Buggy maker Maclaren USA is recalling about 1 million strollers sold in the United States over the past decade after receiving a dozen reports of children’s fingers being amputated when caught in the stroller’s hinges.

Maclaren announced a voluntary recall with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission this week. The recall involves all Maclaren single and double umbrella strollers sold in the United States starting in 1999.

Maclaren is offering consumers a free hinge-cover kit that corrects the defect in the stroller. Models affected include Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.

If you have one of these strollers, click here or call toll-free between 9 AM- 5 PM, 877-688-2326. Both the site and phone lines have been inundated with requests; keep trying if you can’t get an immediate response.

Heated discussions about childhood vaccines are seen on national news channels and are being talked about more openly among parents.

To help sort through the confusion of safety, rights and choices, the following topics will be discussed during an upcoming vaccine seminar hosted by the Savannah Autism Support Group Meeting at the pediatrician office of Dr. Ramon Ramos, 313 Eisenhower Dr.:

• Vaccine laws, recommendations and exemptions
• Mercury/ thermarosal and other additives in vaccines
• Questions to ask your physician or pediatrician: informed consent
• Predisposition to vaccine reactions
• Strategies to increase immune function if you choose not to vaccinate

The meeting will be 6:30-8 PM Tues. Nov. 10. Attendees will go home with a packet of information of guidance and support materials to help you make an informed decision for your child. The presenter is chiropractor Steve Ranicki of Pooler.

For more info, call 912-748-1506 or email Jennifer@ranickichiropractic.com. RSVP requested: Jessica at SavannahGAandAutism@yahoo.com or call: 667-9060.

The Coastal Health District, which includes Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, and McIntosh Counties, has received 1,300 doses of the injectable form of the H1N1 influenza vaccine.

Due to the limited amount of vaccine, local health departments are targeting two of the priority groups recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
• Pregnant women because they are at higher risk of complications and can potentially provide protection to infants who cannot be vaccinated;
• Emergency medical services personnel because they are essential critical response partners and can be a potential source of infection for
vulnerable patients.

County Health Departments are sharing the vaccine with some local obstetricians and gynecologists who initially requested vaccine from the state of Georgia, but have not yet received any. Women who are pregnant are encouraged to contact their personal physician to check on H1N1 vaccine availability.

In other words, if you’re looking for the shot-version of the swine flu vaccine for your kids, you have to wait.

“We do not have enough quantities at this time to give the vaccine to everyone who wants it and we ask for the public’s patience and understanding as we move forward with our vaccination efforts,” said Dr. Diane Weems, Coastal Health District Chief Medical Officer. “Eventually, we hope to have enough vaccine for everyone.”

Last month, the Coastal Health District received a limited supply of the H1N1 Influenza nasal spray vaccine, available for children. Click here to find out more.

Health departments will not charge for the vaccine; however Medicaid, Medicare and some private insurance can be billed for a nominal administration fee.

Your waistline, your children’s teeth and your children’s teachers will thank you. Here’s where you can donate that excess Halloween candy,

*Operation Gratitude sends care packages to U.S. troops overseas. You just pay to ship to California, but an extra $11 donation covers overseas postage.

*Any Soldier and Operation Shoebox will also let you donate candy.

*Ronald McDonald House Charities accepts candy donation for kids. Search for a local branch here.

If anyone knows of any local shops, food pantries, pediatric wards, nursing homes, churches or synagogues that have candy drop-offs, please comment below or on our SouthernMamas Facebook page here. Also, anyone have any tips on ‘encouraging’ kids to donate their candy?

Check out the fabulous prices @ See Jane’s Beauty Bar, Savannah’s ultimate chic and cheeky destination for exceptional manicures, pedicures, waxing, brow grooming and facials.

Custom facials from as low as $20. Brow shape waxing for $15. Custom built lashes for $20. Plain Jane Manicure for $15. Signature manicure for $20.

Almost as enticing as those prices: BEAUTY BAR HAPPY HOUR is every Thursday night. Receive a complimentary cocktail with every service, treatment or purchase from 5-9 PM.

See Jane Apothecary + Beauty Bar is @ 323 W. Broughton St. Click here for more info. Tell them SouthernMamas sent you! Tel. 912.234.1080. Email: info@seejaneshop.com

See Jane is also Savannah’s hottest socializing space for group bookings such as bachelorettes, bridal showers, girls’ night out. Click here for more info on excusive use of See Jane. For all bookings, the hostess gets a free pedicure.

