This product recall is a little different than others in that it isn't actually a product recall. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Simplicity 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 convertible "close-sleeper/bedside sleeper" bassinets do not meet the safety standards regarding spacing of the metal bars and pose an entrapment and strangulation hazard to infants. The products would be recalled, but SFCA Inc., the company which purchased all of Simplicity, Inc.'s assets at public auction in April, 2008, refuses to recall them. SFCA claims they are not responsible for products previously manufactured by Simplicity.

Clearly somebody needs to be responsible for the products because according to the CPSC, two infants have already strangled to death between the bassinet's metal bars - a 5-month old girl earlier this month and a 4-month-old girl in September of 2007. Since SFCA won't recall them, the CPSC is issuing a warning and urging all consumers to share this warning with day care centers, consignment stores, family and friends to ensure no more children are injured or killed sleeping in this bassinet.

The Simplicity 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 convertible bassinets have metal bars spaced farther apart than the 2 3/8 inches maximum allowed by federal crib safety standards. The metal bars are covered by an adjustable fabric flap which is attached by Velcro. The fabric is folded down when the bassinet is converted into a bed-side co-sleeping position. If the Velcro is not properly re-secured when the flap is adjusted, an infant can slip through the opening and become entrapped in the metal bars and suffocate. This warning does not cover bassinets produced in recent months that have fabric permanently attached over the lower bar.

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Do you read parenting books? For real, as in from cover to cover? Did you get anything at all out of the book? Was it overall a great buy with an excellent philosophy, or was there at least one nugget of sage advice that has helped you shape your parenting style? If the answer to that last question was yes, then perhaps parenting books are good for you. For others, not so much.

I remember when I first started writing for ParentDish--way back in the Blogging Baby days. I was pregnant and trying to figure out if I had what it took to be a parent. I bought oodles of parenting books and tried to plow through them as best as I could. I found lots of conflicting information, some of it outdated. I had lots of conversations with other parents and got more of the same. I even asked them what parenting books they recommended. Some loved certain books, some hated said books. One such book was "What to Expect when You're Expecting." I wrote a post about that and got innumerable comments of both praise and abhorring. So it is with any sort of parenting advice.

Once you become a parent, generally all the things you were so scared of dissipate. You become more confident in your decision making and parenting abilities. Most of the time, you actually become a better wife, daughter, friend, sister, etc. in the process. Did the parenting books help? Maybe, maybe not. Being a parent did. The things we all fear--that we'll be bad parents, that we'll hurt our children, that they'll be taken from us through our own negligence--seem to go away the more we actually practice parenting. And that means whatever parenting style comes most naturally to us or works out best for us. And it is different for every person. I don't think it really matters how much attention you paid to WTEWYE--you're probably doing OK in the mommy or daddy department. Parenting books, if you actually have time to read them (see: before children) might offer some insight, but only you will be able to determine the right approach to raising your kids.

I love being pregnant, and I love having kids. I love breastfeeding. But I hate, and hate is really not a strong word compared to how I actually feel, nursing bras. They're all terrible. First of all, they're gigantic. Breasts become fuller with milk, of course, so they get bigger...and bigger, and bigger and bigger until they feel like they're going to burst. Hence, once needs a giant bra for the giant breasts. I can get behind that--it's rational and makes sense.

What I don't understand is why they have to be so hideously ugly and not actually provide the support required to tote around said enormous breasts. And while I may be funny, I'm also being dead serious. I have three or four (I think I banished one it was so awful) nursing bras from various manufacturers that were clearly designed with someone who either has never had breasts swollen with milk or who never wanted to look even remotely attractive without her shirt on. Those with underwires are uncomfortable. Those without lack any real support.

There's also the issue of the bras never quite managing to hold onto the breastpads placed in them to keep them from getting covered with milk leakage. I have had, however, quite a bit of success with Lily Pads, which are technically designed to be worn under things with which one can wear no bra or at night when one doesn't want to wear a bra to bed. Some women have reverted to wearing regular bras in larger sizes or just going braless all together.

