in booster seats until they are at least 8 years old, unless they are 4 feet 9 inches tall, at which point they should fit properly in a seat belt.

Follow your car seat manufacturer's instructions and your vehicle owner's manual on how to install. And you can always get help from a local certified technician for FREE. Find a technician in your area at seatcheck.org

A few questions to think about when you think you are ready: If you answer "yes" to any of these you probably are:

• Does your child exceed the car seat’s height or weight limits?

• Are your child’s shoulders above the car seat’s top harness slots?

• Are the tops of your child’s ears above the top of the car seat?

Here's a link to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's top picks for boosters.

Don't forget to check for recalls and expiration dates.
One important thing you can do on a regular basis is check www.recalls.gov to inquire about any recalls or safety notices on child safety seats. AND Avoid purchasing safety seats from yard sales, flea markets and second hand stores or when there is no known history of the seat. I know in my house we love hand me downs, just remember not for car seats. You can check the expiration date on your car seat. Yes, car seats do expire. To find yours check your side label for the expiration date, if you can't find it, find the date of manufacture and consult your car seat manufacturers manual. There are a few car seats that go for 10 years, but most are 6 years.

You can find out more at: SafeKids.org OR National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

You can review the car seat safety laws in your specific state here: GHSA