Why Baby Walkers Are Dangerous

Why Baby Walkers Are Dangerous
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sharon_A_Bell]Sharon A Bell

What makes mobile walkers dangerous? Experts say their very design helps kids move easily - often much too easily for them to sustain serious injuries.

"About three million baby walkers are sold in the United States each year. They are generally used in the 2- to 4-month period after a child can sit up and before he can walk without assistance. But by giving a child added height, a walker suddenly brings him within reach of hazards such as boiling pots, electric irons and unprotected electrical cords. And kids in walkers travel so fast - three or four feet a second - that even the most attentive parents may not be able to avert disaster," said Diana Willensky in American Health magazine.
"Babies in walkers plummet downstairs, turn over in walkers that are snagged by cords, door thresholds, and carpet edges, roll themselves against hot wood stoves and heaters, fall over concrete curbs, or tumble into swimming pools. Parents should be particularly wary of old-style x-frame walkers that are still being sold in garage sales. These designs have been responsible for many injuries, including finger amputations when a baby's hand got caught in the closing x-joint of the frame - such models should be discarded," added Sandy Jones and Werner Freitag in Consumer Reports' Guide to Baby Products.

The length of time your baby spends in a walker determines how prone he or she is to accidents. In general, the risk of accidents increases in kids who spend an hour or more a day in them. Most accidents occurred in the early afternoon when only one parent was away.

Parents often purchase a walker in the belief that it will help their child walk sooner. Fifty percent of walker buyers had this impression but the facts say otherwise.

Rather than help your baby walk, walkers may make things difficult for your child. Freitag, who has developed safety standards for baby products for the American Society for Testing and Materials, said walkers may "interfere with needed pulling up, crawling and creeping experiences" of babies.

This was proven by a study that showed that the leg actions of babies who used walkers differed greatly from those who didn't. In that study, babies who spent a considerable time in walkers had stiff legs and shorter steps. They also leaned forward more than children who learned to walk on their own. In another study involving twins, the baby who didn't use a walker started walking two weeks earlier than the one who used the device for two hours every day.

"Studies are showing that not only do walkers not help babies to walk sooner, they may even impede the walking development of babies who have motor deficits by teaching them abnormal moving patterns," Jones and Freitag said.

Are newly designed walkers safe? Find out in the third part of this series. To stay alert and sharp while watching your child, take Neurovar. For more information on this powerful memory enhancer, go to rel=nofollow [http://neurovar.com/prod10.aspx]http://neurovar.com/prod10.aspx.

Sharon Bell is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premier online news magazine http://www.HealthLinesNews.com

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Baby-Walkers-Are-Dangerous&id=1111590] Why Baby Walkers Are Dangerous

Baby Dangers New Parents Need to Know About

Baby Dangers New Parents Need to Know About
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sharon_Mullen]Sharon Mullen

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 rel=nofollow 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

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Baby-Dangers-New-Parents-Need-to-Know-About&id=30459] Baby Dangers New Parents Need to Know About