Strollerderby : car seat

Think Your Baby's Car Seat Is Safe? Think Again

Kate Tuttle — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:59:00 GMT

In a withering expose published this week, the Chicago Tribune unearthed safety tests whose results raise questions about the dangers posed by several popular car seat models. The findings, which resulted from tests conducted by the National HIghway Traffic Safety Administration to determine the comparative safety ratings of cars, not the car seats inside them, were never released to the public, however, and in some cases were unknown even to the companies that make the car seats. Yet as the Tribune points out, such information would be of great interest to parents, who have to make choices about which car seat to buy based on nothing but the marketing mantras produced and promoted by the companies that make them.

Among the car seats performing poorly in the NHTSA tests -- videos of which can seen on the Tribune web site -- are the Graco SafeSeat, the Britax Companion, and the EvenFlo Discovery (which was recalled after the tests were completed). In nearly half of the seats tested, the bucket flew out of its base before or the seat's dummy occupant incurred damage which "exceded injury limits." In the videos of the tests, the seats can be seen flipping over backward to slam their infant dummies, face first, into the back of the car's front seat.

According to the Tribune article, this kind of result, seen repeatedly in the NHTSA tests conducted on actual cars, are seldom seen in the testing required of car seats, because those tests all feature a "sled bench," a mechanical stand-in for a car that lacks the physical features of a car's interior, such as front seats. All car seats sold in the US must pass muster in a 35 mph crash in the sled bench. The NHTSA tests unearthed by the Tribune simuulated a 30 mph head-on collision in a car.

Researchers and public safety advocates agree that car seats save lives, but also that manufactuters and government need to do a better job of testing their safety, and of informing the public about the results of those tests. It looks, at least for now, as if the latter part will take place. From the Tribune article:

"What you've uncovered totally reveals the flaws in the current safety standard and also NHTSA's negligence in not reporting this to the public," said Joan Claybrook, a former NHTSA administrator and president emeritus of the advocacy group Public Citizen.

Responding to the Tribune investigation, newly installed Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a written statement Friday that he ordered a "complete top to bottom review of child safety seat regulations" and directed staff to make the crash-test results "more available" to consumers.

Although some manufacturers responded with plans to implement car crash testing to replace or augment the traditional sled tests, others continue to question the NTSB methodology. A spokesman for Graco agued that the testers must not have properly installed the carseat -- a frequent enough complaint, apparently, that the NTSB included owner's manual diagrams in its material to prove that even when properly installed, the SafeSeat flew off its base in some of their testing.

For parents who take their children's safety incredibly seriously -- which is to say, for all parents -- such information should not be blocked or evaded by manufacturers eager to defend the status quo, and their bottom line. Uniform, realistic, and stringent testing should be required, and the results published and distributed as widely as possible. The government should demand more from the manufacturers, and so should parents.

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Pumping at the Playground

editors — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:37:00 GMT

image from parentdish.

As someone who found breastfeeding, um, challenging, it would have been nice to have these moms around giving supply and pump advice. Check out what these Babble Playground ladies have to say about b’fing and b’pumping b'here.

And while you’re there stop by the January Photo Contest: Baby New Year where you can win a top-of-the-line breast pump. We’ve obviously got one track minds this month at the Playground. But that’s not all you can win! Enter the photo contest to win the fabulous Medela Freestyle, Medela nursing cami and Medela glass 4oz bottles and . . . the king of car seats – the Britax Boulevard CS. Everything you need for your new baby. Enter today! - April Peveteaux

Counterpoint: Newborns Are The Cutest!

editors — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:39:00 GMT

While Jeanne may think newborns are “alien cute” we know that your brand new baby is just as adorable as this little bugger. So show him off! The Babble Playground Photo Contest is in full swing and we want you to add your brand new baby pics to the brood. Go here and enter to win big prizes that help with the bringing home baby transition: a Britax Boulevard CS car seat (a going-home-from-the-hospital must), a Medela Freestyle breast pump, nursing cami and glass 4oz bottles (a feed-that-baby must). Enter to win today. Good luck! – April Peveteaux

Baby Sez, "What the...?"

editors — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:06:00 GMT

Did you capture those first newborn moments on film? Of course you did. Babble wants to reward you for having your camera at the ready. Head over to The Babble Playground, join up, fill out your profile, take a look around and join the January Photo Contest: Baby New Year. Voila! You’re entered to win big prizes from Medela and Britax. See what you can go home with here. Hint – it’s just about everything you need to bring home that baby. Happy New Year! – April Peveteaux

It's a Christmas Miracle!

editors — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:33:00 GMT

Didn’t get what you wanted for Christmas? You say, what you really wanted was a well-designed stroller? Like the Quinny Buzz 4 with Maxi-Cosi Mico car seat, perhaps? The Babble Playground is here to make your Christmas wishes come true. If you’ve got a camera and kids – snap away and enter your best winter or holiday photo here. Look at these little ones – don’t they look festive?

