Travelling with your
baby for the first time can be a very anxious time for new parents.
We have provided these tips for
choosing and using some of the equipment you may wish to bring with you
or use when travelling with babies as part of a
Safety Note: While buying second hand equipment
can be a great way to save money, second hand equipment presents an
added risk to young children. Use extra caution when purchasing
second hand equipment to ensure that the equipment is still in good
condition, not subject to recall notices and inspect it regularly for
wear and tear.
CLICK ON THE SPECIFIC TIPS OR
SCROLL THE PAGE TO VIEW ALL TIPS FOR SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT
STROLLERS
Strollers & Carriages are a must for travelling
with infants.
A danger exists when sleeping children are left unsupervised and when
the awake they may move around and when their bodies passed through the
opening between the handrest (grab bar) and front edge of the seat, they
became trapped by the head and strangled.
Use these tips when buying and using a stroller:
-
Choose a
stroller that has a handrest (grab bar) at the front of the seat
-
Make sure
the opening between grab bar and seat can be closed when it is used
in the reclined carriage position
-
If a
stroller has a basket it should be low on the back of the stroller
and in front of (or directly over) the rear wheels
-
Avoid
hanging pocketbooks or shopping bags over handles as this may cause
tipping
-
Check the
seat belt to make sure it is strong and durable, fits snugly around
your child, and can be easily fastened and unfastened.
-
Use the seat
belt each time you place the baby in the stroller and check it
periodically for wear - replace if necessary.
-
Make sure
that the brake is convenient to operate and actually locks the
wheels.
-
Brakes on
two wheels provide an extra measure of safety.
-
When folding
or unfolding a stroller, keep your child away from it. Children's
fingers have been amputated in parts of the folding mechanism
-
Check recall
notices periodically and follow recall instructions if your stroller
has been recalled.
-
Never leave
a child unattended in a stroller, especially when the baby is
asleep.
-
A stroller
is not a toy. Never allow children to use one as a plaything.
-
Never use a
pillow, folded quilt, or blanket as a mattress in a stroller or
carriage.
Use a rain
cover, sun cover or bug cover when needed. Click here to return to
list
HIGH
CHAIRS, BOOSTER SEATS AND HOOK-ON CHAIRS
While you may
not be taking a High Chair or Hook-on Chair along with you on vacation,
you may be using one in a
restaurant, in your hotel room or when visiting friends and relatives as
well as using it at home. Many hotels now offer High Chairs as
part of guest services or rental agencies are available for travelling
families. See Tips for Eating Out and Dining with
Children for ways to making eating out fun for the whole
family. Here are some tips for buying, renting and using a high
chair or hook-on chair:
-
Always
use safety straps when a child is sitting in the High Chair or Hook-on
Chair. The majority of the injuries result from falls when
restraining straps are not used and when children are not closely
supervised.
-
Know
what to do if your baby is choking - see First Aid Tips for when a Baby is Choking.
-
Always
supervise a child when using a High Chair or Hook-on Chair.
Don't leave infants sleeping in a High Chair unattended.
The majority of deaths occurred when children slipped down under the
tray and strangled.
-
When
using a High Chair or Hook-on Chair in a restaurant or dining room
make sure that there are no sharp objects, candles or glass items that
the child can reach.
-
High
chairs should have a waist strap and a strap that runs between the
legs. While in the high chair, children should ALWAYS be restrained by
both straps.
-
Tray
should not be used as a restraining device in place of safety
straps.
-
Keep
High Chairs and Hook-on Chairs away from tables, benches and
walls. High Chairs may tip if an active child pushes off from a
table or wall, stands up in the high chair, or rocks it back and
forth.
-
Never
let children stand in a High Chair.
-
If
You Are Buying a New High Chair select one that has a wide base for
stability.
-
Examine
the restraining straps before using any chair to ensure that the waist
belt has a buckle that cannot be fastened unless the crotch strap is
also used.
-
Look
for easy to use straps. If the straps are difficult to fasten,
you might not use them.
-
Consider
a high chair that has a post between the child's legs to prevent the
child from slipping down and becoming trapped under the tray.
-
Make
sure safety straps are securely attached and work properly.
-
The
crotch strap and belt around the waist should be fastened as soon as a
child is placed in the chair and unfastened only when the child is
removed. Remember, the feeding tray is not a restraint.
