Baby & child weekender: Kiddie pool safety

Stay vigilant around any pool, even a baby pool. You may have purchased a kiddy pool because it appears safer than a large pool, but even a small amount of water requires your constant supervision. (Children can drown in a few inches of water.) You must exercise the same precautions as you would with a tub, and keep your child within arm’s reach. Don’t put your child in a kiddy pool until he is at least 1 year old.

Empty your child’s pool after each use and store it upside down. Not only is your goal to remover the existing water, you also want to turn it upside down so it can’t fill with rainwater. Your little one is used to playing in the pool, and if she sees it filled with water—even rainwater—you are inviting trouble.

Choose a hard-sided pool rather than an inflatable pool. It’s best to look for a hard-sided pool, but the fact is, most kiddy pools are inflatable, and if you have one of these, you must closely supervise children while in the pool. Always empty the pool and turn it upside down when they are not in it. Once your child is big enough for a larger pool, choose one with hard sides and rigid supports, rather than a larger inflatable pool. Because the sides of an inflatable pool are pliable, it’s easier for a child to topple in if she leans on it. However, even hard sides with rigid supports can collapse if a child leans on them, allowing her to slip in, so never leave your child unattended and keep your eyes on her at all times.

Get more helpful advice from Consumer Reports Guide to Childproofing & Safety, and Consumer Reports Best Baby Products, both also available in bookstores nationwide.

Back to school tips for kids and parents

Safe social networking. Online social networks can be great virtual gathering places for teens and tweens, but also pose some real risks. We enlisted Kathy Sena, Consumer Reports' social media reporter, for some tips to help keep your kids safe while they're texting, tweeting and tagging. Here are 8 tips to protect your child on social networks.

Best appliances for back to school. The "dorm-room refrigerator" moniker shows how closely compact refrigerators have become identified with college life, but only some of the models we tested made the grade. Only two refrigerators we tested had freezer sections that were able to keep frozen confections from turning to mush, and one model flunked basic refrigeration. Learn more about the best appliances for back-to-school.

Best wheels for teen drivers. When shopping for a car for that young driver, look for ones with advanced safety features such as electronic stability control and curtain airbags as well as good crash-test results. Learn more about the best cars for young drivers.

Learn more about backpacks, back to school clothes, and more in our Back-to-school Guide.

Drawstrings on children's clothing pose hazards

Although there have been federal guidelines and an industry standard for more than 10 years, clothing with hazardous drawstrings continues to be sold.

Clothing drawstrings are a strangulation hazard because they can get caught on playground equipment and in other places, like bus doors. In 2007 and 2008, the CPSC issued more than two dozen recalls of clothing with such drawstrings, mostly sweatshirts and jackets. (See one from February in a Safety blog post.) The agency continues to track and investigate incidents of deaths and injuries each year in which children’s hood and waist drawstrings become entangled.

When your baby reaches size 2T (not uncommon around his first birthday), CPSC recommends removing neck drawstrings from all outerwear, including jackets and sweatshirts. Likewise, before buying outerwear with a waistband drawstring in sizes 2T and up, such as those found at the bottom of a jacket, make sure the drawstring is sewn to the garment at its midpoint so that it can’t be pulled out more than three inches from the garment on either side. (Read our recent posts on other children's clothing features you should look for and avoid. and tips for buying used clothes for babies.)

Even better, do not purchase children’s jackets and sweatshirts that have any drawstrings. Look for snaps, buttons, Velcro, or elastic at the neck and waist instead. Finally, remove toggles or knots at the ends of all drawstrings to prevent them from getting caught on objects or doors and entrapping a child.

Baby clothing: What to look for—and avoid

When shopping for baby clothes, your primary concerns should be dressing ease, softness, durability, and safety, and then style.

Make life easy for baby and you. Since most babies dislike having anything pulled over their heads, look for garments that are easy to take off and put on, with front-opening or side-snap tops. Snaps are easier (and faster) than buttons. Quick access to the diaper area is essential, so opt for snap-open legs or loosely elastic waists. Velcro closures are quick and convenient. (Before washing, close them so that they don’t fill up with lint and threads and lose their holding power.)

Comfort is everything. Check the seams on the inside of the garment. They should be smooth, not rough, and lie flat rather than sticking out. Don’t buy clothes with tight elastic bands on arms, legs, neck, or waist; they can irritate your baby’s skin and restrict circulation. Bypass anything that could be scratchy—unpainted metal zippers, appliqués, or snaps with rough or uneven backings. If an appliqué is made of heat-welded plastic, check for rough edges on the back.