Have you noticed all those misleading “Smart Choice” labels on cereals like Kellogg’s Fruit Loops and “Healthy Choice” labels on General Mills’ Cocoa Puffs?

Cocoa Puffs a healthy choice? Not many parents would fall for that.

Researchers at Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity analyzed the marketing and nutritional content of breakfast cereals and found that kids are a big target for heavy marketing of sugary cereals

Check out the home page of their new report, Cereal FACTS (Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score) The lowest-scoring cereals, nutrition-wise: Kellogg’s Corn Pops – Chocolate Peanut Butter and Quaker’s Cap’n Crunch w/ Crunchberries.

The top-scoring cereal, from a nutritional standpoint: Kashi’s Puffs — 7 Whole Grains Puffs. The cereal most heavily marketed to children: General Mills’ Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Here’s the full report.
 
The FDA plans to step in and take a closer look at misleading labels and plans to develop a nutritional gold standard for products labeled as “healthy.”

Just for Baby & More offers more than nursery and youth furniture, apparel, gifts and accessories.

The locally-owned and operated store at 7701 Waters Ave. also hosts occassional classes including an infant CPR course in their store 10 AM-2 PM Sat., Nov. 14

If an emergency strikes, your first line of defense is to rely on your abilities to save the life of your child. You need to be prepared. One way you can do this is by getting trained in Infant CPR. For nearly a century, the American Red Cross has prepared people to save lives through health and safety education and training. Just for Baby & More – a sponsor of SouthernMamas – recognizes this great need to help those with children lead healthier and safer lives.

The class is open to the public. Cost: $35 per person or $60 per couple. Class fee includes instructional manual, supplies, certification card and a light lunch. To participate, email casey@justforbaby.net or call (912)355-4455 to register.

CPR is a simple and very effective lifesaving technique training lay responders to overcome any reluctance to act in emergency situations and to recognize and care for life-threatening respiratory or cardiac emergencies in infants. Make sure you are familiar with the procedure as you never know when you may need to use it.

Chances are you’ve heard about Cabell Stewart, the Savannah infant who was in need of a heart transplant to survive.

Little Cabell has received a heart and is finally home from Atlanta. Read an update about Cabell in this column “How do you thank someone for saving your child?” and find out how you can help him and his parents, Amy and Brad Stewart.

Their story is an example of the importance of organ donation. But the Stewarts had to endure the agonizing experience of waiting for a miracle for their baby while at the same time knowing another family is going to have to face death for Cabell to live.

Elaina Redick, the 4-year-old daughter of Dr. Kimberly Redick, a Rincon dentist, and David Redick, died Sunday. The Richmond Hill child’s daycare/preschool at the Savannah Christian Preparatory School closed Monday and today.

Elaina fell ill with nausea early on Saturday morning. She was taken to Memorial University Medical Center on Saturday and passed away early Sunday afternoon. Doctors have not yet determined the cause.

Local health officials also are hesitant to say H1N1 was the cause.

Here’s the link to the letter about this heartbreaking case on the Savannah Christian Preparatory School Web site.

Does this unspeakable loss make you more concerned about the H1N1 threat, even though this is not a confirmed case of the swine flu? Does it make you want to take advantage of the availability of the H1N1 flu mist vaccine at the Chatham County Health Department?

Novel H1N1 flu has claimed the lives of 86 children in the U.S. since the outbreak began in April, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About two-thirds of those deaths have been in children with underlying medical conditions such as muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy. A typical flu season sees about 50-100 pediatric deaths.

What are you doing to keep your young children healthy during this frightening time? Here’s the link to the CDC page on H1N1 and the seasonal flu.

See readers’ responses on our SouthernMamas Facebook page here.

This week, a lucky SouthernMamas reader will win a $25 gift certificate to the new planet-friendly online shop SproutBaby, which sells Sprout Foods, the organic baby chow created by celeb chef (and dad) Tyler Florence.

Check out the rules below to enter to win:

•Visit SproutBaby.com, click on Shop and tell us what product you’d love to buy by commenting below this post.
•Entry period closes 9 pm Thurs. Oct. 15. Please tell us your name. We’ll pick a name at random and announce the winner Fri. Oct. 16.
•You have to be a SouthernMamas subscriber to participate. Subscribing is free. Click here to subscribe.

