Tagless Tag Bites Babies

And then there were rashes, mysterious yukky rashes. And what’s worse than mysterious yukky rashes? Answer--mysterious yukky rashes on babies. Argh!


On October 24, 2008, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning to parents about tagless labels in Carter’s brand kids and babies wear. It seems the tagless tags printed on the back, inside of Carter's clothing for infants is causing skin rashes on and about the necks of babies who wear the clothing. The CPSC states that “a small percentage of babies and infants have developed rashes on the upper back after wearing Carter's clothing with heat-transferred, or tag-less, labels.” A small percentage? Gosh, it's a wonder they bother to mention it at all.

Still, the CPSA must do their duty and send a mild warning to the public. And as usual the warning is accompanied by pictures and information about the labels.

So, guess where the suspect clothes are manufactured? Which country would be making such weird, rash inducing tagless tags for our kids? Come on, we’ve played this game before, just guess. Go ahead, guess...

You got it. China!

Again.

Hey, hey! Go China! Go China! Go China! It's not your birthday, but still congrats, on another dumper on the US consumer. Go China. Go China.

No, really. GO CHINA! Leave us alone!

*Sigh*

But to be fair, some of the suspect labels and clothing (as displayed on the CPSC website, as well as the Carter’s web site) are also from other countries such as the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia.

But, I'll wager a $1 bet that when the dust settles, the toxic trail will lead right back to our big ol’ smilin' friend, China. Maybe ol' big red provided the paint or the know how or just the idea to these other countries. Maybe it's something as simple as giving them a wink and a nudge and pointing out that big dumb sucker in the corner who will buy their crappy stuff for a good price...ie. the US or rather, us.

What to do?

Well, once again I urge you to buy clothes that are safe, made in the USA, eco-friendly and cheap. In other words, buy used.

There are so many reasons to buy used stuff but only a few to buy new. For one, why buy new, when there are clothes already here, just waiting for good homes and someone to love them? Hmmmm...where have I heard that before?

Never mind.

And if you are determined to buy safe, USA made, Carter’s brand clothes for your little ones, then I suggest you accept the reality you will buy them second hand. I assure you, you aren’t imagining that Carter’s used to be made in the US. They were, but now they’re not.

Still, some people hate buying used stuff. Why? They want everything new and shiny. But this concept is not new, it's old. It's the old stuck-in-the-rut of consumer-hungry-commercially-fed-corporate-puppetmaster-to-slave-brain-implanted compulsion. We want new, because the commercials say we want new, because they want our money.

What's really new, is choosing to buy used...when you can afford new. That's new, and smart.

Remember garage sales? Remember how much fun they used to be? And how about shopping at your local thrift store, (not Goodwill, they’re corporate and greedy), wasn't that fun or at least satisfying on some basic level?

If you can't or won't get out of the house to browse the re-purpose sites, then you might check out your local online give away or Freecycle group. You'd be surprised at the stuff people just give away for free. And lastly, if you're really desperate for Carter's, there’s always eBay.

But don’t forget to check out some of the links to the sites listed on the (right) side column of my blog. You won't find Carter's or OshKosh B'Gosh (as they are both SELL OUTS) but you may find something you like better and something less destructive to our economy and our environment.

Now, excuse me but I’ve got to help my daughter-in-law weed out some Carter’s from my grandson’s chest of drawers. Seems she slipped in some foreign goods when I wasn’t looking and now she's in a tizzy realizing her mistake.

Kids.

Baby Safe Feeder

We are lucky enough to have a sweet new baby in our house.  Before he was born, his mom,  my daughter-in-law,  ran across a promising looking little item. It seemed like a good idea. So she put it up and waited for the right time to use it. 

Well, the time finally arrived.  We started using the strange looking little gadget a few weeks ago.  And as it turns out, the item wasn't just a good idea, it was a great idea!

The item I am talking about is called the Baby Safe Feeder by Designs 2-U, Inc. 

The BSF is an odd looking little made-for-babies gizmo. It consists of a mesh bag on a plastic ring with a handle. It is a simple tool designed to help get the baby (and the parents) through the ever trying period called Teething. Ouch!

While using the BSF over the past few weeks, we discovered not only is it easy to use, safe for baby and eco friendly but it works just like it is supposed to work.  Best of all, the baby loves it! In my opinion, that rates as one totally successful product.

And as if all that isn't enough, then get this . . . the BSF is made, where? Right here in the USA. Yay!!!

FYI: To use the BSF, just unscrew the ring from the handle, insert a clean mesh bag (they are washable and re-usable), fill with a  piece of fresh fruit and replace the ring, screwing on tightly.  Hand it to the baby of your choice and then stand back and watch the slobbering and chewing begin.