Look out for choking hazards. Give sequins, buttons, and snaps a quick tug to make sure they can’t easily come off, posing a choking hazard. But don’t pull so hard that you weaken the attachment in the process. And recheck after each washing.

Soft, durable fabrics are best. Apparel labels must state fiber content and care instructions. All-cotton knits may look large when new, but they can shrink as much as 10 percent with repeated washing. Polyester/cotton blends are less expensive than pure cotton or organic cotton and more resistant to wrinkles and shrinking. Avoid thin, semitransparent items or garments with poor finishing such as unclipped thread. Although babies grow fast, you’ll need clothing that’s durable enough to last several months.

See our post on buying used children's clothing and our newborn clothing checklist for more information.

Baby clothing: Consider used

If you’ve never bought anything secondhand, you can start now--with baby clothing. You can easily get away with it, especially when your child is an infant. Scout for tag sales and watch out for local moms’ group sales. (Learn what not to buy used for babies.)

Babies go through clothes so quickly that the small stuff is almost always in good condition. It’s not unheard of to pay 50 cents for a near-perfect pair of pants that would cost you $12 or more new. Pristine used clothing is tougher to come by in toddler sizes; when messy activities such as finger-painting come into play, clothing gets more wear and tear.

Secondhand shops are prime hunting grounds for special-occasion baby and toddler clothes such as christening and holiday outfits and fancy party duds that have been worn only once or twice (if at all). You’ll likely pay a fraction of the retail cost. You can also check local tag or garage sales (see new rules governing tag sales); try browsing Web sites such as eBay and craigslist; or get a free membership at Freecycle, a Web site through which consumers can give and get free stuff.

And don’t forget to put the word out among parents you know. You may get quite serviceable clothes delivered by the boxload to your front door.

Safety tip: Inspect hand-me-downs carefully for unraveling thread, loose buttons or snaps, or scratchy appliqués and elastic bands. Don’t dress your child in anything that’s not as good as new or that appears unsafe to you.

Get more great ideas for buying for baby in the latest edition of the Consumer Reports Best Baby Products guide, also available in bookstores nationwide.

Baby & child weekender: Tips for swing safety

Before you hit the playground this weekend, here are some essential rules to drill into your kids before they get on a swing. (Note to parents: For children under four years of age, full-bucket style seats are the only safe swings.)

• Hold on with both hands.

• Sit in the center of the swing.
• Never stand or kneel on a swing.
• Don’t swing on your stomach.
• Don’t play with the chains; they can pinch fingers.
• Stop the swing before getting off.
• Tell the person pushing when you want to get off the swing.
• Don’t push other children in the swing.
• Let only adults push you.
• Only one child is allowed on a swing at a time.
• Don’t play with the swing when someone else is on it or when it is empty.

For more baby and child safety advice, see our Guide to Childproofing & Safety, as well as the latest edition of Consumer Reports Best Baby Products, in our bookstore.

Child health and safety roundup

Better crib design needed. In the past two years alone, there have been 37 recalls involving more than 7 million full-size cribs, play yards and bassinets. At least 11 babies have died in those products. Something is seriously wrong. See the full Safety blog post.

Tips for bath time safety. Accidental injuries in bathtubs or shower units account for about 43,600 visits to U.S. emergency rooms every year, with slips and falls accounting for around 8 in 10 accidents, according to research from the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio. Kids age 4 or younger are most at risk of injury, and tend to hit their faces or heads when they take a tumble. See the full Health blog post.

Nuby, Cottontails, and Playschool teethers recalled. The gel filling is contaminated with Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus circulans—bacteria that may affect babies with weakened immune systems, causing stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. See the full Safety blog post.

California decides not to list BPA as a toxin. It's rare that California doesn't set the bar for dealing with a health threat, but that's exactly what's happened. In a statement, Consumers Union’s West Coast office director, Elisa Odabashian, and technical policy director, Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., say they are "deeply dismayed that, in the face of mounting scientific evidence showing the disturbing health effects of BPA, the chemical is not being listed as a developmental or reproductive toxin." See our full Health blog and Safety blog posts.

Buster Brown recalls 1.4 million pairs of kids’ clogs. The decorative wheels can detach and become a choking hazard to children. See the full Safety blog post.

