Carter's tagless onesies

Amy Muir, the mother who first brought the Carter's tagless apparel issue to us more than a month ago, contacted an L.A. television station, which has launched their own reporting on the issue. Here's their first story. Carter's handed them the public statement they'd written at our request, and the station is now working on a follow-up piece; if you live in Southern California and have a story to share, call the station.

Our Carter's contact stated that the manufacturer of the tagless labels would not share whether their products contain low levels of phthalates or specify other chemicals that might be causing the reaction. She emphasized that they had passed ASTM testing. They appear to be consistently offering refunds to consumers who call in to report skin reactions. We are still working on this story.

Booster seat safety

Our reporting on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's booster seat tests drew a lot of interesting comments, some criticizing the basis of the study or its findings. Laura Bower, a representative at the Kyle David Miller Foundation, wrote in to make sure parents recognize the value of a booster and the necessity of using one after a child outgrows even the highest-range five-point-harness seat. Bower wrote in our comments on The Tranquil Parent:

Most children need to use a booster seat until they are 10 or 12 years of age. This is until they can pass the 5 step test -

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?


2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?


3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?


4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?


5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

If you answer "no" to any of the above questions, then your child still needs to sit in a booster seat. Also note, that a child can pass the test is one family vehicle, yet fail it in the other. Some states have laws of 8 years and 80lbs - but again these are minimums and the 5 step test above should be your only guide as to whether your child can ride without a booster seat.

A CBS affiliate ran a report on the study, which is mostly a rehash but includes some good visuals showing a good vs. bad fit on a booster.



Thanks to SafeMama for pointing us to the CBS report.