Babies 0–12 Months

As a certified child passenger technician and instructor, working in injury prevention, I frequently hear this question. Not surprising, given tight household budgets and the constantly increasing costs of raising children.

First, let’s look at the things that rule out using secondhand seats, then we can better determine when it’s okay.

Our hearts go out to the millions of families who were affected by Hurricane Sandy. We are so grateful to emergency personnel who are working around the clock to make things better.

If there is one thing this “storm of the century” has taught us, it’s the importance of planning ahead and being safe.

Thursday was Safe Kids Day on Capitol Hill. We held a bipartisan event on September 20 to educate Senators, Members of Congress and their staff about the risks that kids face and the challenges parents have in preventing unintentional injury, the #1 killer of kids in America.

I feel lucky to be involved in yet another Child Passenger Safety Week. This is my 25th celebration!

Suspense may be important in a movie, but not when you are buying products for your young children. A high chair, crib or even a swing set for the back yard can be among the most important investments in your career as a parent. But there's a way to take the suspense out of shopping.

The worst news you can hear involves the death of a child. It's only more upsetting when that death might have been prevented.

This spring, Nedao Abdelghani of Bridgeview, IL died after a relative backing out of a driveway backed over him. He was three years old.

As a longtime member of the Safe Kids staff I was pretty familiar with child safety, long before I became Stephen’s dad 17 months ago, Back then, I didn’t realize the impact Safe Kids would have on my new role as parent.

My job is a pretty good one. When I’m asked what I do at Safe Kids, I usually distill my answer to three things: make sure kids have fun, stay active and are free from injury. Not a bad 9-5, right? Practically speaking, much of my time is spent on the third item, keeping kids safe while at play.

Sadly, between 2008 and 2010, over 22,000 children age 9 and younger were injured by preventable furniture tip-overs or instability. Lisa Marie, a parent advocate who has been working with Safe Kids, graciously shares her heartbreaking story of her son Shane.

Co-authored by Kate Carr, former President and CEO, Safe Kids Worldwide.