In the December 2008 issue of The Lancet, a case report was published about an 11-month old baby girl who, while playing in her baby walker, fell down a flight of stairs and suffered serious head injuries. The doctors involved in the case issued a call to all governments to ban the use and import of baby-walkers on the grounds that baby-walkers present a potentially deadly but preventable hazard to little children. They are not alone. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly opposes the use of walkers and together with the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions, have called for a ban on the manufacture and sale of baby walkers with wheels.

Parents and caregivers may believe that walkers help children learn to walk. Unfortunately, this is not true; walkers can actually interfere with normal muscle development. Whatever benefits the walker brings are very minimal to the risk and dangers associated with it.

The Parenting Corner of AAP lists the following safety issues:

• Falls – as in falling down the stairs and steps, leading to severe injuries.
• Burns – babies on walkers can reach much higher, making even a single cup of coffee a hazard.
• Drowning – babies in walkers can reach a pool, a bathtub, or a garden pond fast – and then fall.
• Poisoning – again, walkers help babies to reach what is normally unreachable at their age.

These accidents do not only happen when the adults are not looking. Babies on walkers can move very fast and sometimes adults won’t have time to react.

In addition, AAC also gives the following recommendations:

• Make sure there are no walkers at the daycare.
• Make sure there are no walkers at the homes of people you are visiting.

It is said that 2000 children die everyday all over the world due to preventable injuries. Walker injuries are preventable. AAP’s parting shot is “Keep your child safe. . .throw away your baby walker!”

My baby girl is like many other 8-month old babies. She scoots around on her belly, squeals at the cat, giggles when we play peek-a-boo, and loves to empty the Tupperware cabinet. Unfortunately, she also has some other favorite playthings.

Literally, the day she first started “crawling” (if that’s what it could be properly called), my daughter reached out to touch what she’d been looking at for months. What is at perfect eye level with every baby in a bouncer, or sitting on her own? The electrical outlets, of course. Before she was mobile, I never had them covered. Of course, I went out right away and bought some safety caps. I bought some that were almost clear so they wouldn’t look so garish in the living room. But since they are clear, the girl doesn’t necessarily realize they are there. So she scoots over, lifts herself up and tries to suck on them.

Next are the power cords. A friend of mine said her kids always liked them, too. Actually, my daughter’s very favorite power cord is the one on my laptop. I think that’s because it has a transformer box with a little green light on it. I wouldn’t think it would have a particular flavor, but that doesn’t stop the baby from tasting it every chance she gets. Her second favorite is the controller cord on my electric blanket. I really do try to keep things out of reach, but some things just need to stay plugged in.

Something I DO remember to keep put away are plastic bags. But sometimes when I’m cooking dinner, I have the waste basket out. Inevitably, the baby gravitates towards yet another deadly toy. She must just like the way it sounds. Or the way the garbage smells when the whole trash can tips over. Once I forgot to put up the waste basket in my office when she was with me. Aside from the bag lining it, there’s only paper in the can. But my baby likes the taste of paper, apparently. And it sticks really well to the roof of her mouth. So well, in fact, that I didn’t find it until the next morning.

Finally, I saved the best for last. If you really want to keep my daughter happy and quiet for a good half hour, give her a shoe. When we realized how much she adored footwear, my husband kind of rolled his eyes and said something about her being such a girl. But time proved that she doesn’t really want to wear shoes, she just wants to chew them. Now he rolls his eyes and says something about her being a puppy. OK, so maybe shoes aren’t deadly toys, but they are really gross. Come to think of it, the shoelaces could strangle her. And there could be some kind of nasty infectious substance on the soles. So, I guess she’s 4 for 4 on the suicidal playthings. We’re thinking (seriously) about buying her a pair of clean shoes as a toy for Christmas. I could pull out the laces and if they never go outside, they’ll stay as clean as any “real” toy.

Here are some tips for successfully baby-proofing your home.

So, am I the only one with a baby that has a death wish? What do your kids play with that really shouldn’t be a toy?

According to Tara Parker Hope, blogger at Well, the health site of the New York Times, one of the most common mistakes of parents is “sending children out of the kitchen.” She went on to cite studies which showed involving children in food preparation make them more open to try new things to eat.

That’s probably one of the reasons why the NYC Wine and Food Festival 2008 is organizing several sessions for kids – the so-called Kids Get Cooking series of sessions.

