FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2010
Release #10-212 Firm’s Recall Hotline: (888) 842-2215
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Graco®-Branded Drop Side Cribs Made by LaJobi Recalled Due to Entrapment and Suffocation Hazards
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Graco®-branded drop side cribs made by LaJobi

Units: About 217,000

Manufacturer: LaJobi Inc., of Cranbury, N.J.

Hazard: The drop side hardware can break or fail, allowing the drop side to detach from the crib. When the drop side detaches, a hazardous gap is created between the drop side and the crib mattress in which infants and toddlers can become wedged or entrapped, posing a risk of suffocation and strangulation. In addition, children can fall from the cribs when the drop side detaches or fails to lock.

Incidents/Injuries: CPSC and LaJobi have received a total of 99 reports of drop side incidents, including hardware breakage and drop side detachment. There were two incidents in which children became entrapped in the gap created by the detached drop side. Both children were freed by their caregivers. There were six reports of children falling due to drop side failure, including one report of a mild concussion.

Description: This recall involves LaJobi-manufactured Graco® wood cribs. The full size cribs were sold in cherry, espresso, natural and white finishes. The production date, item number, purchase order number and finish name is printed on a label affixed to the footboard or headboard. “LaJobi” and the crib model name are printed on a product sticker located on the stabilizer bar or bottom rail of the crib. see below:

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What are the symptoms of ADHD in children?
Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are the key behaviors of ADHD. It is normal for all children to be inattentive, hyperactive, or impulsive sometimes, but for children with ADHD, these behaviors are more severe and occur more often. To be diagnosed with the disorder, a child must have symptoms for 6 or more months and to a degree that is greater than other children of the same age.

Children who have symptoms of inattention may:

Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another
Have difficulty focusing on one thing
Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless they are doing something enjoyable
Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new
Have trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities
Not seem to listen when spoken to
Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly
Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others
Struggle to follow instructions.
Children who have symptoms of hyperactivity may:

Fidget and squirm in their seats
Talk nonstop
Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight
Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time
Be constantly in motion
Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities.
Children who have symptoms of impulsivity may:

Be very impatient
Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences
Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games
Often interrupt conversations or others’ activities.
ADHD Can Be Mistaken for Other Problems
Parents and teachers can miss the fact that children with symptoms of inattention have the disorder because they are often quiet and less likely to act out. They may sit quietly, seeming to work, but they are often not paying attention to what they are doing. They may get along well with other children, compared with those with the other subtypes, who tend to have social problems. But children with the inattentive kind of ADHD are not the only ones whose disorders can be missed. For example, adults may think that children with the hyperactive and impulsive subtypes just have emotional or disciplinary problems.

What You Should Remember about Fatherhood

Fatherhood may be something new to you if this is your first child. You may not be sure what to do with the newborn before you and you may be feeling a little bit afraid. This is common and it does not make you a bad person. However, there are a few things that you should keep in mind as you move through this role and help your child grow into a productive adult.

The first thing you should remember about fatherhood is that you need to give your new family some of your time. You may not be able to help with all aspects of the new birth such as breast feeding but you can help with other things such as laundry and help cook meals. You are also going to need to set time aside to bond with your new baby. You want to spend time holding him or her, and you want to engage in activities such as bath time and diaper changes. As your child grows you will also want to play with your baby and help them understand what role you play in their life.

You will want to be sure that you are also showing your child your emotions. It is often hard to make a man understand that it is ok to show their emotions. For centuries crying has been hidden if it is done at all. This is not healthy and it is not good to teach your children to hide their emotions as well. You want to teach your little boy that it is ok to sad or upset and you want to teach him or her to be able to express that appropriately. Crying is a healthy way to express feelings and it is a positive release of negative energy.

As your child grows, he or she is mostly likely going to be involved in different activities. A very important part of fatherhood is begin involved with these activities and helping your child realize that you have high expectations of him or her. When you attend these activities, or help with them, you are showing your child that you care and that you are interested in what they feel is important. You will be creating a bond with your child that is going to last a lifetime.

