New baby bottle that heats milk without electricity

Designer Karim Rashid has released a new baby bottle with claims that it can heat milk to body temperature without the need of electricity.

Industrial designer Karim Rashid has released the new Iiamo Go, a baby bottle that uses a patented disposable organic cartridge to heat the contents to body temperature.

The bottle, molded from 100 percent BPA-free polypropylene, is Rashid’s attempt to modernize and bring new appeal to a traditional baby product.

“Though a very functional product, a baby bottle doesn’t need to be a strictly functional,” said Rashid. “Emotional and aesthetic appeal must be considered too.”

The heating of the bottle is based on a patented capsule technology that allows dehydrated salt to interact with water, generating heat.

“Iiamo Go is the only bottle in the world with this unique combination of a portable, non-electrical, throw-away organic heating cartridge (Iiamo Warm) and a patented heating technology that is integrated into the bottle itself,” claims Rashid.

“The process is very simple. Pour the mother’s milk, formula or milk powder in the bottle; insert the cartridge in the bottom of the bottle and then just push, wait a few minutes and serve the milk.”

The information provided by Rashid doesn’t make it clear how the temperature is regulated during the reaction process. The World Health Organization does recommend that milk served to babies be heated to body temperature, but it’s not certain if or how the Iiamo Go’s does that.

Ultimately, Rashid emphasizes not only the utility of the bottle, but also the design. “Children love reflective shiny colorful surfaces and materials — I do too,” he said.

“Maybe I am still a child. So it was time to make a baby bottle a wild interesting sculptural colorful animated object so the baby actually gets excited about being fed.”

         

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447,000 Baby Seat Carriers Recalled

A recall for 447,000 baby seat carriers manufactured by Dorel has been issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The company has received 77 reports of the child restraint handle fully or partially coming off.

“Because the child restraint handle to this seat can loosen and come off and that’s a fall hazard for infants,” said Patty Davis, a spokeswoman for the CPSC.

“If that does come off, your child can fall to the ground inside that carrier and receive injuries,” Davis said.  “There were at least three injuries to infants with this carrier because that happened.”

The carriers recalled were manufactured and sold between January 6, 2008, and April 6, 2009, under the names Safety 1st, COSCO, Eddie Bauer and Disney.

Investigation has shown that the bolts for the child restraint handle to the seat can loosen and the handle can come off, causing a fall hazard to an infant.  The CPSC advises consumers should stop using the handle on the carrier until a repair kit has been installed.  Apparently the CPSC thinks the seats themselves are safe for use as a car seat, and the safety issue is the use of the handle to carry the infant.

For more information on specific carriers recalled or to order a free repair kit, call Dorel Juvenile Group at (866) 762-3316 or visit www.djgusa.com.

         

Trixie Tracker: Counting Everything for Baby

The Trixie Tracker website has helped Allen Fawcett and his wife count every diaper, feeding and nap since they became parents three years ago.  The pair of economists are parents of a three-year-old son and a three-month-old daughter.

The couple knows for a fact they have changed exactly 7,367 diapers for their son and 969 for their daughter.  The website also helps the couple track their children’s sleeping time.  Their daughter averaged 15 hours of sleep a day during her first month.  That was much more than her older brother.  It’s also way above other Trixie Tracker babies.

The launch of iPhone apps has enabled people to count the things which are important to them much more easily.  Some choose to count calories as they record their food.  Other people count their exercise minutes, while some track Christmas gift shopping and spending.

“People look at us and say, ‘My goodness, how do you spend so much time on this?’” Fawcett said.  “But each record takes just a few iPhone clicks, so it’s really not as time-consuming as it looks.”

Tracking baby’s progress has come a long way since the days of periodic visits to the pediatrician.  I personally remember the days of tape measurements for head circumference and the length of little arms and legs, as well as “balancing” scales instead of “digital.”

Every few days we hear of new iPhone apps which will make life easier.  Well, I don’t know if it actually makes life easier, but all the information and knowledge is certainly making life interesting!  If we “know” it, then we become “responsible” for doing something with that knowledge, right?

“As a pediatrician and researcher, I applaud anything that gets parents more interested in their child’s development,” said Dimitri Christakis of the University of Washington.  Christakis studies the impact of technology on early childhood.  “But I would hate to find out that a parent is spending an hour a day entering data on their child’s development, especially if that hour of data entry comes at the expense of spending an hour with your kid, or an hour recharging your battery so you’re better able to engage with them in the future.”

The ability to recognize patterns in your child’s behavior can be a very helpful tool.  As with most things in life, I dare say it’s all about balance.  Before you set out to be the king or queen of your baby’s stats, take a few minutes to set some goals.  What information is most important?  Most helpful?  Most interesting?

It is true that iPhone apps can help you interpret your baby’s cry.  Electronic toys and computer software programs can record how your child plays and even compare those results against so-called normal development patterns.