-
Be
sure that the locking device on a folding high chair is locked each
time you set up the chair.
-
Never
leave a child unattended in a High Chair or Hook-on Chair. Try
to stay within arm's length.
-
Don't
let children play around a high chair or climb into it unassisted.
-
Don't
let older children hang on to a high chair while a baby is in it. The
high chair could tip over.
-
Hook-on chairs are used as substitutes for high chairs
and are attached to the edge of a table. Children can be injured either
by falling out of these chairs or dislodging the chair from the
table.
-
Avoid placing the chair where the child's feet can reach or
push off with their feet an object that is solid. This can dislodge the
chair from the table.
-
Use the safety straps at all times when the child is in the
chair.
-
Check that the chair is securely fastened to the table prior
to placing the child in the chair by pulling backwards on the chair.
-
Never leave a child unattended in a Hook-on chair.
-
Never use hook-on chairs on glass top, single pedestal or
unstable tables.
-
When using
booster seats on chairs strap booster to chair if a safety strap is
available.
-
Supervise
children when using a booster seat.
-
Never set
car seats on tables. Ask the restaurant if they have an Infant
Seat Carrier that holds a car seat securely. See Infant
Car Seat Carrier for Restaurants and Dining Rooms.
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list
INFANT
CAR SEATS
See
the following links for Car Seat Safety Information and More:
Click here to return to
list
INFANT
CARRIER SEATS (Not Car Seats)
Carrier
Seats are seats designed to be used as a means of holding infants in a
seated position but are not to be confused or used as car seats.
Quite often these seats come as part of an infant swing. These
tips will help when purchasing and using these types of Infant Carriers:
-
The
carrier should have a wide, sturdy base for stability.
-
Ensure that
the carrier seat has a safety belt and always use the safety belt
when the infant is in the chair.
-
Never leave an
infant unattended in a carrier seat, especially when sleeping.
-
Avoid placing
carrier seats on tables, sofas, beds or countertops. Most
injuries associated with carrier seats result from falls: infants
falling out of carrier seats, or the carrier seat falling with the
infant still sitting in it. Suffocation can occur if the
seat flips over on soft sofas or bedding.
-
Be careful
when using a carrier in a restaurant that the child will not be
stepped on.
-
Stay within
arm's reach of the baby when the carrier seat is on tables, counters,
or other furniture.
-
Never turn
your back. Carrier seats slide more easily on slippery surfaces such
as glass table tops.
-
If the carrier
seat does not already have non-skid feet, attach rough surfaced
adhesive strips to the underside
-
If the
carrier seat contains wire supporting devices which snap on the back,
check for security. These can pop out causing the carrier seat to
collapse.
-
REMEMBER-A
carrier seat is not always an infant car seat, and should never be
used in an automobile unless it is labeled for that purpose.
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list
PLAYPENS
AND PORTABLE CRIBS
Whether
you are taking a portable crib/playyard with you or
using/renting one at your travel destination, there are a number of
safety and other concerns to keep in mind when using these portable
sleeping arrangements for infants.
See
the following Links for Playpen and Portable Crib Safety including
providing infants with a safe sleeping environment:
Click here to return to
list
FRONT
AND BACK CARRIERS
Front
and back Infant Carriers are very popular with parents travelling
with an infant. They make it easier to go shopping, hiking or
walking in crowded places. Here are some tips to consider
when purchasing and using these types of infant carriers:
-
Framed back
carriers should not be used with infants under five months of
age. Young babies do not have strong enough necks to withstand
the jolts and require closer supervision than these carriers allow.
-
If You Are
Buying a new Carrier check that the weight and size requirements
match the baby including enough depth to support the baby's back,
that leg openings are small enough to prevent the baby from slipping
out and that leg openings are big enough to avoid chafing the baby's
legs.
-
Carriers
should be made of sturdy material with strong stitching or large,
heavy duty fasteners to prevent the baby from slipping out.
-
Consider
carrying a mirror when using a back carrier so you can peak at baby
periodically.
-
Metal frame
back carriers should have padded covering over the metal frame near
the baby's face to protect the baby from bumps.
-
Be careful
bending over when using a front carrier and secure baby with hands
so that baby doesn't fall out. Severe head injury can occur.