Fatherhood is scary at times. However, it is important to be a positive role model and a positive asset to your family. In today’s society where both parents often work, traditional roles are often set along the sidelines. That is ok. Being a parent is hard work. It takes both mom and dad to raise a healthy child. So, set aside time to enjoy fatherhood. You will be glad you did.

Understanding Child Behavior

It can often be difficult to understand child behavior, especially if you are a new parent. However, there are different things that you should look for when you are raising a child. There are different milestones for each age and you want to know if your child’s behavior is appropriate or if there is a need for concern. This article is going to briefly explain some of the different child behavior checklists that actually exist so that you can determine where your child is related to his or her conduct.

The first type of child behavior checklist is a behavior chart. This is often used to help you and your child identify problem behaviors and set goals to help them with more appropriate behaviors. You are going to want clear goals set so that your child knows what he or she is working towards. These things are going to be on the behavior chart and your child will be rewarded when he or she reaches a goal. This can be a wonderful tool to help with child behavior issues if it is used correctly.

Other types of child behavior charts include charts that can be used for potty training as well as for homework and chores. If you have noticed that your child is motivated by rewards then this may work well for you. When your child can see what they are working towards they are more willing to try. They want to know that there is a reason for their hard work. You can not often speak to a young child about responsibility and right or wrong. We all know that children are often self centered until they learn differently. Using the charts is a good way to help them work towards a positive goal.

Child behavior checklists are also commonly used to help a parent identify or monitor progress related to emotional issues such as anxiety or developmental issues such as communication problems. You can often find information related to what your child should and should not be doing at certain ages. Taking the time to understand your child in his or her developmental stage is very important for a parent because it can signal problems that need to be taken care of.

If you feel that your child is having difficulties expressing his or her emotions or he or she is not completing certain developmental tasks, you are going to want to talk to their doctor. Explain to them what you see, or don’t see, and express your concerns. The doctor is going to be able to guide you in the right direction to ensure that your child or the child behavior that you desire is headed in the right direction.

Information on Family Therapy

Family therapy is a type of therapy that focuses on the entire family rather than an individual person. Families will usually engage in this type of therapy when they are having difficulties getting along with each other or they have issues that need to be discussed in a safe and supportive environment.

Family therapy may be frowned upon by some people in today’s society. There is often a negative stigma that goes along with being in any type of therapeutic situation. People often have a hard time sharing their thoughts and feelings with others. Older parents may feel that there problems are no ones business. The problem with these thoughts are that they are not accurate and they create a barrier towards finding relieve and help. A therapist is often going to act as a mediator or discuss options that you have. He or she is not going to tell you what to do.

Family therapy can be used for several different situations. First of all, if your child is having a difficult time adjusting to changes in his or her life, you may want to attend family therapy rather than placing your child in therapy alone. This becomes a benefit because you can learn how to help your child through stressful situations. When you learn effective strategies to help your child, you are helping your family as well.

This type of therapy may also be good when you are facing marital difficulties and your children are involved. It may be a good way to help your child deal with a divorce or a new step-parent as well. You need to fully understand what family therapy is before you decide against it. If you have researched the topic and you are still not sure if you agree with this or not there are a few things you could do. First of all, you could talk to some people that you trust and ask them if they have ever participated in family therapy. You may find that someone you know has and they may be able to give you some positive feedback. Next, you could begin calling some professionals in your area that provide family therapy and set up a consultation with him or her. This person is going to be able to explain the process to you and help you understand the benefits of participating. It is worth the effort if you family needs the help. You would not leave a broken arm unattended. Therefore, why would you leaves your feelings and problems unsolved?

How Do You Discipline Your Child?

Discipline is something that needs to be started and followed through on at a very young age. You do not want your child to feel that he or she can do whatever they want. This is hard for a small child because his or her ego is generally in charge. We know that they want things their way all of the time. While this is normal, there still needs to be discipline to help your child learn right from wrong.