Enter today and win over $1,000 in prizes from Quinny and Maxi-Cosi. Happy Holidays! - April Peveteaux

December Photo Contest: Winter Wonderland

editors — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:39:00 GMT

Have you seen these kids frolicking over at the Playground yet? They’ve got the Winter Wonderland holiday spirit – do you? Here’s what we’ll give you if you show us the frosty fun side (or the "I live in Florida" holiday fun side) of your family: An amazing prize package from Quinny and Maxi-Cosi. The brand new Quinny Buzz 4 is going home to one lucky reader/photographer with all the fixings and a Maxi-Cosi Mico car seat to boot. That’s worth over $1,000 bub, what are you waiting for? Join The Babble Playground and December Photo Contest today! - April Peveteaux

Couple Who Left Kid in Car Face Charges

Kelly Mills — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:02:00 GMT

Seems like there's been some serious crackdowns on leaving kids in the car while running errands. A couple in Carmel are going to court with misdemeanor charges after they left their two-year-old asleep in the car in a supermarket parking lot for about 15 minutes. Concerned people saw the toddler and called the cops, but the couple had driven away by the time the law arrived. However, a few people got the car's plate number.

Now, the obvious question in this particular instance is, why did both mom and dad go into the store? One of them couldn't wait in the car as well? But anyhow, the parents feel terrible and they are attending parenting classes. And the mother says, "This is life-altering...I am mortified and horrified. I never got a speeding ticket. We just want to pay our taxes and raise our son." We've talked about the kid-in-car issue before, but just so you know, people are getting busted.

In Defense of the Minivan

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 19:29:00 GMT

About five minutes after we pulled away from the Detroit airport rental lot in our brand-spanking-new Chrysler minivan, an entire box of Cheerios had magically stuck itself to one of the rear captain chairs, a Coke had spilled itself on the carpet and something sticky and breathing had manifested itself beneath the car seat. We could hear it grumbling -- something about brains, I think.

Despite the magnet-like ability to attract crap and goo and sticky unknown substances to every surface, the minivan was by far the most comfortable vehicle I had ever driven with child.

There was a DVD thingy that hung down from the roof. Two captains chairs in the back that meant no stooping to position a child into a car seat. Two rear doors that magically opened themselves with a push of a button. An onboard computer and so many cup holders that I honestly considered renting a keg for the four-hour ride.

While minivans have for the longest time have received nothing but scorn from me -- even John Travolta couldn't make them cool in "Get Shorty" -- when we got home and heard the throaty rumble of our own German sedan, I wasn't impressed anymore.

I twisted my back and performed a new yoga move to get my wriggling daughter into the car seat and it was over -- my relationship with luxury. My heart was miles away, half a country really, wondering what had become of that brand new machine that looked like a box on wheels, smelled like rotten bananas, collected more crap than a cat lady and drove like a parental dream.

Oh Crud, Now Where Did I Leave That Baby?

Kelly Mills — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:56:00 GMT

Maybe you get hit with that sinking feeling you forgot something. Car keys: check. Sunglasses: check. Wallet: check. Baby...Uh oh. Never fear. Now you can get your hands on the Child Minder System, which sounds a keychain alarm every time you move more than ten feet away from your kid's car seat. It attaches to the little buckle on the child restraint system, so you don't end up leaving Junior in the car for hours while you play Bingo or something. You know, I'm sure it happens ALL THE TIME.

I'm scoffing a little here, but maybe there's some good responsible citizens out there who have had this problem. There's certainly a lot of schmucks that have. Now, if you forget your keys and your baby in the car...well, we can't help you there.

Babble Talk: Car Seats and Cabs

Gwynne Watkins — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:40:00 GMT

So you live in the city but you don't have a car, but you want to be able to take cabs with your babies, but the law says all that kids have to be in car seats, but no city taxis provide their own. Frustrating, huh? If you're an urban parent who dreads schlepping around a car seat, read this week's Parental Advisory column, which focuses on "the Baby-Taxi-Transport conundrum." Our columnists offer a round-up of existing solutions, and even a few work-arounds (did you know that New York's car-seats-only rule has exceptions?). Unfortunately, there's no ideal solution; readers, how do you handle this kid-in-the-city conundrum?

The Clueless California Car Seat Installation

Karen Murphy — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 19:47:00 GMT

"Dude, let's go score some weed!"

"Nah, I can't. The wife is getting her face sanded again and she left the kid here. She said I have to stay with it."

"You have a kid? What's that smell anyway? Can we just take the kid with us?"

"Yeah, there's this seat-thing. You just strap it in the car somehow."

"No problem, dude, let's go!"

..........

"Dude. What's that sound?"

"Tunes, man. There's killer speakers in this Jeep."

"No, dude, it sounds like wailing. What is that?"

"Oh. That. Yeah. Sounds like the kid. Maybe we should stop. There's a 7-11. I have the munchies anyway."

...........

"Dude. Its face is all red, what's up with that?"

"I don't know, dude. Let's just wipe the bugs off it and go in."

"Dude. You want to take the baby in too? It's your call."

"Yeah, okay. Might as well. It might spit up or something back here."