3 ways to save money on school supplies

Check out these top tips for saving on school supplies from the editors of Consumer Reports Money Advisor.

Start at home. Do you have a stash of stuff left over from last year? If so, gather it up. Many teachers and schools are more relaxed this year about their supply lists to give parents more flexibility, says Chuck Saylors, president of the National PTA.

Buy in bulk. When you do go supply shopping, go big. Notebooks, pencils, pens, and erasers are often sold in bulk.

Go for plain. While a preteenager might be convinced she'll die without that $6 Hannah Montana three-ring binder, a basic unadorned $2 binder serves the same purpose and can be used long after Hannah has been replaced by the next pop idol.

Get more tips for saving on clothes, computers, and textbooks in our back-to-school special section.

Q&A: Is it safe to get baby products from a swap meet?

Q: Because of the economy, swap meets such as www.swapbabygoods.com, where parents swap new and used baby products for free or at a reduced price, are becoming more popular. Any danger to getting baby products from a swap meet?

Yes. For one thing, you have to be careful about buying defective baby products. Dozens of baby and children’s products are recalled each year because of violations of safety standards established by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Before shopping for new or used baby products at swap meets (online or in-person), tag sales, or even at a conventional store or Web site, consult monthly issues of Consumer Reports or visit the CPSC’s Web site for updated recall information on infant products. Or sign up for free e-mail notices of future recalls at www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. This advice also applies to toys and other baby stuff friends and relatives just give you. It’s up to retailers to take recalled products off store shelves, but items can fall through the cracks. With the secondary and hand-me-down market, you’re especially on your own as a consumer, so check and double-check for recalls before you shop for your baby or accept used products.

It’s also safer to buy some baby items new, not used, whether you get them from a swap meet or another outlet. We don’t recommend, for example, buying a used crib, car seat, breast pump, soft infant carrier, or play yard. (See Don't buy these baby products used.) Besides the recall issue, when you buy these products used, the manual may be missing so you don’t have the directions on how to install, adjust or otherwise use the product safely. The item may be damaged or the product may not meet the latest safety standards, which are updated frequently.

Bottom line: Always make safety your top priority, whether you’re getting baby gear for free or paying top dollar.

For more valuable information, see the latest edition of Consumer Reports Best Baby Products in our online bookstore and in bookstores nationwide.

Aching backs affect children, too

While adults may blame our back problems on old age, childhood activities can also set the stage for future backaches.

Children can suffer low-back pain, too, says Dr. Orly Avitzur, a board-certified neurologist and medical adviser to Consumers Reports. "A heavy backpack is a strong contributor to low-back pain in children," Avitzur says, adding that carrying a heavy pack for long periods of time, carrying it on one shoulder instead of two, and climbing stairs while lugging a heavy load can exacerbate the problem. Girls and shorter children are more likely to have back pain from backpacks, due to their smaller stature, so it's important to find one that fits well. (See our free backpacks fitting guide and backpack Ratings (for ConsumerReports.org subscribers only) to find one that suits your child.)

But there are other factors that can contribute to children's back problems, such as teen smoking, obesity and/or physical inactivity, intensive sports activity, and accelerated growth rate, as well as a family history of back pain.

According to one European study from 2008, sports most likely to cause back pain in children include jogging and gymnastics. Only one sport led to less-frequent back pain: swimming.

What can parents do? It's important to take a child's back pain seriously, says Dr. Avitzur, especially if they are physically active. Things to be aware of:

• Reduce the risks. If your child uses a backpack, lighten the load to about 10 percent of the child's body weight. While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children carry no more than 10 to 20 percent of their body weight, Consumer Reports' medical experts think it should be more toward the lighter end.
• Carry with care. Limit backpack use to only when it's essential, and use both straps of the backpack along with any chest straps, to distribute the weight evenly. (See our free backpacks report for more information.)
• Watch for signs. If your child experiences back pain with a fever, regular back pain at night, or pain that wakes him up, that could be a sign of a serious condition such as a tumor or infection.
• Pay attention to pain. Back pain that shoots down the leg could be due to a herniated disc in the spine. Chronic, unrelenting pain can be due to developmental problems or arthritis. Back pain may also be an indicator of psychological problems stemming from stress, anxiety, or social problems.

In any case, talk to your child and his or her pediatrician about the back pain to get proper care for the problem.

