Trending
STEUBENVILLE -- Aim Women’s Center is joining the national Baby Safety Month campaign to help local families reduce preventable injuries and make safer decisions for infants and young children.
Each September, the Baby Safety Alliance leads this nationwide initiative to highlight everyday hazards and promote evidence-based safety practices for sleep, feeding, car seats, and product use.
This year’s theme, “Before You Try, Verify,” responds to the rapid spread of viral parenting hacks, many of which use baby products in ways that are unsafe or not intended. The Baby Safety Alliance warns that parenting advice now travels faster than the facts, and not every trending shortcut meets current safety standards.
“At Aim Women’s Center, we want to support parents with clarity, compassion, and trustworthy information,” said Rebekah Cohen Morris, Aim executive director. “Baby Safety Month gives us an opportunity to empower families with practical tools that help protect their children every day.”
Accidents remain a leading cause of death among young children in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that about 70,000 children under age 5 are treated in emergency rooms each year for injuries linked to nursery products, many of which are preventable through correct product use and ongoing supervision.
Aim will share weekly safety tips throughout September, helping parents identify reliable guidance, avoid unsafe product trends and understand appropriate product use.
Aim encourages parents and caregivers to adopt the Baby Safety Alliance’s three-step approach when encountering baby-care advice online:
• Pause: Consider whether the tip uses a product differently than intended.
• Verify: Check guidance with trusted sources such as pediatricians, the CDC, AAP and the Baby Safety Alliance.
• Use Safely: Follow manufacturer instructions and confirm products meet current safety standards.
Additional recommendations include: Supervising children closely during product use; selecting products suited to a child’s age and developmental stage; registering baby gear to receive recall notices and inspecting items regularly for wear, damage or missing components.
Cohen Morris mentions that while Aim receives and distributes new and gently used items, center staff does its best to ensure there hasn’t been a recall on them, but recommends that parents do their own research on product safety.
“We always encourage parents to be especially vigilant when purchasing or receiving second-hand items,” she said.