Brainy Mom Confesses

OK, it's time for Brainy Mom to make a confession. I am a worrier. I worry about my kids, I worry about your kids, I JUST WORRY FOR NO REASON AT ALL! So I am hoping that maybe my worry can help prevent or reduce someone else's worry. (Or more simply stated, I worry so you won't have to!) That's why I'm talking again about product recalls.

In my post yesterday I included the CPSC link for recalled toys and today I wanted to post the link for non-toy Infant/Children Product Recalls. You can find this information here.

The CPSC also provides online notification of recalls if you sign up on their website. It only takes a second--you simply provide your email address and zip code and choose the category of notification. (About halfway down the list is the infant/child selection.) Go ahead and check it out--I'll wait. . .

. . . OK, you're back already? (See, I told you it was quick!)

Since it's back to school time, Brainy Mom also worries about school safety. Here's a Back-To-School Safety Checklist from CPSC:

"When you drop off your child at school, use this checklist to make sure these hidden hazards aren't waiting to cause injury or death.

1. Drawstrings on Jackets and Sweatshirts -- There should be no drawstrings on hoods or around the neck. Drawstrings at the waist or bottom of jackets should extend no more than 3 inches to prevent catching in car and school bus doors or getting caught on playground equipment.
   
   
2. Loops on Window Blind Cords -- Cut the loop and attach separate tassels to prevent entanglement and strangulation in window blind cords. One child a month strangles and dies in the loop of a window blind pull cord or inner cord. Keep cords out of childrens' reach. Install cord stops to prevent formation of loop in inner cord.
   
   
3. Bike Helmets -- Buy a helmet that meets one of the safety standards (U.S. CPSC, Snell, ANSI, ASTM, or Canadian), and insist that your children wear the helmet each time they ride their bike. About 900 people, including more than 200 children, are killed annually in bicycle-related incidents, and about 60 percent of these deaths involve a head injury. More than 500,000 people are treated annually in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for bicycle-related injuries. Research indicates that a helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by up to 85 percent.
   
   
4. Soccer Goals -- Make sure that the athletic director or the custodian anchors the soccer goals into the ground so that the soccer goal will not tip over and crush a child.
   
   
5. Playgrounds -- Check the surfaces around playground equipment at schools and parks to make sure there is a 12-inch depth of wood chips, mulch, sand, or pea gravel, or mats made of safety-tested rubber or fiber material to prevent head injury when a child falls. Each year, more than 200,000 children go to U.S. hospital emergency rooms with injuries associated with playground equipment. Most injuries occur when a child falls from the equipment onto the ground.
   
   
6. Recalled Products -- Make sure your child's school has up-to-date information on recalled toys and children's products. Schools, daycare providers, and parents can receive recall information by e-mail, or in the regular mail free of charge by calling the CPSC hotline, or writing to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207."

OK, no more worrying right now.