Baby & child weekender: Get the right bike helmet fit

I see them on little kids at our local playground all the time—bicycle helmets that look like big bubbles, perched high on the crowns of the children’s heads. They look a little silly, but worse, they’re not fitted properly. Getting the right helmet fit is essential in case of an accident.

The front of the helmet should be level and no more than one or two finger widths above the brow. (See the video at right for more information.) The helmet should fit snugly, with the head partially compressing the soft foam pads inside, even before the straps are tightened. The straps should form a "V" under each ear, and the buckle should be centered under the chin, not to the side or along the jaw. The straps should be snug enough that the helmet is pulled down when the mouth is opened.

See our full bike helmet report, and check our bike helmet Ratings to learn which models held up in our tests.

—Artemis DiBenedetto

Child health and safety roundup

Inflatable injuries are up
Popular at carnivals and kids' birthday parties, inflatable amusements come in all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, the fun can end quickly. Kids pile on top of other kids, breaking bones, chipping teeth or worse, or when the structures deflate unexpectedly, trapping children inside. Learn how to keep your child safe in the full post on our Safety blog.

How to fight mosquito bites
Mosquitoes can ruin your backyard barbecue, camping trip, or just about any outdoor summer activity, but there are ways to fight them. Learn more about mosquitos and how to fight them in the full post on our Health blog.

Q&A: Can I skip a convertible car seat?

My 21-pound 11 month old is outgrowing his infant car seat. To save money, can I skip a convertible car seat and just buy a toddler booster?

You could—but it’s not the safest idea. That’s because a convertible car seat can be used rear facing and a toddler booster seat can’t. In fact, many convertible models offer the potential to keep babies and toddlers rear facing until they weigh 35 pounds (depending on the model), and the rear-facing mode offers the greatest protection in the event of an accident. “The longer you can keep your baby rear-facing, the better,” says Kisha Price, a health educator and certified child passenger safety technician at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Safety Center in Baltimore. (Learn more about why rear-facing longer is better.)

At the 35-pound point, you turn a convertible car seat around and your child faces forward until he reaches the seat’s weight limit in that mode, which is generally up to 40 pounds, though some convertible seats have front-facing weight limits of 65 pounds or more. Models typically have an adjustable five-point harness system, which we recommend based on our tests. (See concerned about rear-facing babies?)

With a toddler booster seat, on the other hand, your child rides front facing with the car seat’s own internal harness from 20 to 40 pounds, though some toddler booster seats go up to up to 65 or even as high as 80 pounds, for kids who are heavier or larger than average for their age. (Learn more about all car seat types.)

Because a convertible car seat keeps your baby riding rear facing initially, we recommend buying one with a five-point harness instead of a toddler booster as your baby’s next-stage car seat (when he outgrows his infant car seat). To save money, consider buying a convertible car seat with a weight limit of 65 pounds or more. That move will allow you to possibly skip a toddler booster and jump to a belt-positioning booster when your child is ready. A belt-positioning booster is designed for kids weighing 40 to 100 pounds. A belt-positioning booster uses only the vehicle’s own safety belts to restrain your child but it’s designed to correctly position both the lap and the shoulder portions of the vehicle’s belt correctly across the stronger parts of your child’s body, the collarbone and hip area. It should be used until your child is at least 57 inches tall—the minimum height at which car seat belts will fit a child correctly.

See our latest convertible car seats report and Ratings (for subscribers).

My 21-pound 11 month old is outgrowing his infant car seat. To save money, can I skip a convertible car seat and just buy a toddler booster?

You could—but it’s not the safest idea. That’s because a convertible car seat can be used rear facing and a toddler booster seat can’t. In fact, many convertible models offer the potential to keep babies and toddlers rear facing until they weigh 35 pounds (depending on the model), and the rear-facing mode offers the greatest protection in the event of an accident. “The longer you can keep your baby rear-facing, the better,” says Kisha Price, a health educator and certified child passenger safety technician at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Safety Center in Baltimore. (Learn more about why rear-facing longer is better.)

At the 35-pound point, you turn a convertible car seat around and your child faces forward until he reaches the seat’s weight limit in that mode, which is generally up to 40 pounds, though some convertible seats have front-facing weight limits of 65 pounds or more. Models typically have an adjustable five-point harness system, which we recommend based on our tests. (See concerned about rear-facing babies?)

With a toddler booster seat, on the other hand, your child rides front facing with the car seat’s own internal harness from 20 to 40 pounds, though some toddler booster seats go up to up to 65 or even as high as 80 pounds, for kids who are heavier or larger than average for their age. (Learn more about all car seat types.)

