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GreatDad.com Review Policy: The featured product for this review was provided to us, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. We do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing or writing about products. We only review products that we have personally tested and used in our own homes, and all opinions expressed are our own.
Avoiding Sports Injuries (Video)
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Nurse Mark visits DadLabs to let parents know how to recognize sports related injuries and when to take your child in for a doctor visit. Learn what kinds of injuries to watch for in youth sports like soccer, baseball, swimming and gymnastics.
Popularity: 1%
2009 Booster Seats compared – Britax Parkway SG
We’re doing a roundup of car seats unveiled at the 2009 ABC Kids show, the major annual convention for baby and kids products.
This year, the biggest story on car seats in general was in side impact head protection. While car seats have made major advances, this is still an area where more technology can save young lives. There were also at least 2 new seats developed to evolve with a child from 20 pounds to 100.
In this series, we will look at the following seats:
1. Graco Nautilus 3-in-1 (previously reviewed)
2. Britax Parkway SG
3. Safety 1st Complete Air car seat with Air Protect
4. Evenflo Symphony 65
5. Clek Oobr
We’ve had the classic plaid Britax booster for years and have found it to be a simple and versatile booster seat. Face it, like the proverbial best camera, the best booster is one that gets used. If kids hate the booster or it doesn’t fit the car or can’t move from car to car, it has less value. That said, new improvements in car seat technology, including boosters makes it worth it to consider upgrading your seat since experts would love to see kids up to 100 lbs. sitting in boosters to prevent “submarining” (sliding under the seatbelt in a collision) as well as to improve side head protection.
The newParkway SG is a good choice for a moderately priced booster that can grow with your child.
Some basics:
Good for kids 40 -120 lbs
“True Side Impact Protection” to shield the head, as well as sides in a collision, as well as EPS (energy protective foam liner)
Retractable cup holders
Adjustable head restraint
Pros:
1. Simple to use. Throw it in the back seat and it’s ready for the child to belt over.
2. Slide guard is an improvement over old designs that is easy to use and prevents “submarining” sliding under the belt in an severe accident
3. Product details promise easy use for three across seating (we did not test this since we only had one seat).
Cons:
1. Back and booster harder to separate than previous models. Must be lined up and slid together. This might become frustrating if you have to do it a lot for two different kids.
2. Seat not tethered when kids not in seat. Seat can become a projectile if not belted down when not in use.
GreatDad.com Review Policy: The featured product for this review was provided to us, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. We do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing or writing about products. We only review products that we have personally tested and used in our own homes, and all opinions expressed are our own.
Popularity: 2%
Children’s Defense Fund asking for help to insure kids
Having lived in France and seeing how a nationalized insurance plan works, I’m a big advocate of universal coverage for all Americans, rich, poor, illegal immigrant or whatever. You may not agree for whatever reason and I can respect that since it’s a complicated issue. But I would think one thing all Americans could agree on is the need for universal coverage of children who, through no fault of their own, might not have coverage. While the country has real financial woes today, I can’t imagine how, as wealthy as we are, we can actually let American kids die for lack of insurance. Emergency rooms are not the answer. They need real care for chronic and serious ongoing ailments, not just for emergencies.
The Children’s Defense Fund, a non-profit child advocacy organization that has worked relentlessly since 1973 to ensure a level playing field for children, has launched an urgent digital campaign to mobilize thousands of supporters nationwide in Champions for Children’s Health Stroller Brigades to tell Congress that health care reform must provide all children with the care they need no matter where they live.
I want to help spread awareness about the inequity in the proposed health reform legislation and show supporters how to communicate directly with their Members of Congress. If you want to get involved, visit their site here: http://www.childrensdefense.org/strollerbrigade/
An astonishing 8.1 million uninsured – and millions more underinsured – children could be left worse off after health care reform – a fact that has received little attention in the mainstream media.
We need to take action and to let our Senators and Representatives know that we demand that children not be left behind in health care reform now.
