Planning to travel for the holidays? Here’s a quick list of 8 things to consider. View the full article here.

Plan ahead.
Use lists and calendars to help you stay organized.
Start packing a week or two ahead of time.
Pack a carry-on bag for baby.
If flying, book early and try to get direct flights whenever possible.
Consider your baby’s schedule when flying.
Know the rules, especially for airline carry-ons.
Give yourself plenty of time.

Even under the best of circumstances, air travel can be stressful. Packing, arriving at the airport on time, getting through security, and dealing with flight delays can wear on you. Add a baby to the scenario, and it’s even more of a struggle. But proper preparation can ease the process for both you and your baby.
ADVANCE PREPARATION
The best approach for parents flying with infants is to start preparing early. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has strict rules for air travelers, especially those with babies and children, and many airlines tack on a few of their own.
Check with your carrier. It will make your trip much easier if you understand and follow the rules.
Choosing Your Flight
• Whether you are traveling alone or with children, you should prebook your flight as far in advance as possible. In addition to the cost savings, having seat assignments made and boarding passes printed off from your home computer before you leave will save lots of time and hassle when you reach the airport.
• It’s not easy getting through to airlines by phone these days, but it is a good idea to call the airline you plan to use and ask questions. The best airfares tend to be online, so do your research before you call. They may match the price for you, but be aware that some airlines charge a premium for booking by phone.
• Let the airline know you are traveling with an infant. They might offer a discount if you are purchasing an extra seat
for the baby. You will need to reserve a window seat and bring your own FAA-approved car seat for the baby.
(See “Packing” below.)
• Traveling with the baby on your lap? For safety reasons, we don’t recommend this option but, if you must, consider bringing along a comfortable baby sling for added comfort and security. Be sure to check with your airline carrier first, since some restrict using these in flight.
• Although it’s not all that common unless you are traveling internationally, you may still need a ticket for a baby you hold on your lap.
• Check to see if the airline will offer an infant luggage allowance. You’ll need it, especially if you are bringing along a stroller. Some airlines charge a pretty hefty fee for extra checked luggage.
• Consider your baby’s routine, and try to avoid connecting flights. If you are traveling internationally across time zones, you might also want to try to start adjusting your baby’s schedule slowly several days before you fly.
• You might want to check the on-time records of the airlines and flights you are considering through an online tool like FlightStats.com, which also offers great information about real-time airport and flight status.
• Don’t panic if you aren’t able to book your seats—or at least not the seats you want. Just plan to check in with the ticketing or gate agent at the airport when you get there.

