choosing products to keep baby safe: the dos and don'ts you need to know

Recently Owlet pulled their baby monitoring socks off the market.  With so many options as well as product recalls happening in the baby industry, Dayton Children’s has some tips on how to make educated choices for your family when it comes to what baby products to buy to keep your babies safe.

In 2020, Dayton Children’s saw nearly 700 babies in the emergency department due to unintentional injuries.

• 60% of unintentional injuries for infants are related to falls
• 10% of unintentional injuries are caused by swallowing or unintentionally ingesting objects or liquids that are harmful.
• This year alone, 10 babies in our region passed away from unsafe sleep practices in the home.

“Many parents turn to high-tech options to keep their babies safe,” says Abbey Pettiford, injury prevention coordinator. “In most cases, your child doesn’t need all the extras to stay safe! The best rule of thumb is to keep it simple.”

So where do you start when picking what you need to keep your baby safe?

Top 4 baby items that are not recommended:

1. Bumper pads, stuffed animals, and blankets in cribs

According to the Ohio Department of Health, the safest way for infants to sleep is alone, on their back and in a crib, bassinet, or portable crib.  Using blankets, bumper pads or stuffed animals in the crib is not recommended.

What to do instead: Instead, use the right size sleep sack or wearable blanket when it gets cold. 

2. cardiorespiratory monitors such as the Owlet

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends babies sleep near, not with their caregivers for at least the first 6 months. This can lead to worried parents who want to monitor their infants. However, by following recommended safe sleep guidelines, parents can rest easy knowing their baby is safe.

“We know there are a ton of choices for baby monitors on the market, but the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend using cardiorespiratory monitors to prevent Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Syndrome (SUIDS),” says Pettiford.

What do to instead: “We recommend you stick with a video or sound monitor unless otherwise directed by a pediatrician,” says Pettiford.  “Proven practices to reduce SUIDS are back sleeping, sleep areas with no extras and not smoking while pregnant or around the baby.”  

3. Any “extras” on or near car seats including mats, mirrors or hard dangling toys

Car seats, just like cribs, do not need any “extras” along with the seat. This includes mats or towels under the seat, mirrors, or hard dangling toys for your children. Car seats are not always crash tested with mats or towel underneath them, leaving them to be dangerous when used with installation. 

In some cases, car seats can be installed using a mat or a towel; however, that is not always the case. To find out if your car seat can be installed with either a towel or a mat you will need to check your car seat manual. Unless specifically specified in your car seat manual, do not use a mat or towel to install your seat. We know families want to protect the seat of their car but when a seat is installed with a non-approved mat or towel, we don’t know how the seat will react in a crash.

The car seat program talks to many parents who are concerned about not using a mirror to see their baby while they’re driving; however, in the event of an accident, that mirror can become a projectile and injure your child.

Another item we’ve seen on the market, is a video monitor for the car. These are not recommended as they too can become projectiles in the event of a crash. “Along with the fact that these items can harm your child as a projectile they can be very distracting for the driver too. “We want to make sure you as the driver give your full attention on the road, “says Alexa Wene, injury prevention coordinator.

Just as mirrors can become projectiles in the event of a crash, so can extra hard dangling toys.

What to do instead:  “As long as your child’s car seat is installed properly, they will be safe in the backseat without a mirror. If you are concerned about your child in the back seat by themselves, an alternative is to have an adult sit in the backseat with baby while another adult is driving.” Visit our website to get your car seat checked by a certified car seat technician.

 “As a rule of thumb for choosing what toys to bring in the car, if you don’t feel comfortable throwing the toy at your child’s face, it should not be in the car. As weird as that sounds, if you don’t feel comfortable throwing it at your child’s face, just imagine how hard that would hit their body if you were in an accident? Even if you are only going 25mph, the force from that toy could cause severe injury to your child, “says Wene.

4. Automatic baby formula makers

While the AAP recommends breastfeeding for at least the first 6 months, there are many reasons why families may want or need to use formula.  Automatic formula makers are gaining popularity due to their ease of use and convivence, but they may not be the best choice. 

 “Formula recipes can change, and there have been reports of inaccuracies with these devices,” says Alison Ruffin, interim director of clinical nutrition and lactation. “Also, according to the instructions these machines require frequent cleaning and water changing, this may be an added hassle for parents of newborns.” 

What to do instead: If you do choose to use an automatic baby formula maker, be sure to follow all instructions, including checking the temperature of the water, sterilizing all bottles and parts properly and ensuring the device is cleaned as often as the instructions recommend.    

Do you have questions about baby items?  Submit your questions in this form and our experts will help you navigate the ever-growing list of baby gadgets.