Friday, July 16, 2010

U.S. to Ban Drop-Side Cribs in Infant Safety Overhaul


July 14 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, citing 153 deaths in the past four years, voted to ban drop-side cribs in the agency’s first across-the-board overhaul of regulations for infant beds in almost three decades.

“We’ve seen a number of tragedies because we had such a weak crib standard,” CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum said today as the agency voted 5-0 to approve a notice of proposed rulemaking. The agency was following a mandate from Congress, she said.

A spate of company recalls involving more than 9 million drop-side cribs over five years led the government to warn parents in May to stop using the products because of suffocation and strangling risks. The new rules would ban the sale of new and used drop-side cribs and prohibit their use in hotels, day- care centers and other commercial facilities.

“The proposed rule is a very strong standard that will address all aspects of crib construction and provide an effective margin of safety,” Commissioner Nancy Nord, the CPSC’s senior Republican, said in a statement. “I do have a concern, however, about the effective date and that the retroactive nature of the” rule may have consequences.

“We certainly do not want to create a situation where people stop using cribs and place their babies to sleep in unsafe environments,” Nord said.

Pottery Barn Recall

Regulators will review public comments before making the rules final by the end of the year, Tenenbaum said. The agency last approved a comprehensive crib standard in 1982, she said.

Drop-side cribs have been popular because one side can be raised or lowered on tracks, providing parents with easier access to the bed. Infants can suffocate or be strangled when the hardware fails and a side detaches, creating a gap.

Other crib hazards involve added soft bedding, insufficient mattress support and broken slats. The agency has documented 153 crib deaths since Nov. 1, 2007, including 65 suffocations.

Williams-Sonoma Inc.’s Pottery Barn Kids business today recalled 82,000 of the cribs for hardware than can break. The CPSC said it received 36 reports that the cribs’ drop-sides malfunctioned or detached, resulting in seven minor injuries. The cribs were sold from January 1999 through March 2010.

LaJobi Inc., owned by Kid Brands Inc.; Bexco Enterprises Inc.’s Million Dollar Baby unit; Jardine Enterprise Ltd.; Simmons Juvenile Products, and Child Craft Industries Inc. recalled drop-side cribs in June.

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, which has started a crib-safety initiative, is offering consumer information on its website. There’s a list of manufacturers and downloadable guides to safe sleep on the site, the CPSC said.

--Editors: Romaine Bostick, James Langford.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jeff Plungis in Washington at jplungis@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Larry Liebert at lliebert@bloomberg.net

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Free Back to School Physicals

Raphael Health Center is offering free back to school physicals on July 15th and 16th. Physicals include vaccines, school/sports exams, heart ultrasounds, lead, anemia and blood sugar screening, obesity screening, and sports mouth guards. The center is located at 401 East 34th Street Indianapolis 46205. If you are in need of a physical please call them to schedule an appointment at (317) 926-1507.

Love Your Child's Care Childcare, LLC Presents Ms. Bobbie live in Concert


Looking for something fun to do with your little ones?
Love your Child's Care Childcare's would like to invite you to attend their
Back To School Celebration feturing the well known children's artist Ms. Bobbie Lancaster.
When: August 14th from 1 to 4 pm with the concert starting promptly at 2 pm
Where: 2220 Sloan Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46203
Cost: Free Will Donation
Please bring a blanket or lawn chair so that you can enjoy the children's concert.

Indianapolis Symphony Band to perform on Northeastside


By Gretchen Becker


A Northeastside park will host a concert Saturday featuring music with Indiana connections.
The Indianapolis Symphonic Band will perform an "Indiana Highlights" concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the sledding hill at Fort Harrison State Park, 5830 N. Post Road, said Jeff Cummings, park spokesman.

The concert will feature music from Hoosier composers such as Cole Porter, born in Peru; Bloomington native Hoagy Carmichael; and Paul Dresser, who was born in Terre Haute.
Professional and amateur musicians from central Indiana are in the Indianapolis Symphonic Band, which has performed more than 50 years.


Concertgoers should bring blankets or chairs and may bring food and drinks. Dogs are also welcome.


The concert is free. Park entry fee is $5 for in-state cars and $7 for out of state cars.
The rain location is the adjacent Ivy Tech auditorium.
For more information, call the park at (317) 591-0122 or visit the band's website at http://www.indyband.org/ .

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Indiana Black Expo Celebrating its 40th Anniversary

July 16-Indiana Black Expo History Exhibit: Celebrating Our Heritage: This year Indiana Black Expo Inc. will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. Come be a part of it all as IBE presents “Celebrating Our Heritage” July 16-18 in the Cultural Arts Pavilion located in the Wabash Ballroom of the Indiana Convention Center. This historical exhibit is an interactive experience which highlights organization leaders past and present as well as year round events and programs. “Celebrating Our Heritage” is presented as a part of IBE’s annual Summer Celebration being held the week of July 11-18. For more information on IBE’s Summer Celebration and a list of events visit http://indianablackexpo.com.