Packing
• Start jotting down your packing list well in advance and count on making adjustments. Last minute packing leads to lots of stress and forgotten necessities.
• For items such as clothing, food and diapers, consider whether you will have access to laundry facilities and stores at your destination, as well as the length of your stay.
• If possible, leave those bulky items at home. Check into whether you can rent strollers at your destination, and ask about getting a playard or crib when you make your hotel reservation. One exception is the car seat. Because you can’t be assured of the quality and you can’t always tell whether a used or rental car seat may have been damaged or in an accident, you could be putting your baby’s safety at risk.
• Pack a small carry-on bag of essentials that will fit in front of your seat for easy access. Include diapers, wipes, a blanket, a change of clothes, food, and a plastic bag for trash and dirty diapers. Add some extras (especially diapers) in case of delays or cancellations, as well as a few first aid items.
• You will need to check your stroller, so bring a sturdy bag to protect it from the rest of the cargo. You can usually keep your stroller while in the airport if you want, but you may not have time to put it in its protective cover if you gate-check it. Consider checking it upon arrival at the airport and switching to a baby sling instead.
• If you are planning to use a car seat on the plane, it must be clearly labeled as FAA approved for air travel. Car seats can be cumbersome and difficult to install, and flight attendants are not allowed for liability reasons to help you. Be sure to carefully review your manufacturer’s instructions before the trip.
• If you haven’t purchased an extra ticket and the flight isn’t full, you may be allowed to take your FAA-approved car seat onboard and use it in a spare seat.
• Plan for yourself, too! Wear shoes that you can easily slip off and on at security and loose fitting, comfortable clothes. Bring a change of clothes in case the baby makes a mess, and pack some snacks like protein bars or fruit for a healthy pick-me-up.
AT THE AIRPORT
On average, it is recommended that you arrive at the airport at least 2 hours before check-in. Depending on the airport, weather, time of day, and other variables, the time it takes you to go through security can be much shorter—or longer.
Since you will be traveling with extra “gear,” do yourself a favor and give yourself the extra time. It will be much easier on you and the little one to wait awhile longer at the gate than get bogged down at security and risk missing your flight.
Checking In
Even if you printed your boarding passes at home, you will still need to check your bags. There are three ways to do this:
• Check them with a skycap, usually your quickest option. Many airports now charge a fee for this service or recommend a tip of $2 per checked item.
• See an agent at the ticket counter. Factor in time for potential lines. This is separate from the security check-in. This is a good option if you have last minute questions, and want to get or change your seat assignment. (You can also do this at the gate if you use the skycap or self-serve.)
• Self-serve kiosks. Although these are quick and convenient when traveling light, they can be the least attractive option for traveling with a baby, because you will still be responsible for taking your own check-in luggage to the x-ray area.
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Essential Paperwork
• Make sure the baby is covered under your travel insurance.
• If you are traveling without the other parent, get written permission to do so. It’s also a good idea to carry a copy of the baby’s birth certificate or some other form of identification with you that proves you are the parent or
legal guardian.
• When traveling outside of the U.S., you will likely need a passport for the baby. This can be a time-consuming process, so apply several weeks in advance of your trip. Visit the
U.S. Department of State web site or check with your local post office on how to apply

If the link between parent and child is strong enough that kids can “catch” their parents’ stress, it may stand to reason that babies crave the physical connection that comes with a cuddle. It’s something that plenty of parents are more than happy to provide during the day but, when it comes to bedtime, the modern emphasis has been on teaching good sleep habits — and giving mom and dad a break.

Most sleep-deprived parents get to the point where they’re willing to try almost anything in order to get a good night’s rest. While some decry it as cruel, others have had success with the “cry it out” method — teaching babies to “self-soothe” by letting their nighttime crying go unanswered.

But is “crying it out” about establishing independence? Or is it just a way of making those early years easier for parents?

In an article published this week in Psychology Today, one researcher says that crying it out could be dangerous for children, leading to a lifetime of harm.

“A crying baby in our ancestral environment would have signaled predators to tasty morsels,” writes Darcia Narvaez, an Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Collaborative for Ethical Education at the University of Notre Dame. “So our evolved parenting practices alleviated baby distress and precluded crying except in emergencies.”

When babies are stressed, their bodies release the hormone cortisol, which can damage or even destroy neurons in their still-developing brains, researchers at Yale University and Harvard Medical School have found. That can lead to a higher incidence of ADHD, poor academic performance, and anti-social tendencies.

Human babies are hardwired for near-constant holding, breastfeeding, and having their other needs met quickly — the hallmarks of Attachment Parenting, Narvaez points out — in order for their brains to develop properly. Even Dr. Richard Ferber, whose sleep-training method is commonly called the Cry It Out Method, says that he never intended parents to completely ignore their babies nighttime tears.

“I’ve always believed that there are many solutions to sleep problems, and that every family and every child is unique,” he said in an interview with BabyTalk. “People want one easy solution, but there’s no such thing. I never encouraged parents to let their babies cry it out, but one of the many treatment styles I described in my book is gradual extinction, where you delay your response time to your baby’s wakings. I went to great pains in the second edition to clarify that that treatment is not appropriate for every sleep issue, of which there are many.”

What he does encourage is teaching children to soothe themselves during normal nighttime wakings. But many parents extend his advice to include all bedtime-related crying. That’s the type of crying it out sets kids up for stress-related problems, trust issues, anxiety disorders, reduced brain function, and a lack of independence, Narvaez writes. And since the problems are on a genetic level, they can’t necessarily be fixed later in life.