I wonder if there is an app for counting the number of times we tell our children we love them, the number of times we tell them they are special, the number of times we read a story, the number of times we hug their necks?

Are we counting what’s really important?

For more information on counting everything for baby:  Trixie Tracker.

For iPhone app on interpreting your baby’s cry, check the iTunes Store for Cry Translator

         

Heinz Canada recalls Mixed Cereal for babies

Heinz Canada has issued a recall for Heinz Mixed Cereal for babies due to concerns of a toxin potentially found in it.

After finding a toxic substance called ochratoxin A in a “very limited amount” of cereal batches, Heinz Canada has issued a recall of the affected product, Heinz Mixed Cereal, stage 2, from six months.

Joan Patterson, a Heinz spokeswoman, told The Globe and Mail, “We just found out and we acted very quickly.”

The contaminant ochratoxin A is a toxic substance produced by a fungi found to commonly contaminate grain, pork, coffee and grapes. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has rated the contaminant as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”

Shashi Kulkarni of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) told The Globe and Mail that the contamination was spotted on Wednesday during tests of cereal product manufactured during the summer.

The CFIA have not received any reports of illnesses related to the product. Additionally, the agency is stating that if any of the product has been consumed, no further action is needed.
The CFIA’s Web site states that “even the highest levels of ochratoxin A found in these products are not high enough to pose a health risk when consumed as part of a normal diet over the short term.”

The affected product is:

Heinz Mixed Cereal, a Baby Cereal, Stage 2, From 6 Months
227 g
UPC 0 57000 02516 8
Codes: BB/MA 10 DE 26 and BB/MA 10 DE 29

“Best before” date codes can be found on the top left hand corner.

For more information, read the health hazard alert on the CFIA Web site.

         

US and Canada issue recall and advisory concerning baby hammock

The US has issued a product recall and Canada an advisory regarding the Amby Baby Motion Bed after the deaths of two infants in the US.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recall on Tuesday of almost 24,000 Amby Baby Motion Beds, made by Amby Baby U.S.A. of Minneapolis.

The recall was prompted after the suffocation death of a four-month-old Georgia girl in June and a five-month-old Oregon boy in August. The commission also said there were three other non-lethal incidents related to the hammock.

The commission stated that the “side-to-side shifting or tilting of the hammock can cause the infant to roll and become entrapped or wedged against the hammock’s fabric and/or mattress pad, resulting in a suffocation hazard.”

Additional action has been taken by Health Canada, the country’s department responsible for national public health. In an urgent advisory, Health Canada said that the Amby hammock “should be disassembled and disposed of in such a way that they cannot be used again.”

While no incidents have been reported in Canada regarding the hammock, the department wanted to take action. Due to a lack of regulations in the country on bassinets and hammocks for babies, there are no real controls that manufacturers must follow. This prompted the government in April to propose the creation of more rigorous standards for such devices.

An additional lack of standards in the U.S. exists. Nancy Cowles, executive director of non-profit Kids In Danger, told the Associated Press: “There is currently no safety standard that would cover a hammock. And CPSC has recently recalled other [hammock] versions for entanglement hazards, so Kids In Danger would recommend parents not use these types of products until a safety standard is in place.”

Amby’s Web site states: “Consumers should stop using these beds immediately and find an alternative safe sleeping arrangement for your child.”

“For consumers in the U.S., Amby Baby will be offering a repair kit as soon as possible, but not earlier than January 2010.”

For more information, please visit the Amby Baby site.

         

Tweets for toddlers who want to Twitter with new Twoddler toy

Toddlers may soon be able to interact with Twitter using a new toy called the Twoddler.

In the search to keep toddlers ahead of the rest of the competitive world, many parents will introduce communication tools and techniques to their babies at very early ages. Now thanks to research out of Hasselt University in Belgium, parents may soon be able to add social networking to their babies’ repertoire with the Twoddler.

Modifying a Fisher Price Activity Center, the team added functionality that allows a baby to send a signal to a sensor by interacting with the toy, which relays a signal to a related computer. That computer translates the signal into a human-readable component and posts it to the baby’s Twitter account.

The researchers give an example: “Yorin plays with mommy’s picture for over 3 minutes, a twitter message will be posted saying ‘@mommy_yorin Yorin misses mommy and looks forward playing with her this evening’.”

The research team states on their Web site: “With Twoddler we hope to have created a platform for Twoddler communication and open opportunities to learn more about how we can support online presence of Toddlers for their parents. Presence information is based on simple, playful and non-intrusive activity recognition.”

The team submitted their idea to the Innovative and Creative Applications (INCA) 2009 competition, winning first place. The judges said of the Twoddler: “A good, well implemented idea, with a lot of potential. It allows people/children that are not capable of verbal communication to communicate through an inventive combination of hardware and software. It is this potential that we wanted to reward.”

At this time, it’s not clear if the research team plans to further develop the toy idea to bring it to market. For more information about the Twoddler, please visit the researchers’ site.