We have all heard of the terrible twos. This can be a very difficult time for you and your toddler. However, when it comes to discipline there are a few things to keep in mind at this stage of your child’s life. First of all, time outs can be very effective for a child at this age. If you find your child doing something that he or she should not be doing, you need to place them in time out. The rule of thumb is that you place the child in time out for one minute for each year that your child is old. Therefore, if your child is two, he or she will remain in timeout for two minutes. Whenever you are giving timeout to your child you need to remember to be consistent with your punishment. If you give time out for throwing a toy on Tuesday, you need to do the same thing on Wednesday. This goes for every punishment that you give your child. They are going to learn best from consistency.

You also need to remember that your children are going to learn from you. Because they watch you and follow your lead, you are going to need to be very aware of how you handle stressful situations and problems that you encounter. If you are angry and you throw something your child is going to think that it is ok to do the same thing when he or she is made. You are only going to be creating negative behavior that you may need to discipline later. Teach your child how to express themselves appropriately so that you do not have to worry about fixing the behavior later.

When your child gets older you are going to want to talk to him or her about the rules and what you expect of them. You want to help them understand right from wrong. Be sure to set the groundwork first. Once you have established guidelines for your child to follow you can begin disciplining if he or she is not following the rules. Be sure that you are remaining consistent with this a well. The same principle applies for older children just as it does for younger children.

Short Introduction to Caring for Babies

Learning how to care for babies is not something that you are going to learn out of a book. However, you may be able to get some simple tips and learn some of the basics so that you may be better able to cope with your new life as a parent. This article is going to cover some of the basic things that you should know and keep in mind.

First of all, make sure that you have plenty of disposable diapers on hand. You are going to need them continually as your baby grows. When it is time to change your little ones diaper you are going to want to have everything ready to go. Be sure to have your diapers close by as well as your baby wipes. This is very important because you can not leave your newborn unattended on the changing table while you gather your supplies. Now, take the old diaper off, wipe your baby and put the new diaper on. You should not put any powder on your baby because they can inhale it into their lungs. You can always talk to your doctor about this if you would like.

Now, you are going to want to have all of your baby’s bath supplies on hand when it is time for a bath as well. You are going to take your baby into a warm bathroom and place them into a warm, small amount of water. Be sure to always support your baby’s head. You will then dampen a cloth and put a little bit of soap on it. Then, gently wipe your baby down. Be sure to do this quickly if you are worried that your baby is going to get cold. Once you have wiped your baby down, you will wrap them in a warm towel, dry them off and then get a fresh diaper on them. Now they are ready for their bedtime clothes.

When it is time to feed your baby you are going to want to warm the baby’s bottle just a little bit. You should never place a bottle in the microwave because it can get to hot. You can purchase a bottle warmer in advance and place the bottle in there to warm. Once it is ready you will place the baby in your arms and keep his or her head supported. You will then place the bottle in his or her mouth. They will take hold of the nipple and begin to eat. You should be sure to stop every few ounces so that you can burp your baby. This is going to help reduce gas and upset stomachs for your child. You can always ask your doctor how often they would recommend burping.

So, there you have it, some basics related to caring for babies. It does sound rather easy but it is a different game when you are actually playing. You are going to want to be prepared and always think ahead. The longer you have your baby, the more comfortable you will become. This means that it will also get easier. For now, get ready for some long days and nights.

What is So Important about Family Activities?

Family activities are a wonderful way to begin bonding with your child. They want to know that you care about them and that you are interested in what they have to say and what they enjoy doing. The easiest way for you to learn about your child and express your love is to spend time with them engaged in family activities.

