A couple of weeks ago I received a postcard in the mail inviting my husband and I to a "Getting Ready for Baby Show" at the Parsippany Sheraton (which is very nice btw). The invitation didn't offer much information like who was sponsoring the show or what specifically would be covered, but they provided a toll-free number if you wanted more information- I didn't bother to call. So Sunday morning D and I made the short drive to Parsippany to see what we could learn about getting ready for Baby Cruz. D and I arrived to find the "workshop" was in one of the Hospitality Suites of the hotel with about 15 other people anxiously waiting to see what this was about. To make a long story short, the safety "workshop" was actually a well constructed sales pitch for the Babee Tenda company. I was not as bothered as some of the folks in the room were, I took it for what it was a chance to gain insight to a new baby product. So below is a recap of the "seminar":
The Baby Carrier, The ExerSaucer, + The Swing
He began his presentation by informing his captive audience that as parents-to-be we must select and purchase products with a proven track record of greater than 6 years. Next he went on to express his grave concerns with Evenflo's ExerSaucer, the Baby Bjorn style carriers, and baby swings.
He illustrated with a doll how these products may lead to poor posture, a broken femur, and a host of other issues. {See "Injuries Associated with Infant Walkers," American Academy of Pediatrics and "Baby Walkers"}.
The presenter stated the best alternative for these products- which people purchase to keep children "safe", stationary, and engaged- is to purchase a sling. A sling does not allow the baby to hang and it simulates a womb-like experience. He suggested looking for one without any plastic adjustments. Having no adjustments is best.
The Car Seat
The presenter/salesman gave invaluable advice on purchasing a car seat. Simply put he said your car seat must have a slot to hook/loop the seatbelt through the actual car seat and not just the base. He also said don't use the carrier handle as you walk with the car seat because it is known to shift positions- carry the car seat in both hands if it needs to be transported with baby in it.
The Crib
The presenter made a profound statement to begin his discussion on cribs. He said, "there are more fatalities in unrecalled cribs than not" and cribs are the most deathly nursery product. When consumers shop for cribs they are often searching for the most aesthetically pleasing crib and not thinking about its safety factors. He reminded us that since a large percent of the crib manufacturers have factories in Asia that mass produce their products, the use of materials like steel and glue-nail construction are replaced with dreaded plastic and even lead filled finishes. Cheaper materials results in untimely infant deaths and injuries.
This had me thinking about my recent crib purchase. I thought "is our crib safe and if its not what the hell do I do with it". Well I was vexed for all of two minutes then I relaxed and said Bratt Decor has a reputation of being one of the best so I shouldn't fret.
About my crib . . . Bratt Decor implemented a Free Hardware for Life Campaign in 2008 that was created to help ensure the safety of every child with a Bratt Decor crib. Cribs are often assembled and reassembled multiple times, to accommodate more than one child, and cribs can be in continuous use for many years. When this happens, hardware can easily be lost and, as with any item, parts can simply wear out. Now, Bratt Decor will supply its clients with free replacement hardware for the life of any Bratt Decor crib produced after 2005.
High Chairs
The presenter felt high chairs were basically spawns of the devil. He promoted feeding tables which of course is a product he was peddling.
Check out this cool post from Ikea Hackers- they used products from Ikea and create a twin seat feeding table here.
Final products he highly recommends and was selling:
The HALO® SleepSack® {need 2}
Breathable Bumper by Breathable Baby
Crib sheets that stretch
**Feeding Table by Baby Tenda
**Safety Crib by Baby Tenda
Baby Sense {crib respirator movement monitor}
Take Home Lessons
- Baby Tenda is slick targeting first time parents.
- With every new purchase read the warning labels and check for product recalls.
- Stationary cribs are best.
- Plastic parts made in China, Vietnam, or Thailand are not made with quality in mind. Choose steel and nails over plastic any day.
PRODUCT RECALLS
To keep up to date on current product recalls, make regular visits to the CPSC Recall pages, where you can also observe an insane pattern, as the same types of dangerous products get recalled over and over and over again. While you’re at it, you may as well also visit the FDA Recalls pages, where you can see the latest food and drug recalls. Here, you will also observe a similarly insane pattern, as the same types of dangerous products get recalled over and over and over again. ~Source