-
Never let a
child stand up in a back carrier and use safety restraining straps
at all times.
-
Never leave
an infant in a back carrier while it is not on a person's
back. The carrier may tip over and injure the child.
-
Never leave
a sleeping infant in a front carrier when it is not on a
person. The padding and material may cause suffocation.
-
When using
folding metal back carriers be sure the child's fingers are clear of
the frame joints when folding the carrier and that the locks are in
place when using carrier.
-
Check frames
for sharp points, edges or rough surfaces, ripped seams, missing or
loose fasteners, frayed seats, or straps. Repair them promptly or
discard the carrier.
-
When using a
back carrier bend from the knees rather than the waist to prevent
the baby from falling out of the back carrier or injuring your back.
-
Be careful
when entering buildings, doors and other areas that the baby doesn't
hit walls, door frames.
-
Practice
Road Safety when walking with a Carrier. See
Walking Safety Tips
and Road Safety Rules for Walking with Children
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list
BABY
GATES
Parents
of babies and crawling toddlers may consider using baby gates in
multi-level vacation units or when visiting as a way of keeping a baby
in a confined area or away from stairs. Baby gates
can present a danger of entrapment or strangulation if they are
accordion style with V-shaped openings along the top edge and diamond
shaped openings between the slats. Children's
heads can become entrapped when they attempt to crawl over or through
these types of baby gates. While standards are in place to
prohibit the sale of these gates, gate made prior to 1985 when the
standards were introduced may still be around or be purchased second
hand. Here are some tips for purchasing and using baby
gates:
-
DO NOT USE ACCORDION-STYLE
BABY GATES AND EXPANDABLE ENCLOSURES with V-shaped or diamond-shaped openings.
-
Use
a gate with
a straight top edge and rigid bars or mesh screen, or an accordion-style
gate with small V-shapes and diamond-shaped openings. Entrances to
V-shapes should be no more than 1-1/2 inches (38 mm) in width to prevent
head entrapment.
-
Ensure the baby gate is
solidly secured in the
doorway or stairway it is blocking. Children have pushed gates over and
fallen down stairs.
-
Install
gates that have an expanding pressure bar with the bar side away from
where the child will be kept. Children may be able to use the
pressure bar to climb over the gate.
-
Never
use a pressure gate at the top of the stairs just in case it is not
maintaining adequate pressure and can be pushed over resulting in
children falling down stairs.
-
Expandable
Enclosures Circular wooden enclosures that expand,
accordion-style, can present the same entrapment/strangulation hazards
as the accordion-style gates.
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list
BABY
WALKERS
It
is estimated that more children are injured in walkers than in any other
piece of baby equipment and that most of those injured are under 15 months
of age. Even under close supervision, injuries have been known to
occur. Most
injuries occur when children fall down stairs,
falls in pool or the walker tips over. Burns are also a
common injury - children are burned when the walker nears hot surfaces
such as stoves, radiators, heaters and fireplaces. In
keeping with our commitment to promote safety for children we recommend
that parents never use a baby walker, but instead consider a stationary
activity center together with close parental supervision,
ensuring that the child has safe toys to play with, is located away from
sharp objects and any electrical or heat sources. For this
reason we have not included tips on the use and purchase of this
product.
If you
currently have a baby walker, please dispose of it properly.
See Proper Disposal tips.
Tips for the use of this product can however be found on
the Consumer Product Safety Commission's Web site at www.cpsc.com.
Click here to return to
list
PROPER DISPOSAL OF
USED BABY EQUIPMENT The
following information is provided by Safe Kids Canada as part of the 2003
Safe Kids Week Campaign - see Safe Kids Canada and Sponsor Johnson & Johnson Join Forces to Promote Public Awareness of Safe Kids Week - June 2 to 8, 2003
and
Health Canada
announces Ban on the Sale, Importation and advertisement of Baby Walkers
- Canada is the First Country to Ban this unsafe product
for more information.
Many unsafe children’s products including those
that don’t meet regulations or have been recalled are still being used,
passed down through families, or sold second-hand.
Getting unsafe children’s products out of circulation is an
effective way to reduce product-related injuries.
You can also contact your municipal waste management
and/or recycling companies to determine if they will be able/interested in
picking up and disposing of products that you have found in your home.