There are so many different types of family activities that you can engage in with your child that it would take forever to list everything here. Therefore, some simple ideas are going to be presented. The first family activity that you can engage in is simply cooking together. Everyone needs to eat so why not spend time together cooking a large meal. This is going to give you an opportunity to talk to your child about his or her day. It is also going to help your child learn the importance of eating a balanced meal and eating together as a family. This is one of the easiest family activities that you could participate in and it does not even cost any money.

The next family activity that you could consider is having a family night. You can work with your family to identify a certain night of the week that is for family members only. This is a time for you to be with each other without talking on the phone or having friends over. You can do something as simple as watching a movie. Or, you could let your children select their favorite games and play these all evening. Use this time to talk to your child and discuss any problems that he or she may be having. It is also best to discuss values and expectations when you have your child’s full attention. Therefore, use this time to do that as well.

Family vacations are another way to increase your family time. This is a time when you are not bothered by housework or the stress of your job. If you have older children you could also get them involved in helping you plan your family vacation. Ask them where they would like to go and have them help you make reservations. You could even go so far as to give your older child a budget that they need to stay within. You would be teaching life skills and responsibility while you plan this activity.

As you can see, there are several different family activities that you can engage in. You can spend time talking to your family about what things they would like to do. However, you need to remind them that these activities are for your family only. You are going to enjoy spending time with them and you are going to learn things about them that you may not have known. Give it a try and start something today.

Brief Explanation of Child Development Stages

There are numerous child development stages that can be explored and discussed. This article is going to discuss what the developmental stages are so that you can spend some time researching them further if you are interested or concerned about your child. Spend some time becoming familiar with what these actually mean and then take the time to determine if your child is on the right track.

Child development stages usually occur from the time your child is four to six weeks old up until the child is six or seven years old. Each stage is going to clarify what your child should be doing at that time in his or her life. It is very important to keep in mind that every child is different. Therefore, just because your child is not completing something at ten weeks that the developmental stage says he or she should be doing does not mean that something is wrong with your child. Give your child some extra time to determine if he or she just needs a little more work.

The child development stages are going to include things like gross motor development as well as physical development that you should be looking for. These stages are going to notify you of when your child should be holding his or her head up or when he or she should begin to walk or talk. You are also going to be able to monitor different psychological stages as well. You can always talk to your doctor about what developmental stage your child should be in. Your doctor is going to be able to identify milestones and help you determine if there is a complication with your child’s development.

If you take the time to research child development stages and you feel that there is a complication with your child, do not hesitate to talk to your child’s doctor. Tell him or her what you have researched and what you feel is the problem with your child. The doctor is going to be able to examine your child and they may want to run tests to determine if there is a problem. You may find out that the doctor is not concerned. He or she will explain why and this may help you feel better as well. Sometimes there are ways to help your child reach certain milestones. You may simply need some guidance so that you can help your child.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2010
Release #10-200 Firm’s Recall Hotline: (787) 586-1139
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Violation of Federal Mattress Flammability Standard Prompts Recall of Mattress Sets by Tropical Bedding
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Mattress Sets (Mattresses and Mattresses with Foundations)

Units: About 15,000

Manufacturer: Tropical Bedding Mfg., of Caguas, Puerto Rico

Hazard: The mattress sets fail to meet mandatory federal open flame standard and pose a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves crib and bunkie mattresses and mattress sets (mattresses and mattresses with foundations) in sizes twin, full, queen and king. The crib and bunkie mattresses do not have any labels. The other mattresses have “Classics,” “Classics II,” “Imagine,” “Sweet Mysteries,” “Treasures,” or “Comfort Dream” printed on a label located at the top of the foot of the mattress. The “Classics” model manufactured between August 2008 and April 2009 is not included in this recall. This model has a federal label attached that includes the date of manufacture and “Classics” (see below).

Sold at: City Mattress and furniture stores in Puerto Rico from July 2007 through September 2009 for between $30 and $135.

Manufactured in: Puerto Rico

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the mattresses immediately and return them to Tropical Bedding Mfg. for a refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Carmen Martinez at (787) 586-1139 between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.