IKEA High Chairs Recalled Due to Fall Hazard
Last updated on March 3rd, 2018 at 11:21 am
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada has announced a recall of IKEA ANTILOP High Chairs due to a problem with the high chair’s belt buckle which can unlatch unexpectedly and potentially cause a child to fall out of the chair. So far there have been eight reports of falls due to the unexpected opening of the belt buckle and three of those children sustained minor injuries as a result of falling.
IKEA has voluntarily recalled the ANTILOP High Chairs to prevent further falls and to repair the problem with the buckles. The recalled high chairs were sold in IKEA stores nationwide from August 2006 through January 2010 for about $20.
ANTILOP high chairs sold with red, blue or white plastic high chair seats with detachable silver-colored metal legs and manufactured between 0607 and 0911 (YYMM format) from supplier number 17389 are included in the recall. Look underneath the seat for the production date and supplier number, which are molded into the underside of the seat. A label on the underside of the seat has the words “ANTILOP,” “IKEA” and the model number.
The following model numbers are included in this recall:
IKEA ANTILOP high chair blue Model # 701.467.92
IKEA ANTILOP high chair red Model # 501.467.93
IKEA ANTILOP high chair white Model # 300.697.24
If you own one of these high chairs, you should immediately stop using it and contact IKEA to obtain a free replacement seat restraint.
For additional information, contact IKEA toll-free at (866) 966-4532 anytime, or visit the firm’s website at www.ikea-usa.com.
Home Treadmill Hazards for Kids – Expect the Unexpected
Last updated on September 4th, 2015 at 08:51 pm
We had a holiday open house on New Year’s Day: several families from the neighborhood, school and Cub Scouts – with mulled wine and hot chocolate to chase away the winter blues. It was a lot of fun, but my son was disappointed that none of his best friends could make it. In fact, no boys came – only girls. Despite this initial set back, the kids started to mingle – aided by a few activities and the display of newly acquired Christmas presents. Before I even had a chance to worry about boredom setting in, the kids had migrated downstairs to the TV/playroom to watch a holiday movie.
Things in the basement went well for some time – confirmed by occasional checks. But near the end of the festivities they must have gotten antsy – and we heard some loud crashes and telltale wails. The basement also has a workout area and – despite a long-standing restriction on unsupervised use – they had started to play on our treadmill.
Somehow Elliott ended up with a big friction burn on his shoulder from the treadmill belt – and one of the younger girls had fallen off and banged her head. Apparently these are common types of childhood injuries involving motorized treadmills. About.com reports that some friction injuries have been so bad that occasionally children have required skin grafts or plastic surgery!
I felt terrible that this happened – and at our house. That said, the girl’s mother informed me that they have a home treadmill too – and she’s also been told not to use it. Somehow power and curiosity overcame the parental restrictions. But apparently this situation isn’t uncommon. The Australian government became so concerned about home treadmill injuries to kids that in 2008 they issued a product safety alert and began a public awareness campaign. The key recommendations for parents are to place the treadmill in a separate room that children can’t access – or surround the machine with child barriers to ensure that they don’t try to touch or climb on the machine when it’s in use, which can happen before you notice. Even a short duration of contact can result in injuries to little ones. About.com provides additional guidance on home treadmill safety measures to minimize potential hazards.
Treadmill Safety Bypass!
Of course, fitness equipment like treadmills also comes with built-in safety features. There’s usually a safety clip and cord that should be worn by the user while running. If the runner stumbles or falls the clip disengages and the belt stops. Additionally, the machine won’t start without the safety clip in place – which is key to securing the machine from unsupervised use by children. However, kids can be very ingenious….our son realized that the clip attached to the machine via a magnet – and determined that he could bypass the clip using the magnetized crane winch from his Thomas the Tank Engine train set! Even your best safety plans can be undermined by the curiosity of kids. In cases like this, what is a parent to do?? Certainly, consequences for disobeying the restriction on using the treadmill can help – but I think the pain of his injury was a stronger lesson. I just hope he doesn’t always have to learn the hard way.
Protect Your Family From Fire
Last updated on September 12th, 2015 at 10:48 pm
It’s November. The leaves are changing, temperatures are falling and that means 3 things:
- That it’s time to change your clocks back an hour,
- That it’s time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors in your home and
- It’s time to make an evacuation plan.
