This Spring many new parents will welcome new additions into
their family. Prior to taking on this important task, most parents hear
and become knowledgeable about common safety precautions like
preventing poisoning or selecting the right toys but there are big,
hidden dangers that parents need to be aware of. These hidden dangers,
by causes not often thought of or addressed, include the potential of
suffocation, strangulation, germs and re-breathing which is a proven
problem associated with SIDS.
Strangulation & Suffocation
Under
age one, suffocation is the main cause of child fatalities such as
suffocation from soft bedding or being put to sleep on their stomach.
It is more commonly known that babies should never be allowed to lie or
sleep face down on (or next to) pillows, cushions, adult comforters or
adult waterbeds. Also, drapes, blind cords and decorative wall hangings
with strings should be out of baby's reach to avoid a strangulation or
suffocation hazard.
But what most parents do not know is that
having a secure-fitting crib sheet is of vital importance as poorly
fitted sheets can be pulled up or come loose by itself, which can be
grasped by the infant and their rib cage or neck can become entangled in
it. Most parents fail to consider crib sheets as a safety risk
however, many children die each year from strangulation or suffocation
caused by poorly fitted crib sheets. In 2001, the Good Housekeeping
Institute put 54 crib sheets to the test. All but seven failed the test,
which required that they stay in place under at least 10 pounds of
force. What's more, there are no regulatory standards for crib sheets
so parents need to take their own precautions.
Crib sheets that
securely fit around the mattress and can not be pulled off are highly
recommended including the Halo Secure-Fit Crib Sheet, a crib/toddler
sheet featuring a wrap-around design that prevents the sheet from
slipping, bunching or coming off. A mom who awoke one morning to find
her baby entangled in a loose crib sheet invented the Secure-Fit Crib
Sheet, while the baby suffered no injury, the mom never wanted to
experience the situation again.
Rebreathing
Rebreathing
carbon dioxide is felt to be one of the leading causes of Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome (SIDS). According to the SIDS Alliance, when we exhale
we exhale carbon dioxide or "bad air." When a baby sleeps on its tummy,
or there is soft, fluffy or loose bedding or other objects in their
sleep area, that carbon dioxide can build up around their head and face.
So, rather than breathing fresh air, the baby breathes the bad air. To a
normal, healthy baby breathing the bad air would not cause a problem as
their brain would tell them that they are breathing too much carbon
dioxide and they would cough, cry, turn their head or do something to
get themselves out of the challenging situation. To a baby predisposed
to SIDS, their brain does not tell them there is a problem, so they
continue to breath the bad air, which can then cause them to die
suddenly and unexpectedly.
Therefore, it is important that parents
remove everything from a baby's sleep area that could cause the
rebreathing of carbon dioxide. This can be difficult as parents struggle
to keep babies warm and comfortable while sleeping. Endorsed by the
SIDS Alliance, the Halo SleepSack wearable blanket reduces the risk of
rebreathing because of a sleeveless, collarless and roomy sack design.
Packed with features and available in Fleece or Cotton, the Halo
SleepSack provides just the right amount or warmth for a comfortable
sleep.
There is additional concern about the dangers that the
traditional crib bumper may pose to infants. To many it is logical that
if you cannot place a pillow in a crib, you should not effectively
surround the crib with one long pillow. Again an ingenious parent who
checked on her baby only to find that she had rolled up against the
bumpers in her crib, with her face touching the cushions, invented the
Breathable Bumpers, a mesh bumper that keeps baby's arms and legs safely
inside the crib without posing the potential danger that the cushioned
bumpers provide. As her baby grew older, and developed into an expert
climber, this parent created a product called the Breathable Crib Shield
that not only offers the breathable bumper features, but also extends
higher up the crib sides to prevent those rambunctious toddlers from
getting a leg up and out of their cribs.
Germs
From day one,
invisible, health-threatening bacteria and viruses lurk all around baby
from those in baby's home environment to objects they come into contact
with outside the home. Healthy adults have strong immune systems that
can fend off many dangerous germs, and can pass some immunity to baby
through breastfeeding, but babies are at much greater risk. As measures
for getting ready for their new baby, parents are encouraged to follow
special instructions for washing babies laundry and objects that baby
comes into contact with as well as special food precautions. But, once
baby becomes mobile there is a hidden danger lurking, bacteria laden
public surfaces.
A University of Arizona study on public surfaces
like shopping cart handles and changing and restaurant tables found that
they have a high grade in disease-causing microorganisms from the
presence of bodily fluids such as blood, mucus, saliva, and urine.
Parents can protect their babies from these life-threatening bacteria by
using products like the Cart Comforter and Shopper Topper for grocery
carts, the Table Topper disposable "stay-in-place-mat," and the Travel
Bear Changing Mat with an antimicrobial agent.
In addition,
parents are encouraged to use hand sanitizers so when their hands come
into contact with germ-laden surfaces and later their baby, they are not
introducing additional germs, which could harm babies health.
Recommended by healthcare professionals and used in medical settings for
more than 30 years, the AQtiv PURE alcohol free Hand & Body
Sanitizer Gel or Spray offers more protection than commercial hand
sanitizers and is alcohol-free to prevent against the drying of skin.
Also an ideal first aid gel, the small size easily fits in purses or car
glove compartments.
For more information or to purchase these products, visit http://www.inventiveparent.com.
Sharon Mullen is a parenting expert, mom and President & CEO of Inventive Parent (http://www.inventiveparent.com)
which she started when she invented her own product, the Original Car
Seat Cozy, after finding that attachable blankets did not exist for baby
carriers and car seats for children over one years old. Later, after
she recognized the lack of products and availability to solve parents’
real-world challenges, she started Inventive Parent, a provider of over
200 parent-invented solutions for maternity through pre-teen and an
online parenting resource. For more information, visit http://www.inventiveparent.com
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