SproutBaby.com is the brainchild of parents and professionals that saw an unexplored area of parenting and shopping and wanted to bridge the gap between making healthy choices and making easy choices.

As SproutBaby.com grows to include more options to fit more needs, the company will provide comprehensive, eco-conscious, e-commerce and social shopping which is centered around making it easy to make mindful decisions about the products parents choose to put on, in and around their children and families.

Love your baby. Love the planet.

The swine flu vaccine is here.

The Coastal Health District in Chatham County has received an initial shipment of 3,200 doses of the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine. The shipment was part of the initial batch of 54,800 doses of H1N1 vaccine received by the state of Georgia. The doses are being distributed throughout the District’s eight counties which include Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, McIntosh, Liberty, and Long.

The first shipment is in the form of a nasal spray which contains live attenuated influenza vaccine (live virus). The spray cannot cause the H1N1 flu; however, as with seasonal flu vaccine, some minor side effects could occur including a low-grade fever, runny nose, nasal congestion or cough.

Because the first vaccine allocation is small and consists of the nasal spray only, the Coastal Health District is following recommendations by the state of Georgia to target young children (primarily ages 2 to 4) with the initial vaccine doses.

Health departments will not charge for the vaccine; however Medicaid, Medicare and some private insurance can be billed for a nominal administration fee.

Click here for more info.

Help is available for Chatham County parents of children who wander due to autism.

At this month’s Autism Support Group Meeting, representatives from the Chatham County Sheriff ’s office
will demonstrate how Project Lifesaver works, give you information on how to enroll your child or loved
one in the program and answer any other questions about the Project Lifesaver Program.

The primary mission of Project Lifesaver is to provide timely response to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children who wander due to Alzheimer’s, autism, and other related disorders.

Citizens enrolled in Project Lifesaver wear a small LoJack® SafetyNet™ personal transmitter around the wrist or ankle that emits an individualized tracking signal. If an enrolled client goes missing, the caregiver notifies their local Project Lifesaver agency, and a trained emergency team responds to the wanderer’s area. Most who wander are found within a few miles from home. Search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes.

The Project Lifesaver demo is 6:30 PM Tues. Oct. 13 at Kicklighter Academy, 7219 Seawright Dr., Savannah. Childcare will be provided on a fi rst come first serve RSVP basis. RSVP for childcare to Jessica Allshouse at 912-667-9060 or by email at savannahgaandautism@yahoo.com.

When the ultimate SouthernMama Paula Deen appeared on “The View” on ABC Tuesday, host Barbara Walters questioned her about pushing fattening food for children. Deen was on the show to plug her book, “Paula Deen’s Cookbook for the Lunchbox Set.”

“This is a cookbook for kids. Obesity is the No. 1 problem for kids today. Everything you have here is enormously fattening,” said Walters as she sat by the famous chef. “You tell kids to have cheesecake for breakfast. You tell them to have chocolate cake and meatloaf for lunch. And french fries. Doesn’t it bother you that you’re adding to this?”

All things in moderation, counseled Deen. “No, I’m not saying they should eat like this every day,” she said.
Walters said Deen’s book is hardly a lesson in moderation. “Not when you’re giving them this!”

Sounds rough. But if you actually watch the clip, Barbara’s comments don’t sound nearly as scolding. Still, some are making a big deal out it and saying Walters accused Deen of contributing to childhood obesity.

Perhaps Barbara was just using the childhood obesity questions as a way to pick on our homecooking queen for another reason: the report that Paula Deen shot the pilot for an in-the-works syndicated talk show that will have a format similar to the “The View,” but with a focus on parenting and motherhood. Paula is supposed to be in the matriarch role on the show, similar to Barbara’s role.

What do y’all think?
Was Barbara right to ask some tough childhood obesity-related questions?
Or did Barbara appear a little bit hungry and perhaps a tad jealous about the possibility of having Paula Deen as a daytime talk-show host rival?

Forget about getting your child’s flu shot at the Chatham County Health Department.

The Health Department has seen a record demand for seasonal flu vaccine, providing more than 2,700 doses thus far to the community. As a result of a delay in shipment of expected doses ordered, the Health Department will temporarily be unable to provide seasonal flu vaccine as a walk-in service at its Eisenhower and Mid-Town facilities effective Sept. 22.

The Health Department does not have a firm date for expected arrival of the additional vaccine, but will let the public know as soon as the flu vaccine is again available.