Ask yourself when was the last time you checked and changed the batteries in your smoke detectors? If you can’t remember then it has been too long. It is estimated that every year in the United States, about 3,000 people lose their lives in residential fires from inhalation of smoke and toxic gases so having a properly working smoke detector is one of the best and least expensive ways to alert 
everyone in the home of a potentially deadly fire. Most people who lose their lives to smoke and gas inhalation do so in their sleep. Children and the elderly are especially known to sleep through smoke and other alarms and are at greater risk, so proper placement of your smoke alarms is very important. Protect your family! Smoke alarms should be placed on every level of your home and in and around all bedrooms to best alert sleeping occupants that there is smoke and smoke detector batteries should be checked monthly and changed every 6 months.
Having talked about placing smoke detectors where they need to go, what happens when there is an emergency and the detectors start sounding? Every home should have an evacuation plan known by everyone in the home. We all remember in school having the fire drill where we walked outside to a place and waited to be called back into class, well that is the same thing that should be done in your home. Everyone in the home should have a clear understanding of where to meet and how to get there in case of a fire. The location can be anywhere far enough away from the home to be easy to get to and be safely away from danger like a tree or a mailbox for example. If you have younger children this is a great exercise to do with them as they can map out and color a plan to keep and learn. Some houses will require extra planning and preparation because of things like multiple stories and occupants who may require assistance. Items such as fire escape ladders and window indicator stickers can help occupants evacuate from upper floors safely and help fire crews locate individuals and pets that need help evacuating the home.
With over 75% of all fire fatalities occurring in home fires, the need for proper protection and planning cannot be overstated. The winter months are fast approaching and the risk for home fires increases as the temperatures decrease so please remember to unplug heating devices, not to overload outlets and keep fireplaces and chimney’s clean.
There is a saying that says” chance favors the prepared”. The time it takes to prepare is minimal and working together as a family can be fun and educational…so have fun and be prepared.
7 Steps to a Toxin Free Home
Last updated on March 12th, 2018 at 10:10 am
Your home should be a safe place, free of toxins and environmental hazards — but is yours really safe for your family? Because children’s bodies are still developing, they’re especially susceptible to toxins, which could be lurking in your house. Fortunately, you can take these seven easy steps to reduce the risks that lie under your own roof. Here’s how:
1. Clean smarter and more often.
“The greatest exposure to toxins children face may be from household dust,” says Timonie Hood, the Green Building Coordinator at the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Kids get dust on their hands from crawling on the floor or touching the top of the coffee table, exposing themselves to dust mites, mold and pet dander, all of which can trigger allergies and asthma attacks. How can you avoid the risk? “Get a vacuum with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter and use it twice a week,” says Hood. “You should also dust every few days with a slightly damp cloth so you’re not just returning dust to the air.” To further reduce the risks of dust, get rid of some of the items in your home that trap it, such as unnecessary drapes, carpeting, throw pillows and stuffed animals.
2. Get rid of cigarettes.
“Stop smoking, even if you only smoke outside,” says Dr. Dennis Woo, a physician and assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. “Kids in households with any level of smoking have been shown to suffer higher rates of respiratory disease.” When you smoke, toxins like particulates and nicotine get on your clothes and hands, and when you come inside the house, so do the toxins. Likewise, don’t let others smoke in or around your home or car.
3. Take off your shoes when you come inside.
Since your shoes have daily contact with all kinds of toxins (pesticides, lead, mold and more), leave them at the door when you step inside the house. Otherwise, those chemicals will transfer to your floors, where kids are likely to come into contact with them.
4. Switch to natural cleaners.
Commercial cleaners may make cleaning easier, but they could also contain toxic chemicals like carcinogens, respiratory irritants and even pesticides. Instead, try nontoxic, natural cleaners: For example, a mixture of baking soda and vinegar can clean tubs and toilets. Salt is good for scrubbing kitchen sinks, and borax (available at supermarkets) works wonders for laundry.
5. Stop using pesticides.
According to the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition, kids who live in households that use pesticides are over six times more likely to have childhood leukemia. But you don’t need to spray to keep household pests away. Banish bugs naturally by repairing window screens, keeping trash in closed containers and sprinkling environmentally friendly boric acid (available at hardware stores) in gaps between walls and floors before you seal them. And don’t use pesticides on your lawn, either: They not only present risks to kids playing outside but will also inevitably be tracked inside.