“In studies of rats with high or low nurturing mothers, there is a critical period for turning on genes that control anxiety for the rest of life,” Narvaez writes. “If in the first 10 days of life you have low nurturing rat mother (the equivalent of the first 6 months of life in a human), the gene never gets turned on and the rat is anxious towards new situations for the rest of its life, unless drugs are administered to alleviate the anxiety.”

Could a lack of nurturing explain our “Prozac Nation?” Narvaez points out that she’s witnessed the long-term physical effects of it firsthand.

“I was raised in a middle-class family with a depressed mother, harsh father and overall emotionally unsupportive environment — not unlike others raised in the USA,” she writes. “I have only recently realized from extensive reading about the effects of early parenting on body and brain development that I show the signs of undercare — poor memory (cortisol released during distress harms hippocampus development), irritable bowel and other poor vagal tone issues, and high social anxiety.”

The lack of nurturing, and the prevalence of parents who put their own needs in front of their kids’, may be to blame for the mental and physical health problems that are plaguing the United States now.

“If we want a strong country and people,” she writes, “we’ve got to pay attention to what children need for optimal development.”

By Lylah M. Alphonse, Senior Editor, Yahoo! Shine

Is Crying It Out Dabgerous for Kids

While instances of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) have dropped dramatically in the past 20 years, experts say that popular crib bumpers don’t contribute to that statistic.

Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011 (MedPage Today) — Breastfeeding and immunization protect babies against sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) but bumper pads don’t, according to updated guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The recommendations — last revised in 2005 — go beyond SIDS and focus on providing a safe sleeping environment for infants to reduce the risk of all sleep-related deaths, such as suffocation.

Supine sleeping position, first recommended by the AAP in 1992, remains the cornerstone of SIDS prevention, along with a firm sleeping surface, and no bed sharing.

“Overall, we are making good progress in understanding SIDS and the importance of the infant’s environment in preventing suffocation deaths,” Rachel Moon, MD, who chaired the guideline writing committee, said during an AAP press briefing. “However, we still see evidence of unsafe sleeping practices, and we hoped to address those in these new guidelines.”

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October 4, 2011 | 5:35 pm

Children in cars will be required to ride in a booster seat until they are 8 years old under a new law signed Tuesday by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Current law requires booster seats for children until they reach the age of 6 or weigh at least 60 pounds.

Sen. Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) said that does not go far enough, and Brown agreed. Exceptions will be made for any child 7 years old or younger who is at least 4 feet 9.

Similar legislation was vetoed twice by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The new law will go into effect on Jan. 1.

–Anthony York in Sacramento

Jessica Yadegaran, Contra Costa Times

Not a single blue decoration was in sight. No one exchanged baby advice, or played games that involved sniffing melted chocolate in diapers.

Instead, the baby shower for Esteban Guzman of San Leandro involved a lot of beer, barbecued meat and a highly anticipated game between the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers.

“It was just a bunch of guys who have no idea about babies but wanted to help their buddy out,” says Guzman, 34, recalling the “kegs for diapers” party he had last October, when his girlfriend, Noemi, was pregnant with their now 8-month-old son, Dante. “And if they did have advice, I probably wouldn’t have taken it since they’re a bunch of knuckleheads.”

Modern fathers are more

Tips for a successful diaper party

• Keep the grub simple. Grill some burgers or offer finger foods, such as chips and salsa, chicken wings, pizza and pretzels.
• What to play. Football will be on the tube or you’ll be playing poker. Those are the only games you need.
• Skip the favors. Unless your buddies love cigars or some such gift, there is no need to indulge.
• Don’t forget the diapers. Make sure to bring a variety of sizes. Babies have a tendency to grow.

— Athena Serapio, San Bruno event planner

involved than ever in prenatal care and their babies’ first years, but they like to celebrate the milestone their way.