What about you? Do you hate nursing bras, or have you found one that answers your prayers? Do you have a trick for making them more comfortable, or at least more tolerable?

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According to a recent report, infections may be the cause of many premature births. Studies showed the more serious the infection, the more likely the premature birth and the sicker the infant. Studies also reported finding bacteria or (yick!) fungi in 15% of the amniotic fluid of women who'd given birth prematurely. Premature children are known to have an increased risk of everything from problems breathing and underdeveloped organs to cerebal palsy.

Prevention, of course, is the key. Twelve percent of births in the United States occur before the 37th week of pregnancy. Just how many of these could be preventable? The team responsible for conducting the study of infected amniotic fluid now have their sights set on detecting the infection before preterm labor starts and treating it.

The researchers studied 166 samples of amniotic fluid from pregnant women during the period of 1998-2002. They detected 25 were infected with the bacteria, fungi, or...what might be a new organism (very X-Files). All 25 infected women went on to preterm labor. Fifty-three women in whom no bacteria, etc. was detected, were able to have their preterm labor stopped.

Pic by zakwitnij.

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Is there a downside to breastfeeding? A new report from the New York Times might have you thinking so. In a recent article, several studies monitoring a lack of vitamin D in infants might support that breastmilk is not enough to prevent things like rickets in children. The biggest fear is that the deficiency is more common than previously thought and is going undetected. Breastmilk apparently does not necessarily provide enough of the vitamin to children.

Doctors, of course, are rare to say anything at all negative about breastfeeding. Unlike perhaps even fifty years ago, women are being told that they simply must breastfeed, that they are wrong for not doing so, and that breastmilk is the ultimate wonder food for their infants. This may well be true, but the medical profession that's been pushing breastfeeding down our throats has also admitted to knowing there is a probable link between vitamin D deficiency and diseases like diabetes and cancer.

The answer, of course, is not to stop breastfeeding, but rather to augment a child's nutrition by adding vitamin drops, or, my favorite, cod liver oil (yummy!). The other pretty obvious answer is that if a woman is deficient in something, so, too, will be her breastmilk. Mothers should be getting plenty of vitamin D themselves in order to pass on the right amount to their infants. That should be good news to those of us who are committed to breastfeeding exclusively for as long as possible. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and my own pediatrician recommend supplementing with the vitamin D drops.

Thoughts? I for one drink enough milk while pregnant and nursing to keep a small dairy in business. Is it enough? Who knows. Did you supplement breastfeeding with vitamins for your infants or enjoy a little cod liver oil?

Pic by timtom.ch [surfin' USA].

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Every state in the U.S. now has what is called a "safe haven" law. Intended to prevent unwanted babies from being abandoned just any old place, the law allows desperate parents to leave their babies at hospitals with no questions asked.

Until recently, Nebraska was the only state without a safe haven law. But about a month ago, they passed their own version and added a unique twist. Unlike other states who are trying to protect newborn babies with the law, Nebraska wants to protect all unwanted children and therefore allows a minor of any age to be abandoned at a safe haven hospital. What's more, the law doesn't even specify that it must be a parent who abandons the child. Which means the babysitter, the neighbor or anyone else can surrender custody of a child.

Adam Pertman, a frequent critic of safe-haven laws is especially critical of this one. "Whether the kid is disabled or unruly or just being a hormonal teenager, the state is saying: 'Hey, we have a really easy option for you,'" he says.

So far, there has been no reports of children of any age being abandoned at Nebraska hospitals since the law went into effect.

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Jason Lee, star of such films as Mall Rats and lead in the wildly popular My Name Is Earl series, is a daddy again. Apparently the birth was kept under wraps as sources say the child made her debut August 10th. What's more exciting about this birth is really what Mr. Lee plans on naming this kid.

Lee's first child, a four-year-old son with ex Beth Riesgraf, has the infamous distinction of being named Pilot Inspektor. No, not a typo, that is indeed the child's name. (She must have been on some serious medication to have agreed to that.) Ever since then we've been waiting for the other shoe to drop. And now it has.