6. Get rid of toxic houseplants.
The leading cause of poisoning in children is houseplants, according to the University of Utah Health Sciences Center, so make sure all of yours are nontoxic, and get rid of any that aren’t — including oleander, hyacinth and daffodils, to name a few. Find a list of poisonous plants by searching online.
7. Stay safe around lead paint.
If your home was built before 1978, chances are it contains lead paint. By this time, it’s probably been covered with layers of lead-free paint and isn’t much of a health risk as long as it’s not peeling or chipping. But sanding or scraping any walls that were once covered with lead paint can release toxic lead dust throughout your home, which could damage kids’ brain and nervous system. So before you start your project, call a professional and get your paint tested. If it does contain lead, contact a lead abatement specialist or EPA-certified lead professional to help you deal with it.
Are Germ-killing Products Harming Your Child’s Health?
Last updated on March 3rd, 2018 at 12:12 pm
Germ-killing toothpastes, antibacterial soaps, sanitizing deodorants, bacteria-banishing home cleaners. With all of these products on the market, you’d think everything in hand’s reach is likely to make your family sick. But are all germ-killing products really protecting us in the long run? To find out, we interviewed Jessica Snyder Sachs, author of Good Germs, Bad Germs: Health and Survival in a Bacterial World. Here, Sachs gives us the lowdown on which products are worth it … and which aren’t.
Germ-killer Overkill
After making a career out of interviewing scientists and researchers about germs, Sachs is quick to advise that most germ-killing products on the market — including nasal sanitizing gels, toothbrush sanitizers and handheld UV-light germ zappers — aren’t necessary and may be harmful. Sure, they kill germs. But the bigger question is: Do we want them to?
Some germs are harmless, and exposure actually strengthens our immune systems. “When we lump all germs together and try to wipe them out of our lives, we end up with an increase in autoimmune diseases, allergies, asthma and other disorders,” says Sachs. “We’ve gone about trying to over-sanitize our lives, when it’s really just a tiny percentage of germs that cause disease.”
Sachs suggests that nasal sprays meant to wipe out all the bacteria in our noses, good and bad, is “freeing up the ‘parking spaces,’ so to speak, for potentially dangerous bacteria to take up residence. We need to remember that our bodies are full of good bacteria that help keep out the bad ones,” she says.
It’s not just our bodies that may be suffering from sanitation overkill; germ-killing products may also compromise humans’ ability to fight disease-causing germs in the long run. Sachs suggests checking the label of antibacterial soaps for triclosan, a chemical shown to work like an antibiotic, which she says is usually listed as an active ingredient. According to Sachs, triclosan is ubiquitous in our environment now. “It ends up getting flushed down drains and is found in sewage plants, rivers and lakes,” she says. “There is concern that the widespread use of these antibacterial products is going to fuel drug resistance — a huge problem today — without giving any real benefit.”
So is there a place for germ-killing products in our lives?
Beneficial Germ-killers
Most experts agree that a few products do promote overall health by reducing the transmission of disease and infection. “Studies have shown that good old-fashioned soap and water, as well as alcohol gels for sanitizing hands, reduce the incidence of picking up an infectious disease,” says Sachs. “The way most of us catch an infectious illness is through our hands: We inoculate ourselves when we touch our eyes and our noses with germ-covered hands. You can interrupt that transmission cycle just by using ordinary soap and water to wash your hands regularly.” Here are the germ-killing products you should have on hand:
Sanitizing Gels
When you’re in a place where you don’t have access to soap and water — like when you’re navigating a busy subway — alcohol hand-sanitizing gels are an ideal (and healthy) solution.
Germ-free Humidifiers
These are also generally regarded as a safe bet, and most experts suggest they’re a worthy health investment. “Humidifiers can become breeding grounds for mold and mildew, which are types of fungus that can trigger allergic reactions and asthma. That’s why you want to be careful that your humidifier is clean and has a HEPA filter that will remove mold and mildew.”
