Study Raises Concerns About Safety Of Baby Products

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A study conducted by the University of Washington has found elevated levels of chemicals,called phthalates in the urine of babies who’d been recently shampooed, powdered or lotioned with baby products.

Phthalates are found in many ordinary products including cosmetics, toys, vinyl flooring and medical supplies. They are used to stabilize fragrances and make plastics flexible.

These chemical have been under attack by some environmental advocacy groups, but experts are uncertain what dangers, if any, they might pose. The federal government doesn’t limit their use, although California and some countries have restricted their use.

Animal studies have suggested that phthalates can cause reproductive birth defects and some activists believe they may cause reproductive problems in boys and early puberty in girls. Rigorous scientific evidence in human studies is lacking. The current study offers no direct evidence that products the infants used contained phthalates, and no evidence that the chemicals in the babies’ urine caused any harm. Still, the results worried environmental groups that support restrictions on these chemicals.

“There is an obvious need for laws that force the beauty industry to clean up its act,” said Stacy Malkan of Health Care Without Harm.

The lead researcher, Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana, said, “The bottom line is that these chemicals likely do exist in products that we’re commonly using on our children and they potentially could cause health effects.” Parents should be more proactive and read the labels of the products they are buying for their babies. You should looks for products labeled “phthalate-free,” or check labels for common phthalates, including DEP and DEHP.

I prefer to use the California Baby line for my son. They only use ingredients that are safe in all of their shampoos, lotions and sunscreens.

If you want to check if the products you are using for your children are safe, you can go to the cosmeticsdatabase.com to see the ratings.

I wish more people understood that there are so many crummy products on drugstore shelves. Not everything is created equally. A little research goes a LONG way.

SOURCE

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Product Review: GoGo Kidz Travelmate

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If you are planning to travel by airplane with your toddler or infant in the near future, I would highly recommend purchasing a GoGo Babyz Kidz Travelmate.

This amazing ‘board’ on wheels will turn your clunky, awkward car seat into an exciting fun ride for your child.

Connecting to the back of the seat, the Kidz Travelmate allows you to roll your child through the airport with the same ease as a suitcase.

This will allow you to have a seat that you are familiar with at your final destination, give your child a safe structured spot to sit in on the airplane and help you get them through the airport quickly during high traffic vacations seasons.

It is extremely lightweight, easy to remove/attach, and has a telescopic handle that is adjustable to the many heights.

We recently used this travelmate on two flights to the Caribbean. We have a Britax Decathalon Car Seat and this 2 wheeled unit was a godsend. It was a breeze to whip through the airport, with our son so comfortable that he spent most of his time sleeping, which he never does in his stroller.

Many people commented with envy as we flew through the airport with sleeping baby in tow.The Gogo Babyz Travelmate made our long trek through 3 airports, 2 hotels and one cruise ship a dream.

Before heading out on vacation with the travelmate please check these helpful tips:

1. Practice attaching your gogo Kidz Travelmate to your car seat PRIOR to your travel day. Do not hesitate to call Go-Go Babyz (408.360.0653) to have someone walk you through the set up. Once you attach to your car seat for the first time, practice a few more times and you will find it to be very easy and fast. In addition, with a little practice, you should be able to attach the gogo Kidz Travelmate to your car seat in the upright position, even with a sleeping child in the car seat.
2. It is a great idea to travel with a back pack rather than a shoulder strap bag. The back pack will allow you to have both hands free: one for wheeling your car seat and the other for holding your boarding pass. (Baby Sherpa makes a great diaper back pack)
3. If your car seat does not fit through the x-ray machine with the gogo Kidz attached, ask security to take your seat (with the gogo Kidz attached) to the side to hand wand rather than having to remove the gogo Kidz from your seat.
4. Your car seat will not fit down the aisle of the airplane. If you will be using your car seat on the airplane, take your child out of the seat just prior to boarding. Wheel your car seat onto the plane and put the handle in the lowest position so at the last minute, you can pick up your car seat by the gogo Kidz handle to carry down the aisle of the plane.
5. If you do not have a separate seat for your child on the airplane, take advantage of the easy ability to use your car seat as your stroller through the airport and gate check. This will allow you to safely and securely have your child ride through the airport and have your car seat for layovers, or simply at your final destination. Remember, the taxi cab will most likely NOT have a car seat for the ride from the airport to your destination.

Please visit the Gogo Kidz Official Site at www.gogobabyz.com for more information.

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Tori is Showing!!

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I can honestly say that this was one ‘rumor’ I didn’t believe. I was completely convinced that she would enjoy her post pregnancy body much longer before starting on baby #2.

Boy, was I wrong! Tori was seen with husband Dean McDermott in Santa Barbara on Friday looking absolutely adorable and very pregnant.

At any rate she looks great and we look forward to seeing more great pictures of her as she grows!

PHOTOCREDIT:Martin Lewis/ Startraks VIA PEOPLE

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Angelina Keeps Us Guessing

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Dressed in a loose fitting dress, while being honored for her role in the film A Mighty Heart, Angelina keeps the world guessing at The Santa Barbara Film Festival if she is expecting natural baby #2 and child #5.

Even though the couple’s publicists has yet to comment, a ‘source’ told Star magazine: “Brad and Angelina are absolutely ecstatic.

“But I still think there will be more adoptions to come.”

SOURCE

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U.S. Rating System Ranks Car Seats For Ease Of Installation.

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When choosing a seat to keep your child safe while en route what things do you look for?

A nice pattern? versatility? Safety Rating?

When I bought my car seat the thing I looked for was how long it would keep my son safe (weight restrictions), the company’s recall track record, safety features such as increased impact absorption.

Ease of installation was NOT on my list. It doesn’t matter to me how easy it is to install the seat. ALL I want to know is that once it’s in place that it will keep my son as safe as possible.

The U.S. has created a ridiculous system that rates car seats on the ease of installation, not safety track records or additional safety features.

The car seats are given an overall star rating, as well as individual star ratings in four categories — securing the child, vehicle installation features, labeling and instructions. Five stars represent the highest rating and one star the lowest rating.

I feel that this system is a bit misleading because anything that is rated a five-star is perceived to be an outstanding product. This may not be the case under the new rating system. A seat rated five-stars could just latch in better that it’s counterpart, but not provide any extra safety features to keep the child safe.

I think that they should go back to the drawing board and come back to us with a rating system that means something. I can’t help but feel like the government doesn’t want to get right into it and open a can of worms about federal safety standards.

There are so many car seats on the market that go above and beyond to make their seats safe for a longer period of time. Some are made with stronger materials and have better impact absorption.

If the government wanted to make a difference they would create a rating system that show all seats meet federal safety standards, but this group has added features to keep your child extra safe.

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