Good grub. Alcohol. Bad jokes. Most daddy showers, or diaper parties as they are called because guests bring diapers in lieu of gifts, lack the frills of traditional baby showers. But experts say the purpose is the same: to support the parent-to-be as he transitions into this new life passage.

Luckily for Guzman, it’s football season, so he sent out an email to his buddies. Come over Sunday afternoon, it said. I’m buying a keg and firing up the grill.

Ed, Esteban’s older brother, a father of two, arrived with six boxes of diapers. He knew from coed baby showers he’d attended with his wife that this affair would not involve dreaded games or favors. There would be no wrapping paper to throw away. No gift registry to follow.

“Guys don’t do those kinds of things,” says Ed, 40. “It was more of a handshake and congratulations and, ‘OK, where’s the food?’ ”

Also missing were the war stories, Ed says. “No one talked about how difficult it is to breast-feed or how you don’t get any sleep when you have a baby. It was more of a celebration.”

Another guest, Joe Fernandez, a bachelor who made his first trip to Babies R Us for the occasion, says the diaper party was a way to help Esteban close one chapter in his life and begin another.

“Time becomes much more precious when somebody becomes a father and you don’t see them as often, so you want to send them off properly,” says Fernandez, 35, of Walnut Creek.

Men are much more involved in the baby world than they were even a generation ago, so cultivating networks with like-minded guys is just as crucial as it is for Mom, says Judy Levit, an Oakland marriage and family therapist.

“They don’t talk about their feelings, but they know why they’re there,” Levit says of diaper parties. “If they’re going to be up all night with the baby and changing diapers, they need guys they can talk to. If they’re going to be supporting their wives, they need support.”

As much as the diaper party is dad’s last hurrah with the boys, it’s important to keep it casual, says Athena Serapio, a San Bruno event planner.

“I think men in the Bay Area wouldn’t want too much fuss and fluff,” says Serapio. “No favors, no decor and possibly no baby games at all.”

You can play around with themes such as poker or football, but remember, no gifts. Just diapers.

Guzman’s friends were so generous, he and Noemi didn’t have to purchase a single diaper until just last month.

“It was very touching for me to see them come together like that,” he says. “They even brought different sizes. That was what I was most shocked by.”

CHARLOTTE, N.C., September 08, 2011 — BRITAX, with its Head Safety Technology, remains at the forefront of car seat safety innovation.  Building on its commitment to child passenger safety (CPS), BRITAX is partnering with Safe Kids USA, actress/CPS technician Ali Landry and Spokesmoms.com to spread awareness of child passenger safety.

BRITAX, Safe Kids, Landry and Spokesmoms plan to educate parents about both the importance of child safety seats and the best practices for car seat use leading up to Child Passenger Safety Week, September 18 – 24, 2011.  The public service effort includes press interviews with CPS Technician Ali Landry and the celebrity Red CARpet event, presented by Spokesmoms.com, in which celebrity parents drive national awareness for child passenger safety.  Through their combined initiatives, parents will be reminded that head injuries are not only the most frequent injuries that occur during front and side impact crashes, but also the leading cause of vehicle crash-related deaths for children up to 12 years old (source: Child Injury Led Design and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia 2010).  At the Red CARpet event, Landry and other celebrities will be signing select Next Generation convertible car seats that will be given to lucky winners of our sweepstakes on September 30th.

To further support our commitment to safety, BRITAX will make a contribution to Safe Kids USA for every birthday wish made to our Next Generation car seats by our BRITAX Facebook fans September 18th – 24th.  Visit facebook.com/britax to learn more.  Finally, BRITAX will also kick off a monthly convertible car seat sweepstakes from September through December, 2011; visit www.BritaxUSA.com/HeadSafety/Gallery for complete details.

