Car Seats, Cribs, High Chairs, and Strollers

Security and stability are the key factors in buying baby equipment. First, look for the seal of approval from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (http://www.cpsc.gov/), and examine items carefully to make sure they are stable and without safety hazards. Additional guidelines have been established by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (http://www.jpma.org/), and you may want to see if the product conforms to these voluntary standards.

Here are some general safety guidelines to follow:

Run your fingers over the equipment, and touch every spot with which the infant is likely to come in contact. Avoid rough surfaces or surfaces that could become dangerously hot if exposed to the sun.

Inspect all hinges, springs, or moving parts to make sure there are no places where your baby's hands, feet, fingers, or toes could get caught or pinched.

Examine all small parts, straps, and coverings to make sure they are fastened securely.

If equipment needs to be assembled, read and follow all manufacturer's directions.
Here are guidelines that are more specific:

Car Seats

Car seats for infants and young children are mandatory in all 50 states and must conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Infants weighing under 20 pounds must be belted into the seat, facing the rear of the car, and in a reclining position. Older children may sit upright facing forward. Except for infant seats, most car seats convert from a reclining position to upright and can be used by children weighing up to 40 pounds. Children between the ages of 4 and 8 and weighing more than 40 pounds should be in a booster seat.


Make sure the seat you choose is comfortable for your baby, fits your car, and has a label indicating that it meets all federal requirements.


Make sure the seat is not difficult to use or confusing to operate, particularly if you will need to use the seat in more than one car. Incorrect use of car seats is dangerous as well as illegal.
Cribs

Make sure the mattress fits snugly -- if you can fit two fingers between the mattress and the side of the crib, your baby's head could become wedged there. A rolled blanket can be used to fill the space between the mattress and end boards. The mattress should be firm.


The slats of a crib should be less than 23/8 inches apart so your baby's head cannot get caught between them. Headboards should not have cutouts or decorations that could trap the head or neck.

All hinges and screws should be well set and out of reach, and there should be secure safety latches on the drop side that cannot be tripped, either by your baby or by any curious older children who may have access to the nursery.


All finishes should be smooth, and all paints should be nontoxic.


Don't use soft pillows or blankets that can become easily bunched; until infants can lift their heads high for long periods of time by themselves, suffocation when lying facedown in soft materials is a possibility.


Make sure you can lift a portable crib without too much effort, that it folds and stores easily, and that it is stable.
High Chairs and Strollers

Anything the infant will be sitting in should have a wide base that keeps the device steady and decreases the chance of tipping.


Make sure a high chair or stroller has a good harness. Fasten it firmly to prevent your child from falling or climbing out.


Fold a stroller a few times and lift it into the folded position to see whether or not it will fit easily into the trunk of your car.


Make sure the mechanism that keeps a collapsible high chair or stroller open is securely locked when in use.


Make sure all surfaces are smooth and nontoxic and that all hinges, latches, and other features are in good working order and inaccessible to your baby's hands and fingers.


Make sure a stroller has solid wheels; rear wheels should come with shock absorbers.