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Baby gear
- Babies need lots of stuff to stay safe and comfortable.
- Get a car seat and make sure you can install it correctly.
- Be sure any pre-owned items are cleaned and the right size.
Strollers
Newborns cannot sit up, so your baby needs a stroller that lets him lie on his back for the first few months.
Shopping tips
Shopping tips
- Buy a stroller that fully reclines, so your infant can lie flat. When you do have the stroller fully reclined, make sure the leg openings can be closed off. Otherwise, your baby may slip through.
- Look for a model with a five-point harness or a sturdy safety belt and a crotch strap.
- Check that the frame is sturdy. Look for stickers from ASTM International (American Society for
- Testing and Materials) and JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association). Strollers with these stickers meet voluntary safety standards.
- Make sure there is a canopy to protect your baby from sunlight, rain and wind.
- Test several models. How easily does the stroller move and turn? Does the parking brake hold? Can you easily lift and carry it? Open and close it? Adjust the backrest?
- Mail in the registration card. That way, you will be told if the stroller is recalled. You can also check recalls at recalls.gov.
Safety tips
- Follow the directions for setting up and using the stroller. Make sure the frame and the infant seat are locked into place. Listen for the click and then jiggle the frame.
- Always use the safety straps.
- Always use the parking brake when the stroller is stopped.
- Never leave your baby alone in the stroller.
- Keep your baby and any other children away from the stroller when you are folding or unfolding it. Little fingers could get pinched.
More safety tips
- Do not hang heavy bags on the handlebars. The stroller could tip over.
- Do not use pillows, thick or fluffy blankets, quilts, a mattress, or a cushion. Your baby could suffocate.
- Do not run with an infant less than 6 months old in a jogging stroller. Infants do not yet have good head and neck control, so this could be dangerous for them.
For more information, visit Babies & Kids on the Consumer Reports website.
June 2008
Copyright 2008, Consumers Union of United States, Inc. All rights reserved. No redistribution allowed.