The author of the Kitchen Playdates Books series Lauren Deen will bring the flavour of her books and programs to the festival on October 12. In these (free!) sessions for 2 age groups, Lauren will bring the. The session from 3 to 4 pm is meant for kids aged 2 to 5 years old. The second one from 4 to 5 pm is for 6 to 8 year olds.

The Kidz Kitchen for kids between 5 and 16 will be hosted by Food Network’s Rachael Ray on October 11 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm and costs 35 US$.

I am pretty easy going when it comes to letting my boys climb, jump, or run. However, I must admit I am extremely cautious when it comes to the kitchen. My twin boys were seldom allowed in the kitchen until they turned three. I had railings installed that separated the kitchen from the living/dining room. They could see me (and I them) but they couldn’t come near me while I was cooking. Even now, at 5, they’re only allowed to participate in baking cookies and cakes and preparing salads. When it comes to the hot stuff, they are not allowed within a meter of the stove. This is because I had this terrible experience as a child. I was about 8 years old when I bumped against somebody carrying a bowl of hot broth straight from the stove and suffered serious burns on my upper torso. I couldn’t remember the person I bumped against or what happened afterwards. I only remembered the pain that lasted for weeks, maybe even months. It’s something I definitely do not want to happen to my boys. On the other hand, I don’t them growing up uninitiated in the ways of the kitchen. At some stage, they would have to make their own soup and boil their own eggs. I still need to decide at what age they would be ready…

Do you think I am being too careful about this matter? What’s your policy about children’s place in the kitchen?

The day I found out I was pregnant, the lead story on CNN.com was ‘the dangers of caffeine for pregnant women.’ Ah, the Universe loves irony.

A few years ago, I sported a pin on my jacket that read, ‘Give me coffee and no one gets hurt!’ In the past year, I’d ‘cut back’ to about three or four (8 oz.) cups a day. And green tea in between.

I love everything about coffee. The taste, the aroma, the positive memory-associations of sipping a good latte after a great meal. Even as I write this, my heart is pounding in anticipation of a cup of the good dark stuff. In my first job as magazine editor, when things got rough at the office, I’d head to Starbucks for a ‘grande soy latte.’

The evening after I found out I’m pregnant, I went to my sister’s house to tell her. I noticed the fresh pot of after-dinner coffee brewing. ‘Do you want a cup?’ she asked.

‘More than anything,’ I said wistfully.

She gave me a funny look and then she remembered the news I’d just shared; and the study. ‘It’s okay. One cup won’t hurt. I drank coffee through both my pregnancies.’

‘Thanks, Mom, nice to know you cared about me!’ my niece interjected.

‘And they’re both fine,’ she concluded.

When I started experiencing the first signs of morning sickness, oh, about 2 days after the pregnancy test showed up positive, coffee lost its appeal. By the third day, my stomach turned at the scent of coffee brewing.

But the brain forgets quickly, and after a week, I was jones-ing again. By now, the caffeine headaches have gone away, and it’s pure psychological addiction.

The other night, after a particularly good dinner, I brewed myself a cup of decaf. I couldn’t even bring myself to drink it. I don’t know whether it was psychological (I’d always swore I’d never drink decaf) or if the nauseated feelings coffee brought on earlier had ruined it for me.

I’m on a quest for ‘coffee substitutes.’ I still miss the ritual of sitting down with my morning cup, checking my e-mail and preparing for the day. And I still miss everything about coffee; including, especially, the almost-instant energy perk.

It’s almost an identity crisis. Not only do I miss coffee? I miss everything it represents.

I recently tried herbal tea with ginseng. There it was the elevated heart rate, immediate perk, a burst of energy that didn’t even wear off as quickly as a caffeine high. Then I went online and learned that studies were inconclusive in regard to ginseng and pregnancy, but pregnant women were advised to stay away from the herb. Great.

I’ve started drinking VitaminWater Revive, fortified with lots of B vitamins. It hydrates, and B vitamins, as long as you stick to the recommended daily allowance, are healthy. No ‘energy burst,’ but it’s something to drink in the morning.

I’ve resorted to keeping my energy level up the natural way: exercise, limiting sugar and carbs so my blood sugar levels stay steady throughout the day, and a quick 20-minute cat nap when I really can’t take it anymore.

I’m just glad I don’t smoke or drink heavily, because I couldn’t imagine giving up two addictions all in the space of a few months!