Posts Tagged ‘infant’

A new mobile information service announced today aims to provide any mother-to-be (who has a cell phone) with free text messages that will guide her throughout pregnancy and until her child’s first birthday. The service, called Text4baby, was announced in conjunction with all major US wireless carriers and is currently operational. Women who sign up for the service by texting BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411 will receive free SMS text messages each week, timed to their due date or baby’s date of birth. The text4baby messages are not personalized, but the information in each message is relevant to the mother’s pregnancy timeline or the age of her child. The content will include a comprehensive variety of topics from the CDC and the Health Resources and Services Administration, including tips on immunizations, nutrition, prenatal care, emotional well being, drugs and alcohol, labor and delivery, breastfeeding, mental health, birth defects prevention, car seat safety, exercise and fitness, developmental milestones, family violence, and more. [via Text4baby.org]

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Car safety seats are one of the most effective ways to protect children from injury and death in the first years of life. For the best protection in a crash, car seats require infants to be placed in an upright position. However, this posture can partially compress the chest wall and reduce airway size, resulting in lower levels of oxygen. The study, “A Comparison of Respiratory Patterns in Healthy Term Infants Placed in Car Safety Seats and Beds,” compared oxygen levels in 200 newborns while in a hospital crib, car bed and car seat. The mean oxygen saturation level was significantly lower in the car seat (95.7 percent) and the car bed (96.3 percent) compared to the crib (97.9 percent). Previous studies have found similar effects on premature infants; this study confirms the respiration of full-term infants is also affected by car seats and car beds. The study authors suggest these safety devices should be used only for protection during travel, and not as replacement for cribs. [News release via American Academy of Pediatrics]

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The Evenflo company of Miamisburg, Ohio is recalling 640,000 high chairs due to safety concerns. The company has already received 320 reports of seatbacks detaching or reclining, unexpectedly causing injury. As well, there were reports of screws coming loose causing children to choke. A model number can be found on a white label on the seatback. Click here to view all the recalled model numbers. All consumers should stop using the recalled chairs and contact Evenflo to receive a free repair kit.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breast-feeding for babies during the first 6 months of life. Despite this, only an estimated 11% of infants receive breast milk during this period. Why are so many women not breast-feeding? Some believe that free formula samples given to mothers as they leave the hospital are to blame. For years producers of baby formulas have donated samples to hospitals as an advertising tactic. The practice of giving free formula and discount coupons to mothers undermines what we know about the importance of breast milk – that in addition to nutrition, it provides antibodies, hormones, and enzymes beyond what formulas can provide. In a new study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 94% of hospitals surveyed confirmed the practice of distributing formula samples. However, according to the report, the number of hospitals which are banning the practice is increasing. Full story.

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