Is your child car seat safe of toxic chemicals?

My SIL just sent me a link to a news report concerning dangerous chemicals found in children's car seats. The article, posted by CTV Calgary.ca, is below.

A research report on toxic chemicals in children's car seats was released by the Ecology Center on Wednesday and found over half contained toxic chemicals.

Over 150, 2011 model car seats were tested for bromine, chlorine, lead, and other heavy metals and allergens.

While some seats were found to be virtually free of the most dangerous chemicals, over 60 percent contained at least one of the chemicals tested for.

The substances have been linked to allergies, birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, and cancer in children.

The reports says that babies are the most vulnerable because their bodies are still developing and they spend a lot of time in their car seats.

Most Toxic 2011 Car Seats:
Infant Seat: Graco Snugride 35 in Edgemont Red/Black & Graco SnugRide 30 in Asprey
Convertible Seat: Britax Marathon 70 in Jet Set & Britax Marathon in Platinum
Booster Seat: Recaro Pro Booster in Blue Opal & Recaro ProSPORT Toddler in Mist

Least Toxic 2011 Car Seats:
Infant Seat: Chicco KeyFit 30 in Limonata, Graco Snugride 35 in Laguna Bay & Combi Shuttle 33 in Cranberry Noche
Convertible Carseat: Graco Comfort Sport in Caleo, Graco MyRide 65 in Chandler and Streamer, Safety 1st OnSide Air in Clearwater, and Graco Nautilus Elite 3-in-1 in Gabe
Booster Seat: Graco Turbo Booster in Anders

To read the full news release, visit the Healthy Stuff website.

Car seat update

We finally decided on a second stage car seat... We purchased the Britax Marathon 65 after much consultation with mommy friends and online reviews. One website I stumbled upon broke down the pros and cons of the two car seats we were considering (Britax Marathon and Sunshine Kids Radian) and since I found it to be super helpful, I thought I’d share the head-to-head comparison here.

Britax Marathon



Sunshine Kids Radian

• The Britax Marathon is known to be easier to install than the Sunshine Kids Radian.  If you are going to have your car seat professionally installed and then keep it there, this may not be a huge concern; however, if you might be switching your car seat between different cars regularly, then this will be an important factor in your decision

• The Britax Marathon sits up on a base, which makes it higher than the Sunshine Kids Radian.  This is great for younger children, but may be an issue with older — or taller — kids bumping their heads on the ceiling of a compact car when you are getting them in and out of the car seat.  On the other hand, younger children appreciate being higher up, as it gives them better access to the view outside of the window!

• The Sunshine Kids Radian has an eight year expiration, vs. the Britax Marathon, which has a six year expiration.

• The Britax Marathon has a rear facing weight limit of 40 lbs and forward facing weight limit of 65 lbs.  The Sunshine Kids Radian 65 has a rear facing weight limits of 45 lbs, and forward facing weight limits of 65 lbs

• The top harness height of the Britax Marathon is 17″, while the top harness height of the Sunshine Kids Radian is 18″.  Since children generally outgrow car seats by height (rather than by weight), the extra inch of harness height means that the Radian will last you longer as your child grows taller

• The Britax Marathon has more cushioning under the seat, and therefore feels more comfortable than the Sunshine Kids Radian

• In compact cars, the Britax Marathon is far easier to install in the rear facing position.  The Sunshine Kids Radian leans back more and therefore takes up more front-to-back space in the rear facing position, making it very difficult to install correctly in compact cars.  (In the forward facing position, the Radian does not have this issue)

• Parents reported receiving a better level of customer service via phone from Britax than Sunshine Kids

• There is more leg-room for older children riding rear facing in the Sunshine Radian than the Britax Marathon, due to the design of the car seat

• The Sunshine Kids Radian can fold up when not in use to save space, which is a tremendous convenience if you will be doing a lot of traveling out of your the car.  (i.e. on airplanes, trains, etc.)  The Britax Marathon cannot be folded

Car seat safety

We are about to begin our search for Brayden's stage 2 car seat.  How exciting...ish! Although he's still a few pounds away from the weight maximum (22 lbs) for our Maxi-Cosi Mico bucket, we want to be sure we're prepared for when that day comes. In fact, I have a feeling he'll be outgrowing the bucket height-wise before weight.
From everything I've read to-date, Canadian recommendations basically state that once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, it's time to move into a front-facing car seat.  However, I just read an article about how the US has changed its car seat recommendations to rear-facing until 2 years of age. (Thanks for passing this one along, Heather!) You can read it here.
I think we'll be shopping for a stage 2 car seat that can be secured both rear-facing and front-facing.

Early Must Haves

As my hubby and I prepared for the arrival of baby Brayden we relied heavily on recommendations from friends. I have decided to now pass along the knowledge we've gathered from our experience by posting a list of our family favorites.  This post focuses on the items we consider essential in getting started.

1. Skin to skin baby carrier: I had received my Moby wrap as a gift from my lactation consultant/family friend. Skin to skin contact is essential in the first couple of months, especially if you're breastfeeding.  This type of contact with your baby releases all sorts of mothering hormones that encourage milk supply.

2. Video monitor: A huge leap from the monitors our parents used with us, video monitors allow you to hear and see your sleeping baby day or night. We love our Slim & Secure Handheld Colour Video Monitor because when our little guy is fussing, we can check to see if he really needs us.

3. Swing: I was very fortunate to have received the Fisher Price My Little Lamb Cradle 'n Swing as a shower gift from a group of girlfriends.  This swing is worth its weight in gold.

4. UppaBaby stroller: The UppaBaby Vista is available in various stylish colours, has adapters for most popular car seats and has a large basket, which has proven to be very handy in carrying everything from groceries to Christmas presents. We love our stroller.

5. Babywrapper: I love innovative products and the babywrapper is definitely one that I recommend to all parents who are new to bathing an infant. Basically, it's a big, soft towel that you tie around your neck like a bib making the transition from bath tub to towel quick and easy.  Best of all, it's made in Canada! (Thanks for introducing me to this fab product, Genevieve.)

6. Bundle me:  Depending on the season, you'll want to set your infant car seat up with one of these. Brayden was born in November so rather than fussing with snow suits all winter long this was a must.









For the nursing mom
7. Nursing cover: I purchased the Bebe au Lait nursing cover because of the great coverage it provides and its rigid neckline which allows you to check in on baby hassle free. It is available in a variety of colours and patterns so you can nurse in style! I picked up my cover at  Baby on the Hip.


For the fussy baby
8. Exercise ball: Babies love being bounced, and bounced, and bounced.  We found that sitting and bouncing on the exercise ball worked wonders in calming our colic-stricken baby.