WASHINGTON – The death of a 6-month-old child prompted the recall Tuesday of about 635,000 cribs sold by Kmart, Sears, Wal-Mart and other stores.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of 20 models of Dorel Asia cribs with both drop sides and fixed front rails.

Some of the Chinese- and Vietnamese-made cribs were recalled because their drop sides can detach, creating a space where a child can be trapped and suffocate or strangle.

To Read More: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34941782/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/?ns=health-kids_and_parenting

In a country where nearly three million students are receiving special education services for a learning disability, many parents are hungry for ways to support their children’s learning.

According to the 25th Annual Report to Congress by the U.S. Department of Education, 41 percent of high school students with learning disabilities dropped out of school in the 2000-2001 school year. This is in contrast to the dropout average of all students, which totaled just 5 percent between October 2000 and October 2001.

To Read More http://www.naturallysavvy.com/conscious-parenting/helping-children-learn

There’s nothing like the thrill of hearing your child speak their first word. But what happens if it doesn’t come? Or when it does come, the rest of the speech is incomprehensible? Do you get worried? Or is it normal? Speech Language Therapist Nedra Saunders breaks it all down for us.

To read more http://breezymama.com/2010/01/25/speech-and-your-kids-getting-them-to-talk-and-recognizing-a-problem/

Johnson & Johnson issued a massive recall recently of over-the-counter drugs including Tylenol, Motrin and St. Joseph’s aspirin because of a moldy smell that has made people sick.  Click here for more information.

Graco Recalls Strollers Due to Fingertip Amputation and Laceration Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following products. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Graco’s Passage, Alano and Spree Strollers and Travel Systems

Units: About 1.5 million

Manufacturer: Graco Children’s Products Inc., of Atlanta, Ga.

Hazard: The hinges on the stroller’s canopy pose a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is opening or closing the canopy.

Incidents/Injuries: Graco has received seven reports of children placing their fingers in the stroller’s canopy hinge mechanism while the canopy was being opened or closed, resulting in five fingertip amputations and two fingertip lacerations.

Description: This recall involves Graco Passage, Alano and Spree Strollers and Travel Systems with the following model numbers and specific hinge mechanisms:

Model Numbers
6303MYC, 6303MYC3
7240DNB, 7240DNB2, 7240MKL2, 7240MKL3
7F02GLM3
6320IVY, 6320LAU
7241DDH2, 7241DHO3
7F04TAY3
6330CAP, 6330THR,6330THR3
7255CLP, 7255CLP2, 7255CRA2, 7255CRA3, 7255CSA3, 7255GPK3, 7255GRN, 7255GRN2, 7255JJB3, 7255ORC2, 7255WLO2, 7255WLO3 7F07EMA3
6F00QIN3, 6F00RRY3
7256CLO2, 7256SPM2, 7256SPM3
7F08DSW3, 7F08LAN3
6F03GLN3
7260BAN, 7260BAN2, 7260BAN3, 7260MRA2, 7260MRA3, 7260PKR, 7260PKR2
7G00DLS3, 7G00DLS4
6G10CSE3
7270BIA, 7270BIA2
7G01CRL3
7235GGA, 7235GGA2
7E01JON2, 7E01JON3
7G04KRA3
7236CDR2
7F00LPE3, 7F00RSH3
7G05GPR3, 7G06WSR3
7237HOL2, 7237HOL3
7F01FOR3
7G07ABB3, 7G07BAT3

Graco manufactured two different styles of hinge mechanisms for these stroller models. Only strollers or travel systems with a plastic, jointed hinge mechanism that has indented canopy positioning notches (see photo below) are included in this recall. The recalled strollers were manufactured between October 2004 and February 2008. The model number and manufacture date are located on the lower inside portion of the rear frame, just above the rear wheels.

Sold at: AAFES, Burlington Coat Factory, Babies “R” Us, Toys “R” Us, Kmart, Fred Meyer, Meijers, Navy Exchange, Sears, Target, Walmart and other retailers nationwide from October 2004 and December 2009 for between $80 and $90 for the strollers and between $150 and $200 for the travel systems.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled strollers and contact Graco to receive a free protective cover repair kit.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Graco at (800) 345-4109 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.gracobaby.com

To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recalled products, please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10115.html

A consumer safety group has issued its annual list of the “10 Worst Toys of 2009.”

The group, World Against Toys Causing Harm, or WATCH, is a non-profit organization with a mission to educate the public about the dangers of toys.