Because a convertible car seat keeps your baby riding rear facing initially, we recommend buying one with a five-point harness instead of a toddler booster as your baby’s next-stage car seat (when he outgrows his infant car seat). To save money, consider buying a convertible car seat with a weight limit of 65 pounds or more. That move will allow you to possibly skip a toddler booster and jump to a belt-positioning booster when your child is ready. A belt-positioning booster is designed for kids weighing 40 to 100 pounds. A belt-positioning booster uses only the vehicle’s own safety belts to restrain your child but it’s designed to correctly position both the lap and the shoulder portions of the vehicle’s belt correctly across the stronger parts of your child’s body, the collarbone and hip area. It should be used until your child is at least 57 inches tall—the minimum height at which car seat belts will fit a child correctly.

See our latest convertible car seats report and Ratings (for subscribers).

Protecting your baby’s teeth

Some infant formulas contain sucrose (a.k.a. cane sugar or table sugar), which can harm a baby’s tooth enamel faster than any other sugar, according to Diane M. Paletta, DDS, a dentist in Charleston, W. Va., and a spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry.

Sucrose is the sweetener in Similac Organic formula, as well as some protein-hydrolyzed formulas and some lactose-free infant formulas, such as soy formulations. All infant formulas have some added sweeteners, to help infants digest the protein from cow’s milk or soy. Along with lactose or sucrose, you might find corn syrup solids and maltodextrin. “Sucrose acts on bacteria in the mouth to produce acid and form plaque, which can begin to erode tooth enamel if it has direct contact with teeth for just 20 minutes,” Paletta says. Check the ingredients on the label if you want to avoid a formula sweetened with sucrose. (See our post on soy vs. milk-based formulas.)

After every formula feeding, wipe off your baby’s teeth with a wet or dry gauze pad so that a layer of plaque never has the chance to form. You don’t need toothpaste, Paletta says. “Just the mechanical action of wiping is enough to get rid of plaque, and that’s even true for adults.

Also, never put your baby to bed—or even down for a nap at home or on the go—with a bottle of milk, breast milk, or formula, or give your baby juice or water sweetened with table sugar, all of which can lead to baby-bottle tooth decay.

Thrifty parent: Should you opt for a travel system?

If you’re in the market for a stroller and infant car seat, this question has undoubtedly crossed your mind. A travel system offers one-stop shopping: It consists of an infant car seat, a car-seat base for your car, and a separate stroller all in one. With these systems, you create a carriage by snapping an infant car seat into a stroller. When your baby can sit up, then you use the stroller without the car seat. The snap-on car seat is generally positioned atop the stroller so the infant rides facing you—the person pushing. Once your baby can sit up, she can ride in the stroller seat without a car seat.

Pros: A travel system allows you to move a sleeping baby in an infant car seat undisturbed from car to stroller and vice versa. Some also have a seat that fully reclines, so you can use it as a carriage, with the infant car seat. (See all stroller types.)

Cons: With travel systems, a car seat and stroller are typically sold together. But you can also create your own by combining a car seat and stroller. If you select the car seat first, you have to live with the stroller it works with (and vice versa). An alternative is to choose a stroller that holds car seats from a number of manufacturers. With all travel systems, you have to push around a car seat and a stroller, which can be bulky and unmanageable on stairs.

Verdict: Consider your lifestyle before buying a travel system. If you’re a city dweller who negotiates more subway stairs than highways or if the trunk of your car isn’t too roomy, you may be better off with a separate car seat and a compact stroller that offers a reclined, safely-enclosed space that’s appropriate for a newborn, or an infant car seat with a car-seat carrier frame. Buying a travel system forces you to think about the type of stroller you’ll want to use now and later. If you’re not ready to make that decision, buy an infant car seat and an infant car-seat carrier frame. That should tide you over until your baby outgrows his infant car seat (at about a year).

Thrift tip: It can be cheaper to buy a travel system as a unit rather than as separate components. We estimate that you can save $60 to $100 that way. Plus you won’t have to match the car seat and stroller yourself. But be sure to evaluate the stroller as a stand-alone item first, since you’ll be using that longer than the infant car seat that goes with it.

Learn more about every kind of baby product in our latest Consumer Reports Guide to Baby Products, available in our bookstore and in bookstores nationwide.