The name of the tot, a girl, was not available as of this writing. Let's hope Lee's new partner Ceren Alkac is able to convince him toward something a little less...well, you know...unusual. Not that unusual is bad. And let's just say Lee has some big shoes to follow--not only from his own son, but now too with the birth of Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale. That's going to be a hard one to follow up. Let the naming games begin!

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Mr. Ripley might be talented, but he's is also getting grossly outnumbered by the fairer sex in his household!

The addition of a new daughter to the family means Matt Damon will now have to negotiate with four women in order to get a little time in the bathroom: wife Luciana, stepdaughter Alexia, two-year-old Isabella, and newborn daughter Gia Zavala.

Little Gia was born on Wednesday. Damon's rep reports that the newest Damon girl is healthy and beautiful and that she and her mother are doing well.

As for Matt Damon, the sexiest man alive doesn't appear to mind living in an estrogen-filled environment in the least. "[I'm] taking the rest of the year off," he told USA Today. "I'm just hanging out with my family."

Now that's some sexy talk right there!

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When I gave birth twenty-something years ago, nobody really prepared me for what breastfeeding would be like. I have every intention of doing it, but was shocked to find out just how much it hurt. I ended up giving up pretty quickly because of that pain.

These days, mothers are better informed than I was, but a new study finds that many who give up on breastfeeding do so for the same reason I did. The study, from Brigham Young University, finds that while three out of four new moms start out breastfeeding, 36 percent of them have quit by the time baby is six months old.

Renata Forste, a professor in the sociology department at BYU, says the discomfort that comes with breastfeeding is a common reason for women giving up. "A lot of women don't understand the discomfort,'' says Dr. Forste. "They aren't necessarily prepared for that. There is sort of an expectation that it's a very natural process - bring the baby to your breast and it's very simple. But it's not. I think it's much more complicated than that. It requires a lot more support.''

She also notes that even though more women are being encouraged to breastfeed than ever before, the social support really isn't there. Returning to work or just trying to have a life outside of the home is difficult when you are trying to breastfeed. Especially when so many people seem to find feeding a baby in public to be unacceptable behavior.

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If reports are to be believed, Gwen Stefani has had her baby. The tot, sex and name unknown at press time (and if Perez Hilton don't know then nobody knows!), was born to the singer this Thursday in California. Not sure if anyone actually cares that Stefani is a mom again, what with all the media frenzy surrounding the Jolie-Pitt twins, but I for one am excited to see Gwen take on motherhood X 2.

Stefani checked into the hospital and delivered the new arrival via C-section. Gwen's other child, Kingston, who she had with husband Gavin Rossdale, was born at the same hospital two years ago via the same procedure. You know what they say--it ain't Hollywood if it ain't a C-section. And they won't seem to let you have a VBAC even if you are interested in a natural birth after you've already had a C.

According to sources, the name of the baby is Zuma. You know, like Zima only with a "U." I seriously doubt that's the kid's name, but given the climate in la-la land these days anything for a name goes. Maybe she'll go hog wild and name the kid Jane or something.

Updated to add: The wee one's name is indeed Zuma -- in fact, it's Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale. That's a mouthful, but it's a mouthful with meaning; according to The Baby Name Wizzard, this is a nod to a new trend in naming. And People has the full dish on where the name comes from. Just in case you're really curious.

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In some families, the original isn't always the best when it comes to fathers. For 'fragile families', described as low-income urban families prone to non marital births, mothers say that stepfathers are often more engaged, cooperative and willing to share responsibilities than married biological fathers.

A new study finds that while married biological fathers and stepfathers may be almost equally engaged with the children themselves, it is their interaction with mom that often makes stepfathers better parents. The mothers surveyed reported that stepfathers shared their parental views and were more open to talking about their parental wants than natural fathers. Rebekah Levine Coley, a developmental psychologist at Boston College, says this is probably because stepfathers "have to work harder to fit in and to have a useful productive role."