It is still early in the year. The Health Department anticipates the ability to offer the seasonal flu vaccine in time for individuals to develop immunity before the peak of the flu season.

The Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society Buddy Walk Festival will be held Saturday, October 3rd in Forsyth Park.

The fourth annual Buddy Walk is a one-mile walk in which anyone can participate without special training. Registration begins at 8 AM and costs $12 per person (which includes a t-shirt and a meal).

The walk kicks off at 10:30 AM, and the festival for the whole family is from 11 AM to 2 PM, offering rides, food, games, music and more.

For more information or if you would like to support families touched by down syndrome by registering to walk, please call John or Candy Bogardus at (912) 728-8505 or click here to register online.

Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department recently held a news conference to discuss the dangers of co-sleeping and increasing incidents of infant overlay. Infant overlay – a preventable death – occurs when an infant child dies as a result of the suffocation resulting from co-sleeping with adults or older children.

Child overlay is a national problem that has become more frequent in the Savannah-Chatham area. Metro Police is teaming up with local professionals to inform and educate the community in preventative measures to prevent these types of deaths.

As early as 1999, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned parents and caregivers about the dangers of placing babies to sleep in adult beds.

A CPSC study published in the October 2000 issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that placing babies to sleep in adult beds puts them at risk of suffocation or strangulation.

This is a danger of which many parents and caregivers are unaware. The study revealed an average 64 deaths per year to babies under the age of 2 years placed to sleep in adult beds, including waterbeds and daybeds. A review of incident data from January 1990 to December 1997 linked adult beds to at least 515 baby deaths.

Would appreciate hearing what SouthernMamas readers have to say about the issue of co-sleeping with infants. There are obviously benefits to co-sleeping not addressed here. Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Certainly, sleeping products are available to make co-sleeping safer. What’s your take?

Here are some safety tips from SafeKids when it comes to leaving kids in vehicles.

As temperatures increase and family schedules change, parents and caregivers should avoid leaving children unsupervised in or near vehicles.

Children in vehicles under extreme heat conditions are vulnerable. Heat stroke, a life-threatening emergency, can occur in temperatures as low as 80 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on humidity levels. Body temperatures higher than 105 degrees Fahrenheit can cause permanent brain damage or even death, especially among children.

Other serious injuries occur when children get entrapped in trunks or when they set a vehicle in motion leading to crashes.  Recommendations include:

 Make your car safer. Always keep car doors and trunks locked, even in the garage or driveway, to keep kids out. Treat it as the multi-ton, fast-moving enclosure and piece of machinery that it is. Keep the rear fold-down seats closed to prevent kids from getting into the trunk from inside the car

 Supervision is key. Even if the windows are down, never leave your child unattended in a car. Never leave your car keys where children can get them. Teach children not to play in or around cars. If a child is missing at home, check the car first, including the trunk

 Adopt safety-focused behaviors. Consider placing your purse or briefcase in the back seat as a reminder that you have your child in the car. Be sure everyone leaves the vehicle when you reach your destination

 Notification plan. Consider having your child’s teacher or childcare provider call you if your child does not arrive when expected

 Get involved if you see a child alone in a vehicle. If they are hot or seem sick, get them out as quickly as possible and call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

Another important aspect of car safety is making sure that your car itself is safe. If it’s older and might not be the most up to date vehicle you should consider selling your car to Ecology Cash For Cars. They are a company that will purchase your car from you even if it’s old.

Sometimes we all need to be reminded to appreciate how fortunate we are to have healthy children.

Which is why you should check out my newspaper column this week about a Savannah baby who needs a new heart to survive.

Amy and Brad Stewart have to miss out on so many joys of first-time parenthood as they try to help their 7-month old son while he waits for a donated heart. But the worst part is having to see their son, Cabell, sick, hooked up to tubes and confined to a hospital.

Read Cabell’s story here and follow his progress on by going to CarePages.com where Cabell’s site is IHeartCab.

The second annual Pink Tea is 2- 5 PM Sun. Aug. 9 @ Wilmington Island Club.

The event features food, drink and fun. You can mingle while visiting booths of various local businesses and organizations. There will also be crafts for kids and face painting etc. Moms are encouraged to bring young children.

Tickets go on sale this Wed. July 15. Click here for locations where you can purchase tickets.
Hale Tea will be serving their “special” teas again this year.

