Safe sleep environments for Infants and toddlers

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From: JCMPelican
To: PHac...@cpsc.gov
CC: dfd...@wcco.cbs.com, dgsh...@wcco.cbs.com
Sent: 4/2/2009 6:35:16 P.M. Central Daylight Time
Subj: Safe sleep environments for Infants and toddlers (U.S. CPSC)

 

SUBJECT:    U.S. CPSC  -   SAFE SLEEPING ENVIRONMENTS FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS    

 

 

Ms. Patricia Hackett     PHac...@cpsc.gov

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
4330 East West Highway
Bethesda, MD 20814

 

Dear Patricia:  

Please review my letter at the following link:

Sleep Sheep creating a tranquil environment?
http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/5137160/

 

 

To date, I have not received a formal response from anyone at the CDC, the EPA,  the NIEHS, Cloud b (manufacturer of Sheep Sleep),  or Mattel, Inc., parent company of Fisher-Price (manufacturer of Laugh and Learn Puppy).  

 

 

While the electric field exposures outlined in my letter above specifically pertain to toys that have speakers (magnets), the following study re PDA's by Sage, Johansson & Sage nevertheless provides support to my concerns:

 

 

Bioelectromagnetics. 2007 Jul;28(5):386-92. Links

Comment in:

Bioelectromagnetics. 2007 Oct;28(7):580-1; discussion 581-2.

Bioelectromagnetics. 2007 Oct;28(7):583-4; discussion 584-5.

Personal digital assistant (PDA) cell phone units produce elevated extremely-low frequency electromagnetic field emissions.

Sage C, Johansson O, Sage SA.

1396 Danielson Road, Santa Barbara, California 93108, USA. sa...@silcom.com

Initial tests indicate that personal and occupational use of personal digital assistants (PDAs or palm-held wireless units) produce high intensity bursts of extremely-low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF). These emissions could result in comparatively high ELF-EMF exposure in persons that carry a PDA close to the body (i.e., in a pocket or on a belt); or held to the head for cell phone conversations. ELF-EMF emissions of 10 microT were recorded on PDAs during normal office use over a 24 h test period. Results of ELF-EMF measurements show that email transmit and receive functions produce rapid, short-duration ELF-EMF spikes in the 2-10 microT range, each lasting several seconds to over a minute apparently depending on file download size. Some units produced spikes as high as 30-60 microT during email activities. Cell phone activity on PDAs produced continuously elevated ELF-EMF readings in the 0.5-1 microT range, as opposed to the rapid spiking pattern for email receipt and transmission. Switching the PDA unit from "OFF" to "ON" position resulted in single ELF-EMF pulses of over 90 microT on two units. Email downloads into the PDA can occur randomly throughout the day and night when the unit is "ON"; thus the user who wears the PDA may be receiving high-intensity ELF-EMF pulses throughout the day and night. The frequency of email traffic on the PDA, and the power switching unit (battery unit) may affect the frequency and intensity of ELF-EMF emissions.

PMID: 17357117 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17357117

 

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Since the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 (Section 104 of the CPSIA) requires the Commission to study and develop safety standards for infant and toddler products and considering the roundtable (announcement below) will focus on "infant sleep environment," it appears to me that it is timely and appropriate for my concerns to be seriously addressed  by the CPSC, therefor allowing for appointment of a specific individual and/or group to follow-up re above facts and also to take appropriate action to inform the public about the vital need to limit electric field exposures in bedrooms.   Infants and children typically seek solace in their parents' beds, so, it is important that prudent avoidance announcements emphasize caution re appliances, telephone equipment and items with speakers (magnets) in all bedrooms.    See my website:    www.guineapigsrus.org  for additional information.

 

Please advise names and contact information, "email addresses," in particular, regarding officials of the CDC who will be in a position to present my concerns at the April 22, 2009, CPSC Staff Roundtable.

 

Thank you for your prompt attention to this very urgent matter!     Joanne

 

Joanne C. Mueller
Guinea Pigs "R" Us
731 - 123rd Avenue N.W.
Minneapolis, Minnesota  55448-2127 USA
Phone:   763-755-6114
Email:    jcmpe...@aol.com    (4-2-09)

 

WEBSITE:  http://guineapigsrus.org 

 

ARE YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN GUINEA PIGS?    Letter 7-22-04 by Joanne Mueller
http://omega.twoday.net/stories/282050/

 

 

                         

Online Registration for the CPSC Staff Roundtable
Cribs and Other Sleeping Environments for Infants

On August 14, 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 was signed into law. Section 104 of the CPSIA requires the Commission to study and develop safety standards for infant and toddler products. The Commission is charged with examining and assessing the effectiveness of any voluntary consumer product safety standards for these products in consultation with representatives of consumer groups, juvenile product manufacturers, and independent child product engineers and experts. The Commission is also responsible for promulgating consumer product safety standards for these products.

The purpose of the roundtable is to consult with interested stakeholders as dictated in section 104 of the CPSIA and to solicit input regarding the adequacy of the current voluntary and mandatory standards. This event will provide an opportunity for attendees to briefly present relevant information, ideas, proposals, or concerns about current or future standards as they relate to the infant sleep environment.

When:	Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where:	CPSC’s Headquarters 4330 East West Highway Bethesda, Maryland, 20814 4th Floor Hearing Room
WebCast:	Portions of this meeting will also be available live via Webcast. Registration is NOT necessary to view the webcast.

 

 http://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/infantsleep.aspx