With cold weather temperatures affecting the Chicagoland community, we want to ensure that infants are warm and safe during this season. During extreme weather temperatures, parents often choose to increase clothing layers , place hats on an infant’s head , use blankets , sleep sacks,  and increase indoor temperatures  to combat the cold. Although parents are concerned about keeping their infant warm, extreme exposure to heat can have detrimental consequences for an infant. S

October is sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) awareness month . SIDS awareness month was created to bring awareness to the impact of SIDS across the United States, where 3,700 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly each year. SIDS is the loss of an infant under 12 months of age, where the cause of death is classified as “undetermined” after a death investigation. SIDS is the leading cause of death affecting infants under 12 months. While there is no known cause for SIDS, these

Car seats can be confusing. Do you feel like you’re not quite sure if your child’s car seat is installed correctly? Do you see or read confusing things about car seats online and need some clarification? Do you know when you should turn your child’s car seat to forward-facing? Do you know how long your child should ride in booster seat?  Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPST)  can help answer  these questions and more. One of our dedicated Child Passenger Safety Technician

“Click it or ticket!” and “buckle up!” are likely phrases you have heard. These refer to remembering to secure yourself, and your children, in a vehicle before driving. However, also important is making sure your child is using the correct car seat for their age, and using that seat correctly. Read more for examples and resources on commonly asked questions related to child passenger safety to do your best to make sure your kiddo can be safe in a crash.   My child wants to si

In March, we celebrate Poison Prevention Month in Illinois. In this month’s blog we are going to sing the praises of the Illinois Poison Center (IPC). The IPC provides free poison help and resources for all Illinois resources.  Did your child eat too many gummy vitamins? Bite into a glow stick? Drink a household cleaner because it was the same color as juice or sports drink? Or did you mix cleaning chemicals without realizing it? Take someone else’s medicine by mistake? The p

It’s Super Bowl Week! Lots of American buy TVs to watch the big game. Sometimes the old television ends up in a bedroom. There is one step in these purchases and moves that many families miss – anchoring the television. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 11,300 are treated in a hospital emergency room each year due to TV, furniture and appliance tip-overs. Some children don’t survive these tip-over incidents and 77% of fatalities involved children under 6

You may have seen the major recall for the MamaRoo Baby Swing and RockaRoo Baby Rockers sold by 4moms. About two million units were recalled after a death of a toddler that got entangled in a strap that formed a closed loop below the seat. We’ve seen a lot of questions on social media, so here are a few answers. What’s being recalled? About two million MamaRoo swings and 220,000 RockaRoo rockers sold in the U.S. are being recalled. The recall includes the MamaRoo models that

Dear Parent, Thank you for taking care of me and thank you for trying to protect me but I must ask you a favor... please avoid having a gun in the house where I am using all my senses to discover everything around me, and if you decide that my safety entails you buying one, please read the following numbers: · In 2019, there were 171 deaths related to firearms in the age group 0-19 years old in the state of Illinois. · In the age group 0-14 years old there were 17 deaths in

Safe Sleep Tips: Preventing Injuries Related to Infant Sleep by Guest Blogger, Kai Holder Kai Holder is a second year MD/MPH candidate at Northwestern University. She is interested in maternal-child health, health equity and injury prevention. The phrase “SIDs”, otherwise known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, may frighten many caregivers, however there are numerous health behaviors that caregivers can learn and implement that lower a babies risk for sleep related causes of i

You may have seen crib bumper pads in nursery pictures on social media, TV shows and commercials, or on store shelves. These products may seem harmless, decorative, or even necessary to keep your baby safe, but bumper pads pose a serious, deadly risk to infants. Crib bumpers pose the risk of suffocation, entrapment, and strangulation. That’s why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warns against using bumper pads in their safe sleep guidelines which every family should f

This Graco Product Is the Latest Inclined Sleep Product Recall January 11, 2021 in graco , inclined sleeper , recall On December 16, 2020, Graco recalled 51,000 inclined sleep accessories included in four different models of its Pack n’ Play play yards due to risk of suffocation. The product could also be used separately. This is the eleventh inclined sleep product to be recalled since 2012. Inclined sleepers have been linked to at least 93 infant deaths. No inclined sleepe

We're still in COVID times and families are home together more than ever. Recently, poison centers are reporting increased calls about unintentional marijuana edible poisonings in young children. The fact is that even though we have laws in Illinois about the shapes of edibles, to curious kids, they look a lot like regular treats. Edibles also contain high concentrations of THC which can be quite dangerous to kids. Parents - please keep you marijuana edibles up high and out

Check out the latest big recall to make the news. This time it's 122,000 pairs of Toddler boots sold at Target. They were recalled for having toggles that detach and cause a potential choking hazard. We usually hear about these big recalls somehow through social media or on regular news sites. The fact remains, however, that literally hundreds of recalls happen each year that don't get as much publicity. In fact, in October, a sippy cup, scooter, crib and even antifreeze were

This article in the Chicago Tribune outlines the dilemma perfectly. It’s a hot summer and we want a way to cool off but beaches and public pools are closed. So, we are turning to some alternative ways to cool off that may present some unintended safety risks. I, too, bought one of those self-set pools referred to in the article. Being the safety-oriented person that I am, I did put a fence around it per our town’s municipal code. But th e fact remains that there is an awful

Hello, Thank you for your interest in the Buckle-Up Program at Lurie Children’s Hospital. Out of abundance of caution regarding the...

It's National Poison Prevention Week. Here's a story from my family. It was the evening of the 4th of July several years ago and I was at a fireworks display with my family. I looked over at my young son and his whole mouth was glowing in the dark. He had bitten his glow stick. I panicked for a second because it looked so awful - how could something like that NOT be toxic? Then I remembered I had a number in my cell phone contacts that I could call for help. 1-800-222-1222

FAQ about Infant Inclined Sleepers and Crib Bumper Pads On December 16, 2019, the Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2019 passed the U.S. House in a bipartisan vote. If enacted, this Act would ban infant inclined sleep products and padded crib bumper pads which have led to dozens of infant deaths. To ensure a true understanding of safe sleep we point parents and caregivers to the current American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) principles on safe sleep . We strongly encourage paren

Every year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) releases a report based on the most recent statistics regarding injuries and deaths associated with nursery products used by children ages five and under.Injuries and fatalities are collected through the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). NEISS is an online database that holds emergency department visits and statistics associated with commonly used consumer products. Nursery product-related i

I was at the doctor’s office the other day and happened up on the December issue of O Magazine. Of course, the first section I turned to was Oprah’s Favorite things. Immediately, I started looking up a lot of the great gifts for others and (who am I kidding?) myself. Lots of really good food, clothes, gadgets. That list inspired me to write a blog about some of favorite safety things. While I can’t recommend specific products, maybe you’ll be inspired to buy one for someone o