BRITAX is well-known for its revolutionary head safety technologies that reduce head excursion on impact and offer the most advanced protection to children. These include:
•    A re-engineered lower center of gravity that allows the child to sit lower and creates stability in the event of a crash.
•    Integrated steel bars that strengthen the connection to the vehicle and reduce forward flexing of the child seat during a crash.
•    BRITAX SafeCell Technology™ with SafeCells that are designed to compress in a crash. This significantly lowers the center of gravity and counteracts the forward rotation of the child seat, which normally propels the child toward the front seat.
•    Energy-Absorbing Versa-Tether® with a two-point attachment and staged-release tether webbing to anchor the top of the car seat. This minimizes forward-rotation and reduces crash forces reaching the child.

For more information about BRITAX Head Safety Technologies, visit www.BritaxUSA.com, or connect with BRITAX on Twitter or Facebook.

About BRITAX Child Safety Inc.
BRITAX manufactures and markets lines of premium car seats, strollers, baby carriers and accessories.  Since its founding in Britain in 1939, the company has become one of the world’s most trusted juvenile products brands, known for its commitment to thoughtful engineering and top-quality, intuitive design.

Among the world’s largest manufacturers of car seats, the company offers more than 8 car seat models in the U.S. and Canada — forward-facing, rear-facing and convertible.  The seats are designed to keep a child rear facing and in a five-point harness longer, and can accommodate a child from “birth to belt” (i.e., 4 pounds to 120 pounds).  The company’s car seats consistently lead the industry in energy-management technologies that go well beyond the safety requirements of government agencies, offering superior 360-degree protection. The company’s innovations include BRITAX SafeCell Technology™, True Side Impact Protection® and Side Impact Cushion™ Technology.

The BRITAX stroller line is constantly evolving to meet the modern family’s lifestyle needs. The line offers versatility; a lifespan beyond one child; lightweight solutions for easy travel; and smooth maneuverability.  With thoughtfully designed details inspired by a mom’s daily interactions with her child, parents can rest assured that their children are safe and comfortable in BRITAX strollers.

Built for comfortable extended wear, the BRITAX BABY CARRIER line is made for baby and designed for parent.   The carrier introduces the CarryLong™ System, which reduces the risk of back and shoulder strain during extended wear by distributing weight across the shoulders, back and hips.  BRITAX also addresses the limited weight capacity ranges associated with leading soft-structured baby carriers by accommodating infants through toddlers from 8 pounds up to 32 pounds).

BRITAX USA is located in Charlotte, N.C., and employs more than 200 people.  For more information, visit www.BritaxUSA.com.

About Safe Kids USA
Safe Kids USA is part of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability to children ages 1 to 14. More than 600 coalitions and chapters across the U.S. and 19 member countries across the globe bring together health and safety experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments and volunteers to educate and protect families.  For more information visit www.safekids.org.

About Spokesmoms.com
Spokesmoms, Inc. is an intuitive product review platform whose aim is to promote and aggregate the fragmented voices of mom opinions and reviews for juvenile products. Spokesmoms rewards moms for posted reviews, rating reviews, links moms with like-minded reviews, simplifies their quest for the best products and makes recommendations based on their personality and needs.

In addition, Spokesmoms facilitates the communication between juvenile product Manufacturers and their clients – the moms! Spokesmoms offers Manufacturers ways to syndicate current social media content, promote brand viability to target audiences, request surveys of new products and ideas and showcase mom reviews on multiple websites.

Founded by Ali Landry and her passionate partners, Spokesmoms will continue to strive to connect brands, causes and moms together.  The power of one voice is incredible when united with many.  For more information visit www.spokesmoms.com.

Table-Top Clip-on Chair Recalled by phil&teds USA Due to Fall and Amputation 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. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: “metoo” Clip-on Chair

Units: 54,000 (these were the subject of a product safety alert issued May 6, 2011)

Importer: phil&teds USA Inc, of Fort Collins, Co.

Hazard: Missing or worn clamp pads allow the chairs to detach from a variety of different table surfaces, posing a fall hazard. In addition, when the chair detaches, children’s fingers can be caught between the bar and clamping mechanism, posing an amputation hazard. Also, user instructions for the chairs are inadequate, increasing the likelihood of consumer misuse.