Coley says the findings contradict the popular view among social workers and experts that dads are more invested if the child is of their own flesh and blood. "I think this research does, to some extent, call some of those assumptions into question," she said.

The conclusions were made after interviewing 2,098 urban mothers from the The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study and will be published in the Journal of Marriage and Family.

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Who knew that former party girl Nicole Richie was such a giving and charitable person? I think that the way she has turned her life around and started giving back to those less fortunate is wonderful and I applaud her efforts. And apparently she has only just begun helping children - here and around the world.

Through the Richie-Madden Children's Foundation, Nicole is launching an online gift registry that will help needy mothers and their children. Families in need can sign up through local social service agencies and submit a list of the things they need for their children. Asked-for items could include cribs, blankets and other essentials. Donors could then look at the registry and choose what they want to contribute. Initially, the registry will benefit families in New York and Los Angeles, but the hope is to take it nationally and then internationally.

I think this is fantastic idea and love the idea of being able to choose a family to give to and personally pick out what they receive. Way to go Nicole!

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Ghazala Khamis made history last week when she gave birth to seven apparently healthy babies via c-section, making her only the second mother ever to successfully give birth to septuplets. The children, four girls and three boys, all appear to be doing well and range in weight from 2 pounds to 4 pounds. Khamis recently told the media that she has only seen her children via TV, but that she intends to try and breastfeed them all. (Can you even imagine? Newborns feed up to 12 times a day. Twelve multiplied by seven equals... when do you go to the bathroom?)

Khamis and her farmer husband, who earns only £2 a day, one or two days per week, underwent IVF to conceive the children, in a desperate attempt to have a son. The couple are already parents to three daughters. Now that the babies are here, family members are concerned about how they'll care for them. The government has pledged free diapers and milk for two years, but what the family really needs, says Khamis's brother, is a home.

When I was in labor with our second (and last) child, I teased my husband that if he wanted a son, he was on his own, because two times through labor was enough for me. He reassured me that he was perfectly happy with his mini-brood of two girls. The pressure that women must feel in cultures that revere sons over daughters must be extraordinary. Khamis can breathe easy now that she has three sons, but the risks she had to take to get there had to be overwhelming, as their life will likely be from here on out.

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In a draft report recently issued, the Federal Drug Administration has concluded that Bisphenol A is safe --at least when used in food containers. Commonly known as BPA to consumers, the chemical can be found in all sorts of children's products as well as cars, plastic food containers and lining aluminum cans.

This most recent study was one of two funded by the industry itself. Gee, of course any study funded by the industry that stands to make money off it is going to come out with data supporting a chemical's safety. There rationale is that people are exposed to so little of it that it won't do them harm. In other studies BPA has been found in 93% of testees' urine and has been known to cause cancer and behavioral disorders in lab animals. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) supports the findings as well.

Opponents of the decision say the study agencies don't have enough data to support their findings that BPA is safe. The country of Canada has banned the use of BPA and products containing the chemical, and national retail chain giants Wal-Mart and Toys R Us are set to remove all children's merchandise containing the chemical from their shelves as of January 2009.

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Sometimes, no matter how much you plan and prepare for something, things just don't go quite right. Like when you go into labor 6 weeks early while driving home from the mall. And the only other person in the car with you is a sleeping two-year-old .

But you gotta do what you gotta do and Jessica Higgins did it. When the Fullerton, California woman went into early labor, she managed to dial 911 as she arrived at her home. She came thisclose to actually getting inside her house, but baby Mary Claire had other plans. By the time help arrived, Jessica had already given birth to her daughter - right there on the front lawn!

I don't know if the two-year-old woke up before the excitement was over, but at least dad arrived in time to cut the umbilical cord under the front-yard ficus tree. You know, if there ever was a perfect spot to bury a placenta, I'd say under that ficus tree is it.

As for early-arriving Mary Claire, she weighed in at 5 pounds, 11 ounces and is reportedly doing just fine.

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