Safe Kids Canada recommends disposing of baby walkers with wheels,
baby bath seats, cribs made before 1986, recalled playpens, damaged car
seats and bike helmets more than 5 years old, among other items.
When placing these items for collection by waste management or
recycling, take steps to ensure that the product will not be picked up for
use with another child:
Baby
walkers: Destroy; or remove detachable toys, wheels, and seats
of baby walkers to decrease the likelihood that others will retrieve the
baby walker for resale, or for use with their own infants. See
Health Canada announces
Ban on the Sale, Importation and advertisement of Baby Walkers - Canada is
the First Country to Ban this unsafe product.
Baby
bath seats: Remove the suction cups from the bath seat and
safely destroy, or damage the plastic seat prior to collection to prevent
the seat from being retrieved.
Cribs:
Break the crib parts into non-usable pieces.
If possible, recycle plastic, wood, and metal pieces for recycling,
and destroy the mattress to prevent retrieval and being misfit into
another crib.
Playpens:
Remove and safely destroy mesh netting, and if possible, dismantle the
playpen by removing nuts and bolts before collection.
Baby
gates: If possible, unhinge and dismantle accordion-style baby
gates before placing for collection.
If it is not possible to dismantle the gate, tie up the gate and
place in a dark garbage bag to discourage retrieval.
Car
seats: Car seats should not be reused if they have been
involved in a crash, or if they are cracked or broken.
When disposing of an unsafe car seat, cut the harness straps in
half, remove all covers and padding, and visibly damage the seat with a
hammer so that the seat cannot be used again.
Recycling centres may accept plastic shells.
Bicycle
helmets: Remove the foam core, if possible, and cut the chin
straps. Hammer and visibly damage the plastic shell so no one else
can use the helmet.
By safely disposing of children’s products you can
help to reduce product-related injuries.
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list
MORE SAFETY
INFORMATION FOR TRAVELLING WITH BABIES Click
on the links for more Information for Travelling with Babies. Air Travel Tips Travel Tips - Children with Severe Allergies Amusement Park Tips Tips for Eating Out and Dining with Children Car Travel Tips Dangers of Balloons - Travel Safety News Tips on Buying Toys for Children Danger of Strangulation from Drawstrings on Children's Outerwear
Pool and Beach Safety Tips
Sun Safety Tips
All tips are offered as suggestions only.
While we have tried to provide you with a list of suggestions to help parents
when travelling with children to keep them safe, unfortunately, we can’t
think of everything and it is the responsibility of parents to ensure their
children’s safety.
|
CPSC, Graco
Children’s Products Announce New Safety Instructions to Prevent Injuries
with Portable Play Yards with Raised Changing Tables
Safe Kids Canada and Sponsor Johnson & Johnson Join Forces to Promote Public Awareness of Safe Kids Week - June 2 to 8, 2003
Tips for Potty Training, Potty Training while
Travelling and Common Potty Training Practices
Click on the following to Purchase Baby Travelling Products:
Safety Crib Sheets - Promotes the Safest Sleeping Environment for Infants
See the following sections for specific tips:
See the following sections for specific tips:
For General Travel Tips
Click on
For Car Travel Tips Click
on
For Air Travel Tips Click
on
For Train Travel Tips
Click on
For Amusement Park Tips Click Below
For
Games to Play while travelling, Click Below
For Winter - Ski
Holiday Tips Click on
For Tips on Protecting Your Home Click Below:
For Tips on Enjoying Live Theatre with
Children Click Below:
For Tips on Buying Toys
Click Below:
For Motion Sickness Tips
Click on
For Tips for making the Most of Summer Fun
Click Below:
For Tips for Happy Feet Click Below:
For Tips on Who and What to Tip Click Below:
For Tips on Taking Pictures Click Below:
For Travel Tips - Children with Severe
Allergies Click on
For Tips on Eating out with Children
Click Below:
For Tips on Travelling with Grandchildren Click Below:
For Winter Driving Tips Click Below:
For Spring Car Care Tips Click Below:
For Travelling with
Teenagers Tips Click on
For All-inclusive
Vacation Tips Click Below:
For Tips on Taking Pictures Click Below:
For Tips on Taking a Dude Ranch Vacation Click on
For Travel Safety Tips Click
Below
To Return to Travel Tips Click Below
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