Click here to read more:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/wghp-photo-gallery-10-dangerous-toys-091119,0,473801.photogallery

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2010
Release # 10-113 

Firm’s Recall Hotline: (877) 728-0342
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 

Drop Side Cribs Recalled by Caramia Furniture Due to Fall and Entrapment Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following products. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Diane Crib

Units: About 1,000

Distributors: Caramia Furniture and Mother Hubbard Cupboard’s, of Ontario, Canada

Hazard: The slats on the cribs drop-side can detach from the top and bottom rails, posing fall and entrapment hazards to the child.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received 18 reports of slats detaching from the rails of the crib. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves Caramia “Diane” drop-side cribs. The cribs were manufactured between September 2002 and June 2004. A label affixed to the inside of the headboard or footboard lists the manufacturing dates.

Sold at: Buy Buy Baby and juvenile product and mass merchandise stores nationwide from September 2002 through December 2005 for between $240 and $370.

Manufactured in: Slovenia

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Diane crib and contact Caramia Furniture to receive a free replacement drop side. The free replacement will be available beginning March 2010.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Caramia at (877) 728-0342 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.caramiafurniture.com

To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including a picture of the recalled product, please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10113.html

NO, YOU ARE NOT DREAMING! SLEEP COACH KATHY SINCLAIR SAYS THAT YOUR KID
CAN SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT. HERE, SHE GIVES PARENTS THE ABC’S OF ZZZ’S.

MONTH THREE OF SLEEP TRAINING—IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PROCESS

Your baby is now 3 months old and you’ve achieved
the holy grail of sleep training: You are finally
comfortable letting your baby “cry it out.” Now, I don’t
really like the term “cry it out”; it has a bit of a bad stigma. But, cry it out (CIO) isn’t as cruel or rigid as most parents think. Most parents think that CIO means putting Baby into his crib and letting him cry until he falls asleep—which could take hours.

My Sleep Learning approach employs CIO but in a different and more effective way.

Here’s how it goes:

Dim the lights when you are doing the bedtime routine and/or feeding your baby before bed.

After putting your baby into his crib, if he cries, let him cry for five minutes before going into his room. When you go into his room, tell him that he is doing a great job, pat and shush him or even pick him up and cuddle him, but stay no longer than three minutes. Just don’t let your baby fall asleep on you, as this will defeat the purpose of teaching him to fall asleep on his own. After your time is up, leave the room—even if he is still crying.

The next step, assuming that your baby is crying, is to wait 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, go into his room, tell him that he is doing a great job, pat and shush him or even pick him up and cuddle him, but stay no longer than three minutes. Just don’t let your baby fall asleep on you, as this will defeat the purpose of teaching him to fall asleep on his own. After your time is up, leave the room—even if he is still crying.

And now, if your baby is still crying, let him cry for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, go into his room, tell him that he is doing a great job, pat and shush him or even pick him up and cuddle him, but stay no longer than three minutes. Just don’t let your baby fall asleep on you, as this will defeat the purpose of teaching him to fall asleep on his own. After your time is up, leave the room—even if he is still crying.

Starting to see the idea here?

Keep going in every 15 minutes until your baby is asleep. Though I doubt he will, he may cry for up to three hours the first time. Don’t feel bad, though—you are going into his room every 15 minutes to let him know that you are close by. Also, with my approach, you have the option of going into his room every 10 minutes if you just can’t bear the full 15. In fact, I’ve had clients who went into their baby’s room every five minutes and those babies are all sleeping through the night to this day. It’s more about the process than the timing of the intervals.

And while we’re talking about process, let’s go over good bedtime and nap time routines:

I know it’s hard to hear your baby cry, but just remember that he isn’t saying he doesn’t love you anymore or that he’s hungry. All he’s saying is that he doesn’t know what to do—which is why it’s your job to teach him.

Kathy Sinclair, CNCS, CPD, CLE, CHBE, graduated from Australia’s prestigious Charlton Brown Nanny College and began her professional career as a nanny in 1993. Kathy developed her specialty with infant sleep while working as a newborn care specialist in Los Angeles. Currently the founder of Baby Sleep Solutions, Kathy provides one-on-one individualized sleep consultations, leads Mommy & Infant groups for new moms, and lectures on sleep in and around Los Angeles. She lives in Ventura, Calif., with her husband and three dogs. She may be contacted through her website at www.babysleepsolutionsla.com.