         

Baby Book App for iPhone

Most mothers quickly fall behind on documenting those magical milestones in the baby book, but the task just became easier with a new app for iPhone.

Emmbook for Baby is now available at the iTunes App Store for only $4.99.  It appears to have many features which could make mom’s job easier.  Moms who love the iPhone and all things tech may even decide to convert their old baby books to this electronic technology.

Check out these features:

• Add photos and notes for baby’s family, friends, gifts, famous firsts, favorites and events like birthdays and holidays.
• Keep track of thank you notes for all of baby’s gifts.
• Make a diary of feedings, sleeping and diaper change.
• Create baby’s health record by tracking weight, measurements and immunizations.
• View baby’s photos in easy to use viewer.
• Create books for multiple babies.

The new app allows for easy editing, and I predict updates along the way with added features.

The app created by Perry Street Productions and developed by Anomaly Incorporated is also available for iPod touch.  Patrick Jean gets credit for the design and Sheree Boyd created the illustrations.

For more information visit your iTunes App store or emmbook.com.

Great Christmas gift idea!

         

Safety Tips for Buying Baby Gate for Active Toddlers

The Nemours Foundation and HealthDay offer the following suggestions to help you make wise decisions when purchasing a baby gate.

Any toddler parent will tell you that a baby gate is essential equipment for maintaining your toddler’s safety — and your sanity — when a toddler is underfoot.

• Choose a gate that mounts to a door frame with hardware.  There must not be any gaps where tiny fingers could get stuck.
• Do not use a gate that mounts to the door frame with pressure.  A child could push it open and fall down a flights of stairs, for example.
• Never use a gate that swings out at the top of a staircase.
• Make sure there is a maximum gap of 2 inches between the bottom of the gate and the floor.
• Any non-flexible barriers should have a gap of no more than 2-3/8 inches between them.
• Make sure the gate does not have any sharp parts that could hurt a child.
• The gate should not have any areas that a child could stick a foot into and attempt to climb.
• When the gate reaches about three-quarters of the infant’s height (at about two years of age), stop using the gate.

Baby-proofing your house once your child reaches that crawling and toddler stage involves many decisions.  New gadgets and devices are constantly introduced on the market for new parents to consider.  Avoid impulse purchases of safety gear and do your homework.  Your child’s safety — and indeed, your child’s life — are in your hands.

         

US Government’s CPSC set to announce massive crib recall

The US Government’s Consumer Product Safety Commission plans to announce on Tuesday an expansive recall on cribs with dropdown sides.

Both CBS News and ABC News in the U.S. have learned that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an independent federal agency, will announce a recall on cribs with dropdown sides in what could be the largest crib recall in U.S. history.

A report issued by Consumer Correspondent Susan Koeppen on CBS’s “Early Show” indicated that there has been a strong push to ban cribs with dropdown sides. The report highlighted 10-month-old Tyler Jonathon who died from strangulation when his head became stuck between the side rail and headboard while sleeping.

“That’s every parent’s safe-haven for their child, and to see the horrific site of him strangled … was just horrifying to me,” said Michele Witte, Tyler’s mother, to Koeppen.

While it’s currently not known exactly which cribs will be recalled Tuesday, expectations are that the recall will be broad-ranging. There have been recalls in the past of such cribs due to the danger of “infant entrapment and suffocation.”

In 2008, crib maker Delta Enterprises voluntarily recalled over 1.5 million cribs with dropdown sides after it was found that safety pegs had the potential to become faulty. The cribs were attributed to the death of two infants.

Inez Tenenbaum, head of the CPSC, said that the CPSC has been “relying on voluntary standards” for crib safety but believes it’s “no longer enough.”

“We will now be writing … federal regulations that are mandatory for cribs,” said Tenenbaum.

For more information about the recall, visit the CPSC Web site on Tuesday.

         

H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine: 1,300 adverse suspected reactions and one death in UK

One person in the UK has died after being given the swine flu vaccine, though details have not been released.

Reports from the medicines regulator said they had serious underlying medical conditions and is one fatality among over 1,300 suspected adverse reactions, primarily to Pandemrix which is being used more widely than Celvapan.

Adverse reactions, suspected to be as a result of the vaccine, have affected nine pregnant women and all of them were not serious, the regulator said in a report. The majority of the suspected adverse reactions have been pain and swelling at the injection site, nausea and vomiting, muscle aches and headaches, which are all to be expected.

The document said: “Such events may occur shortly after vaccination and be reported as suspected adverse events. It is important to bear in mind that this temporal association does not in itself mean that the vaccine was responsible for the event and that this may be coincidental.”

There are currently slightly over nine million people in priority groups being vaccinated who have long-term serious illnesses and pregnant women.

Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, announced this week that once the priority groups were vaccinated, the programme would extended to around three million healthy children aged between six months and five years.

The report concluded that no serious safety issues have been identified from the UK to date and the benefit-risk balance for both vaccines, (Pandemrix and Celvapan) remains positive.

         

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