Did you know your front driver and passenger seats can severely injure your child? Here's the latest in another excellent report from CBS News Transportation Correspondent Kris Van Cleave on the fight to get regulators to do something about it. Read More From CBS News: "No … [Read more...]
Car Seat Chemicals: Resources for Parents
A car seat is the only consumer product required by law in all 50 states, but critics say many of those seats are unnecessarily exposing kids to potentially dangerous chemicals.Parents don’t currently have the option to buy a car seat without chemical flame retardants, even though … [Read more...]
How I Found “Cancer-Causing” Flame Retardants In My Child… And In Her ‘Green’ Car Seat
I'm not a particularly green mom. Though, as a consumer reporter I've covered enough studies over the years to know I should try to reduce my child's exposure to concerning chemicals (especially those "known to cause cancer"). It certainly never occurred to me that there might be a … [Read more...]
How to Protect Kids From ID Theft… One Year Later
More than a year after my first NewsMom blog on the topic, we finally aired the TV version of "How I Forced the Bureaus to Freeze My Child’s Credit."The two-part TV news series (below) was followed by a first-of-its-kind #FacebookLive chat where thousands gathered to ask me … [Read more...]
Want to Test Your Home for Lead, Concerning Chemicals and Flame Retardants? Here’s How.
A new friend recently asked me about testing her child's room for formaldehyde. She noticed that the newly-installed closet in her nursery had a strange order, and she wanted to make sure it was safe. She sent me a link to a formaldehyde test she found on Amazon and asked for my … [Read more...]
NewsMom Blog Prompts Child Credit Freeze Legislation
UPDATE 9/23/16: The governor has signed California's Child Credit Freeze Legislation AB 1580. California parents can now freeze their child's credit!My first-ever NewsMom blog was titled “Why My Toddler Has a Credit Card.” Six (long) months later, I followed that up with "How I … [Read more...]
Wake The Baby! Don’t Use Car Seats as Stroller Seats
All together now… “That’s unrealistic!”If this was a TV news story, I’d be starting off with a montage of moms rolling their eyes and replying “that’s unrealistic” when I tell them that “the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Green Science … [Read more...]
Why My Toddler Has a Credit Card
SEE FEB 2016 UPDATE: How to Protect Kids From ID Theft… One Year Later Over the years, I've covered far too many news stories about identity theft. I’ve interviewed adult identity theft victims, child identity theft victims, security experts and even convicted ID … [Read more...]
Concerning Chemicals Found in Orbit Baby & Other Car Seats
While picking out car seats two-and-a-half years ago, my husband and I spent a fortune on the Orbit Baby car seat and stroller system solely because we were led to believe there were no concerning chemicals in Orbit Baby.While researching the product (both professionally and … [Read more...]
Child Organ Donation & The “TV Good Luck Charm”
#ReportersNotebook The day after Thanksgiving, I had to work a rare night shift. I was resigned to the fact that I was probably going to be assigned a Black Friday story, and I don't particularly like Black Friday: The crowds are massive, and I end up spending a bunch of money on … [Read more...]