Some of the CPSC's recommendations:
- Place baby to sleep on his or her back in a crib that meets current safety standards.
- Never use a pillow as a mattress for baby to sleep on or to prop baby’s head or neck.
- Do not use old, broken or modified cribs.
- Regularly tighten hardware to keep sides firm.
- Never place a crib near a window with blind or curtain cords; infants can strangle on the cords.
- Don't let children under 8 play with anything with sharp edges.
- Avoid choking hazards for children under three.
They also advise parents to use common sense. If you do not have any, or need tips on where to find some, please check out their Web site.
Okay, okay. I'm cynical about it. I suppose it's my frustration with the simplicity of their "tips." With their recommendations, they point out that
In the 16 years between January 1992 and May 2008, pillows and cushions have been associated with 531 infant deaths.I guess they wouldn't be huge fans of co-sleeping, then.
Here's my thing with these recommendations: they are the same ones that have been repeated for years. And while they reflect a genuine concern for infant and child safety, they don't reflect any other concerns for environmental safety issues.
For example, where are the notices about formaldehyde on baby's nursery furniture? The toxins in the standard crib mattress? The possible long-term effects of fire retardants?
No, because the CPSC can only regulate immediate safety hazards, such as the combustibility of a crib, they fail to address the hazards that these "protective" chemicals pose, or the alternatives to them, such as a wool covering for a mattress.
In a 2007 report to the CPSC, Dr. Blum of UC Berkely gave strong recommendations that the CPSC suspend use of PBDEs in products until green alternatives are available. They responded:
EPA and CPSC do not have the authority to protect the public from toxic chemicals in consumer products. Chemical producers are not required toprovide health and safety information before their chemicals are licensed and usually do not.
Or, Our hands are tied. Good luck figuring it out on your own.
Go ahead and use their tips, but with your green parenting, analytical eye. Sure, we don't want our infants to choke on Legos, but we also want to be protective of their respiratory and eventual reproductive health.
I mean, when we say "Our children's children," don't we actually want a chance to see the latter?
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