How much does your work gear actually protect you?

As any parent can attest, kids come in all sizes. Some are small for their age, and others are, yes, overweight. No matter what size they are, they deserve to be protected from harm, and parents expect that from products designed for safety. That includes child car seats. A recent study explored whether car seats adequately protect children of all sizes, even those who are overweight or obese. The study, conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, included 1,000 children ages 1 to 8 who had been in properly installed car seats appropriate for their height and weight when they were involved in a car accident. The researchers found that there was no increased risk of injury for large or overweight children. This suggests that the range of sizes for infant, booster and child safety seats available on the market is currently adequate. The researchers stress, however, that the car seat must be installed properly. Babies and toddlers should sit in a rear-facing seat for their first two years unless they’ve already reached the height and weight of a seat for an older child. Just as you wouldn’t strap your infant into a seat belt in the front seat, it’s important not to have the wrong car seat or position for a child of any age. One of the best ways to determine the appropriate seating is to discuss your child’s size with a pediatrician. As one of the researchers pointed out, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to car seats. Your younger son may outgrow his seat and the rear-facing position at an earlier age than your older daughter did. Children are especially vulnerable in car accidents; they’re the No. 1 cause of child death and injury. And while finding the best car seat fit for your child isn’t a guarantee he or she won’t be hurt, it can greatly reduce the likelihood. Source: Torque News, “ Car Seats Safe for Overweight Kids Too,” Nov. 28, 2011

The smoking-cessation drug Chantix appears to be a dangerous product, with risks that outweigh its benefits, according to Dr. Curt Furberg of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. He is the co-author of a new study that shows people taking Chantix are far more likely to attempt suicide and experience serious depression than people using other types of smoking-cessation treatments. The new study contradicts two recent government studies conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In those studies, researchers counted how many people were hospitalized for psychiatric problems and found there was no difference in hospitalization rates for people using Chantix and those using nicotine patches. Dr. Furberg said this was not the right way to measure the extent of the problem because many people who attempt suicide, are depressed or have other serious psychiatric problems are not hospitalized and would not have been counted in the FDA study. Dr. Furberg’s study looked at data from 12 years of reports to the FDA of depression or self-injury. He found there were more than ten times as many reports of adverse events for Chantix users as there were for users of Zyban, another popular smoking-cessation drug. Even fewer users of nicotine-replacement products, such as the patch, reported serious adverse psychiatric events. Dr. Furberg wants the FDA to restrict Chantix so that it won’t be used as a first-choice treatment, but instead would only be prescribed to individuals who already tried and failed to quit with other types of smoking-cessation treatments. Source: Reuters, “New study says Chantix raises suicide risks,” Julie Steenhuysen, Nov. 2, 2011

In June, we wrote that the Consumer Product Safety Commission had introduced new crib safety standards in order to prevent injuries to infants. That change was long overdue. However, many potentially dangerous cribs are still on the market. The CPSC has found that drop-side cribs manufactured before June 28 are dangerous products and unsafe for children to sleep in. The CPSC found that cribs manufactured before this date do not have the hardware, mattress supports, or slats that are needed to stand up to long-term use. Based on this information, the CPSC introduced new safety standards that effectively banned most cribs that were made before June 28. Despite the new safety standards and the 32 deaths that have resulted from inadequate drop-side cribs, Craigslist and eBay still have some of these cribs for sale. It is easier for conventional stores that operate out of a physical storefront to halt the sale of products. They have systems that help the stores to take the banned or recalled products off the shelf immediately. It is not the same with online stores, especially ones where individual users control what items go for sale on the site. According to the CPSC, eBay has promised that all listings selling the drop-side cribs will be blocked within the next few weeks and that the process has already started. However, a number of users are still selling the illegal cribs. Craigslist, however, is not adhering to the ban as well as eBay. The site replied to the CPSC’s concerns by stating that they have “updated” their prohibition notices and information page, but that listings have been and will be controlled by site users. There are a number of other websites for parents that have had the illegal cribs for sale, such as MyStrollers.com and Babyhaven.com. However, upon becoming aware of the CPSC’s warning, these sites have removed all listings of the dangerous cribs. Source: USA Today, “ Illegal used cribs still for sale on Craigslist, eBay,” Jayne O’Donnell and Oliver St. John, Aug. 8, 2011