The tea benefits Savannah’s Young Survival Coalition, which serves as a point of contact for young women living with breast cancer. The Young Survival Coalition (YSC) works with survivors, caregivers and the medical,research, advocacy and legislative communities to increase the quality and quantity of life for women diagnosed with breast cancer ages 40 and younger.

If you would like to have your business be a sponsor for the Pink Tea, click here.

Help is coming for children with epilepsy.

Children’s Medical Services, St. Joseph’s/Candler, the Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia, and UCB biopharma, are teaming up to provide a free educational workshop on epilepsy. The workshop will be 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Wed. July 15 @ Candler Hospital’s Marsh Auditorium (5353 Reynolds Street in Savannah). Refreshments will be provided.

The session will focus on various types of epileptic seizures, the appropriate first-aid for seizures, and the different treatment options available. The workshop will also address the impact that seizures can have on a child’s academic abilities and quality of life.

The goal is to help educate family members and friends of children with epilepsy along with daycare providers, school nurses, pediatric medical practice staff members, social workers, and teachers.

The workshop is free. Registration is encouraged. Call Children’s Medical Services at 1-866-647-0010.

From June 8 – June 22, or until funding runs out, you can join the bone marrow donor registry for FREE. It normally costs $52.

Becoming a donor is very easy to do and you may be the ONLY match for someone needing a life saving transplant. Dawn was unable to find a suitable marrow donor in the bone marrow donor registry.

Go to this site here and click “JOIN”.

Need a motivation to do so? Visit this blog about a 28-year-old Charleston, S.C. woman who was unable to find a match and lost her battle with leukemia.

Add this to your list of health concerns: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is having second thoughts about letting kids play on ground-up tires at playgrounds, according to this Associated Press article.

EPA scientists are worried they don’t have enough information about potential health risks from chemicals in the rubber. Here’s a quote from the article: “Communities from New Jersey to Oregon have raised concerns about children touching, swallowing or inhaling lead, metals and chemicals such as benzene, zinc and breathable particles from synthetic fields and play yards.”

Good luck.

Few local doctors will do VBACs (vaginal birth after a c-section). An article in this week’s Time magazine, “The Trouble With Repeat Cesareans,” shows how the choice to give birth vaginally isn’t even there for an increasingly number of women. C-section is the only apparent option. Read the article here.

From Time:

…the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN), a grass-roots group, recently called 2,850 hospitals that have labor and delivery wards and found that 28% of them don’t allow VBACs, up from 10% in its previous survey, in 2004. ICAN’s latest findings note that another 21% of hospitals have what it calls “de facto bans,” i.e., the hospitals have no official policies against VBAC, but no obstetricians will perform them.

I recently wrote about repeat c-sections vs.  VBACs in my Savannah Morning News Column here.

If you’re looking for a VBAC-friendly obstetrician in the Savannah/Hilton Head Island-Bluffton area, check with The Midwife Group and Birth Center, 1692 Chatham Parkway, Savannah.

While the practice doesn’t do VBACs, because they must be done in a hospital, they can refer you to a doctor who does.

The goal @ the Birth Center is to prevent c-sections in the first place. The center has a very low c-section rate.

“The Birth Center” offers an open house every month for prospective families or just the curious. You can also visit “The Birth Center” on Facebook. Tracey Adams has developed a group called “The Friends of The Midwife Group and Birth Center”. It is fun and it is informative. Click here.

To register for an upcoming open house @ The Birth Center, call 912.629.6262. It is free and open to the public.

Operation Red Meat is under way @ our house, now that my toddler has been diagnosed as slightly anemic thanks to my distaste and distrust of mainstream meat. So now my guilt-ridden grocery store shopping sprees involve lots of over-priced grass-fed, hormone-free beef.

Are you also wary of conventional meat, but tired of shelling out big bucks for organic beef @ grocery stores? Then check out the Savannah Food Co-op, which helps families obtain healthy and sustainably-produced food and dry goods at affordable prices.

The co-op, started by some innovative local moms, offers primarily regional organic produce, Georgia-produced natural milk and butter, Georgia-produced organic pasture-raised ground beef, Georgia-produced artisanal pastured cheese, Midwest small-farm-produced organic yogurt, local pastured organic eggs, locally-made natural baked goods, fair-trade organic locally-roasted coffee, and natural drugstore items.

Read a Savannah Morning News Article here by Mary Landers about this much-needed local service and check out the co-op here.