Incidents/Injuries: phil&teds and CPSC have received 19 reports of the chairs falling from different table surfaces, including five reports with injuries. Two reports of injuries involved children’s fingers being severely pinched, lacerated, crushed or amputated. The three other reports of injury involved bruising after a chair detached suddenly and a child struck the table or floor.

Description: The product is an infant/toddler chair with a nylon fabric seat and a metal frame that clamps onto tables using two metal vise clamps. The upper part of each clamp rests on the table top and has either a rubber pad on its underside or a rubber boot covering the clamp. The chair is sold in three fabric colors – red, black and navy. Chairs subject to this recall do not have black plastic spacers between the cross bar and the clamps.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 21, 2011 Britax Child Safety, Inc., among the world’s largest manufacturers of car seats, today supported the American Academy of Pediatrics updated guidelines for children riding in car seats.

“We endorse today’s American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines that children riding in cars should remain in rear-facing car seats until at least age two — or until they reach the maximum height and weight allowed by those seats,” said Sarah Tilton, Britax child passenger safety advocate.

“Britax crash-tests and studies of crash force management prove that rear-facing car seats better support the spine, neck and head and more completely distribute the crash-forces over the child’s body and car seat. This is especially true in frontal impacts, the most common type of vehicle crash.

“We also urge children to remain with a forward-facing five-point harness until they exceed the height and weight limitations of the seat. At that point, they should transfer to a booster seat that’s secured by the car’s seat belt,” she said.

For more information about BRITAX, visit www.britaxusa.com, or find BRITAX on Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.

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New advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) will change the way many parents buckle up their children for a drive.

In a new policy published in the April 2011 issue of Pediatrics (published online March 21), the AAP advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. It also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.

The previous policy, from 2002, advised that it is safest for infants and toddlers to ride rear-facing up to the limits of the car seat, but it also cited age 12 months and 20 pounds as a minimum. As a result, many parents turned the seat to face the front of the car when their child celebrated his or her first birthday.

“Parents often look forward to transitioning from one stage to the next, but these transitions should generally be delayed until they’re necessary, when the child fully outgrows the limits for his or her current stage,” said Dennis Durbin, MD, FAAP, lead author of the policy statement and accompanying technical report.

“A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body,” Dr. Durbin said. “For larger children, a forward-facing seat with a harness is safer than a booster, and a belt-positioning booster seat provides better protection than a seat belt alone until the seat belt fits correctly.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted unanimously to approve new mandatory standards for full-size and non-full-size baby cribs as mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). The federal crib standards had not been updated in nearly 30 years and these new rules are expected to usher in a safer generation of cribs.

Once they become effective, the mandatory crib standards will: (1) stop the manufacture and sale of dangerous, traditional drop-side cribs; (2) make mattress supports stronger; (3) make crib hardware more durable; and (4) make safety testing more rigorous.

CPSC has recalled more than 11 million dangerous cribs since 2007. Detaching drop-side rails were associated with at least 32 infant suffocation and strangulation deaths since 2000. Additional deaths have occurred due to faulty or defective hardware. These new standards aim to prevent these tragedies and keep children safe in their cribs.

Effective June 2011, cribs manufactured, sold, or leased in the United States must comply with the new federal standards. Effective 24 months after the rule is published, child care facilities, such as family child care homes and infant Head Start centers, and places of public accommodation, such as hotels and motels, must have compliant cribs in their facilities.

The full-size and non-full-size crib standards adopted the current ASTM International voluntary standards with additional technical modifications.

For more information on crib safety and safe sleep environments for baby, visit CPSC’s crib information center at: www.cpsc.gov/info/cribs/index.html

Links to the Federal Register Notices (all pdf):

• Safety Standards for Full-Size Baby Cribs and Non-Full-Size Baby Cribs; Final Rule
• Revocation of Requirements for Full-Size Baby Cribs and Non-Full-Size Baby Cribs
• Third Party Testing for Certain Children’s Products; Full-Size Baby Cribs and Non-Full-Size Baby Cribs: Requirements for Accreditation of Third Party Conformity Assessment Bodies