Kitchen Cleaners
Another place where antibacterial products may have a place is in the kitchen, says Sachs. “We’ve been using antibiotics in our livestock for years, and consequently a lot of our meat and eggs are contaminated with drug-resistant bacteria.” If you handle raw eggs or meat, you may want to use an antibacterial kitchen cleanser to kill the germs left behind on kitchen surfaces. Sachs suggests vinegar may be a better bet: It’s acidic enough to kill bacteria naturally — without reinforcing the cycle that’s contributing to creating drug-resistant bacteria.
The most important point to keep in mind, says Sachs, is that while we should reduce exposure to infection-causing germs, the vast majority of germs aren’t harmful. “We have to get away from the idea that all germs are bad,” she says.
So don’t go overboard ridding your house of germs and bacteria. Know that it’s okay for kids to play in the dirt. And the next time the neighbor’s dog licks your child’s face, let it go. Just be sure to keep washing those hands.
How to Turn a Clean Home into a Healthy Home
Last updated on March 3rd, 2018 at 01:16 pm
You’ve worked tirelessly to make your home a haven for the whole family. But did you know that even the tidiest of homes can play host to troublesome germs and allergens, which can lead to endless sniffles or the common cold?
“That’s because your hands are actually the dirtiest surface 
in your house, and you’re responsible for spreading those germs every time you touch the handles, faucets, railings, light switches and microwave buttons,” says cleaning expert Don Aslett, author of more than 40 home care books, including the best-selling Clutter’s Last Stand.
But not to worry: You can get rid of germs by staying on top of them. Here’s your master cleaning schedule for keeping germs at bay to ensure your family’s health. Print it out and post it on your fridge to use as a reminder.
- Kitchen and bathroom sinks and countertops
How often: daily
You touch the faucets in the kitchen each time you cook (and handle raw meat). And in the bathroom, you touch the faucets and countertops just about every time you go into the room. Sinks and drains in these two rooms are home to loads of bacteria, including E. coli.
Spray the faucets, sinks and counters with an antibacterial spray. Let it sit (10 minutes is ideal to kill germs and bacteria), then wipe with a washable microfiber cloth, which is more sanitary than a sponge and traps more than a regular rag would, says Aslett. - Clothes, bed linens, kitchen and bathroom towels, and bath mats
How often: every three days
Instead of letting laundry pile up, it’s healthier to do it every few days. This helps avoid mold growth in the hamper where moisture can get trapped from soiled clothes and linens. It also helps to get rid of dead skin cells that can become part of house dust and attract dust mites. - Kitchen and bathroom floors, and the toilet seat
How often: twice a week
Believe it or not, there are more germs on the bathroom floor than on the toilet seat. That’s because flushing enables microscopic germs to end up on the bathroom floor (and floors are cleaned much less often than toilets). It’s good to get into the habit of closing the lid before you flush. Additionally, when you clean, be sure to use a disinfectant to wipe down the seat and lid.
In both the kitchen and the bathroom, mop floors with a bleach-based cleanser. In the kitchen, be sure to clean up food particles and grease, because they can attract unwanted and unhealthy pests. - Carpets, cabinets, sofas and mattresses
How often: weekly
Dust mites can cause allergic reactions in some people, so it’s important to prevent exposure as much as possible. Dust mites feed on dead skin cells (yours and your pet’s), which makes mattresses and pillows some of their favorite hiding places. Protect yourself by wrapping your mattress with a dust-mite-proof cover and vacuum, or wash pillows weekly. If you can live without a feather pillow, switch to one with synthetic material, which is less likely to attract dust mites.
Common household dust doesn’t have germs in it since it lacks the moisture that germs require, but it does harbor allergens. Vacuum carpets, soft furnishings and bookshelves weekly (two to three times a week if you have pets) using a machine equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Follow with an antibacterial spray to wipe down all hard surfaces. - Tubs, shower stalls and trash cans
How often: weekly
Bathing removes germs and viruses from your body, yes, but not all of them die down the drain. In fact, bacteria thrives in moist environments. Use a disinfecting cleanser once a week to wash the sides and floor of the tub and shower stall and the inside of trash cans. Dry the surfaces with a towel, or leave the door or curtain to the shower open to air-dry. - Refrigerator and other appliances
How often: weekly
Clean out the fridge before you go grocery shopping and toss spoiled food and leftovers that have been there for more than a couple of days. Then give all major appliances, including the handles and buttons, a healthy scrub with soap and water or disinfectant spray.