Thanks for considering joining this effort.
Popularity: 1%
Have a beer, save a life from prostate cancer
Happy to help on this awareness campaign. All it takes is to just to remember to ask for the PSA test to be added to your blood workup next time you’re in for a physical. It’s no big deal.
Pints for Prostates is a grassroots effort to reach men with a critical message about prostate cancer screening using the universal language of beer.
Started by prostate cancer survivor and drinks journalist Rick Lyke, the goal of the program is to communicate with men in a friendly and non-threatening way about the need for regular prostate health screenings and PSA testing.
Recent studies have shown that PSA screening does a great job of discovering prostate cancer but doesn’t translate into many saved lives. Some prostate cancer is so slow growing, it does not cause death, but screening can’t predict how fast a man’s cancer will grow.
Without that knowledge, PSA screening can also lead to needless treatment that diminishes quality of life. Some men choose surgery or radiation treatment, and that can cause impotence and incontinence, at least temporarily. Others opt for “watchful waiting.”
The news is confusing to middle-age men who have been urged to get the test annually to reduce their chances of becoming a casualty of the No. 1 cancer killer of men.
Despite the American Cancer Society guideline that men start getting routine PSA screening at 50, Lyke thinks men ought to start at 40.
“If I had waited till I was 50, I would have been in serious trouble, he said. “The goal for Pints for Prostates is to make men aware. You at least need to know what your PSA is. What you do with that information is up to you. You have to talk to your family about it, and you have to talk to your doctor about it.”
[From Pints for Prostates » About]
Popularity: 1%
New Homedics Restore Water Purifier and Sanitizer is a good tool if you live in an area with a potentially unsafe water supply
We recently tried the Homedics Restore Water Purifier and Sanitizer. Based on the included documentation, it’s a good choice if you have concerns about the cleanliness of the water in your area. At the same time, we found there was no discernible taste difference between water purified by the Biomedics model versus our old fashioned Brita filter.
The Homedics “machine” is a new water filter on the market and provides both Brita-style filtering of water as well as ultraviolet light sanitization. The Homedics unit is proven to kill 99.9999% of bacteria, 99.99% of viruses and 99.95% of microbial cysts every time with a special UV bulb that will always deliver the required kill rate and will not f ade over time. At the same time, water purification and sanitization are extra steps that require some dedication and may seem more bother than they are worth, again if your water supply is very safe. Purification requires pouring water into the reservoir and letting it go through the filter two times before the 8 cup container is full. Then, you need to flip a switch to allow the sanitization feature that cleans the water to work, after which you push another button to turn on the electric light which is plugged into the wall. All this is a bit of effort if you have a family drinking multiple quarts of water each day.
UV sanitization does have many advantages over chemical sanitization, as reported by the National Drinking Water Clearinghouse.
• Has no known toxic or significant nontoxic byproducts
• Has no danger of overdosing;
• Removes some organic contaminants;
• Has no volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions or toxic air emissions;
• Has no onsite smell and no smell in the final water product;
• Requires very little contact time (seconds versus minutes for chemical disinfection);
• Does not require storage of hazardous material;
• Improves the taste of water because of some organic contaminants and nuisance microorganisms are destroyed.
We found the system pretty easy to use and self-explanatory, with the following performance issues and questions:
1. The lid fell off onto the counter as we tried to pour the last few drops of water into our glass. This appears to be a design flaw.
2. While the manufacturer has gone way out their way to install a fail-safe system into the machine so it won’t appear to sanitize if the bulb mechanism is not working, there is no way to verify if each human operator has sanitized the water. If you did live where clean water is a significant issue, this would be cause of major concern.
3. The filter type is different than the Brita system with less distribution, so you’ll have harder time replacing the filters every few months. (Brita is sold by Clorox so has very wide distribution.)
At about three times more for the sanitizer feature (vs Brita) and the added hassle to make it worth it, you should weigh the value in your area.
Popularity: 1%