The BSF has been great for keeping our baby occupied for several minutes at a time, as well as giving him a means to eat fruit without the danger of choking. He just gums away to his heart's delight. (Warning: Bib recommended.)

And if you're thinking I have a hidden agenda here, think again. Once more let me lay this disclaimer out there -- I am in no way affiliated with this company or product. I am just trying to share the discovery and promote buying USA made.

Poisoned Infant Formula

Remember the poison pet food from China? 

Well now it's baby formula from China.

So far, 4 infants in China have died and over a thousand are seriously ill from melamine tainted formula, according to The Australian News online.  The Chinese people are in an uproar of course. Parents there are scrabbling to buy imported formula.

As a grandmother of an new infant, I am very worried. He is a breast fed baby usually, but when his mom goes to work he drinks formula.  

According to the Food and Drug Administration, we have no need to worry, however.  The agency assures us, the public, that babies in the USA are safe from the poison formula. The statement on the FDA web site claims all US made baby formula is closely monitored and tested. 

But oddly, I could find no clear statement that none of the ingredients come from China, or other imported sources. And so, I went to Gerber's website and searched for information on the subject there, but found no mention of either the melamine issue or an assurance that their products are safe.

So, I called their customer service line and got a representative named Renee. She was a little vague on the subject but said Gerber (Nestle) was "aware" of the problem and she was certain none of their ingredients came from China. When I asked why there wasn't a mention of this fact on the Gerber web site, Renee didn't have an answer. She simply said the web site was "in transition." Hmmm. Odd.

Meanwhile Mead Johnson, the makers of Enfamil, have issued a statement denying any Chinese or other imported ingredients are used in their infant formulas. They are pretty clear in their denial. Let's hope they're telling the truth.

Abbott Nutrition, the makers of Similac, have likewise issued a statement of assurance. Their statement claims all ingredients come from the USA, New Zealand and Europe. They, like Mead Johnson, swear their formulas have no ingredients from China, nor contain melamine.

I want to feel relieved. I want to trust our government and the assurances of US corporations. But I still remember all the pets who got sick and died from food that appeared American made.  I also remember how long it took before the government took action and the corporations pulled the items from circulation.  And as I recall, it didn't say anywhere on those packages--Made in China.  Yet there it was, a silent poison wrapped in fancy packaging and sold by US companies to its citizens. 

I just hope the FDA is right this time. I hope that American companies who sell baby formula have maintained their safety standards. I hope we don't have another disaster in our midst.

Meanwhile, I'll hold my breath and continue to buy Made in USA, fingers crossed.

Speaking of Sell Outs: Baby Jogger

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As I stated in my About Me section, I am about to have a new grandchild in the family. We expect him/her to arrive in April `08. So, of course, everyone in the family is excited and fluffing the nest in anticipation of the little stranger. We are hunting and gathering items, hoping to find good, safe, eco-friendly, MADE IN USA, products.

One of the items we have been searching for is a stroller, any stroller, made in the US. So far, we have had zero results in this area. My daughter-in-law checks every time she shops in a store that carries strollers. I have Googled repeatedly, searched every stroller maker’s website I can think of and even set up a Google alert which sends me search results daily. Still, we cannot find any US manufactured baby strollers.

I thought I had finally found one when I came across The Baby Jogger. I had seen it mentioned several times by other bloggers, as well as on several websites, each stated it was a US company which manufactured baby (jogging) strollers in the US. I went on their web site to investigate. Their About Us/History page briefly mentions the original maker of the baby jogger stroller as “Phil Baechler, a local newspaper journalist” who established "The Baby Jogger Company” in 1984. The rest of the page is bloated with boasting about the “high quality” and claims to be the “leading designer and manufacturer of high performance jog strollers.” Wow, I thought. Perfect!

So, just to be sure, I emailed the Sales department and asked if I could tour their factory. Here was the response I got:

BJ Sales
to --- <-----@gmail.com>,
date Jan 21, 2008 9:07 AM
subject RE: Product question about baby joggers

hide details 9:07 AM (10 hours ago)

Reply

Dear -----,

Thank you for taking the time to contact the Baby Jogger Company. Our products are manufactured in China, not the US, and unfortunately it is a private factory that is not open to the general public.

Please let me know if I can answer any further questions for you.

Sincerely,

Erica Jutzin

The Baby Jogger Company

800-241-1848 x1139 (PH)

804-262-6277 (FX)

ejutzin@babyjogger.com

www.babyjogg

er.com

www.dynamicbrands.org

*Sigh*

So, we are still searching for a baby stroller manufactured here in the USA. If anyone out there knows if such a thing exists, please email me ASAP.

TIA