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Parents and Guardians Forum>Car Seat Alarm
MyAngels 06:50 PM 08-10-2010
I was watching television the other morning and I saw a short segment on people leaving their infants accidently in their carseats when they were preoccuppied, etc., and in this story they showed a simple device, that was created by NASA I thought they said, that had a pad that sat under the baby with an alarm on the keychain that would warn if your baby was still in the seat if you left the car. I'm wondering if anyone here has seen this, might know where to get it, and any feedback if you've used such a device.

I know it's not a common thing to happen, but I think it certainly couldn't hurt to have an extra layer of prevention for something that would be awful beyond words, if it were to happen.

Thanks for any input.
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QualiTcare 07:52 PM 08-10-2010
i've never heard of it, but i know what you're talking about. i remember one story where a man drove to work and his child died because he forgot to drop him/her off at daycare - so he was locked in the car all day. soooo sad!

a lot of ppl probably think that is crazy, but i was almost at work one morning before i realized my son hadn't been dropped off! he was asleep and i was just thinking about everything under the sun. i had to turn around and barely made it to work in time, but i CAN see how it could happen.

when i was a new mom, i would always turn around and make sure my baby was in the car cus i was paranoid i'd left her carseat on the back of the car or in the parking lot or something. i never DID, but yeah - it can and does happen.

if you remember what the show was called - maybe they have a link on their website to where u can find the device.
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Unregistered 03:41 AM 08-11-2010
I saw the segment also, it was on one of the news channels. I thought it was a good idea for safety issues but absolutely ridiculous that parents would even need to think about using this! I feel foe the people who has lost children to this tragedy but still don't understand how it happens. I just can't clearly understand how people forget their children! I just feel like this alarm is another way for less responsibilty for parents, even though it may be beneficial to others!
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GretasLittleFriends 05:51 AM 08-11-2010
This might sound like a "no brainer" but have you tried searching google for "car seat alarm"? I just did and found that Amazon has a ChildMinder Infant Smart Pad Safety Seat Monitoring System listed that sounds like what you have described. It's $19.99. That is just one of many listed websites that have those types of safety devices listed. They also make them that attach to (or replace?) the harness buckle that goes across the child's chest.
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MyAngels 10:57 AM 08-11-2010
I did a quick google search for it, but didn't come up with anything other than NASA press releases and such. After going back and doing more thorough "googling" I found that NASA developed this technology quite some time ago and can't find anyone to partner with to bring it to market. Apparently there are other people out there who've also developed systems like these and can't get them to market, either.

I did see the device mentioned above and will probably get that, instead. It's just surprising to me that something that (according to NASA, anyway) would retail for less than $30 can't find a company that would be willing to bring it to the marketplace, especially since all the research and development is already done. Oh well.

I do agree, of course, that it seems unbelievable that a parent would accidently leave a child in the car, but I'm sure that all of the parents that this has happened to would have said exactly that before it happened to them.

Thanks for the input.
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jen 11:07 AM 08-11-2010
Actually, I just had a mom tell me that she got all the way to my house before she realized that she had put the baby in the car seat and then forgot to buckle the straps....

sleep deprivation does bad things to a new Mom's brain...
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misol 12:01 PM 08-11-2010
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I saw the segment also, it was on one of the news channels. I thought it was a good idea for safety issues but absolutely ridiculous that parents would even need to think about using this! I feel foe the people who has lost children to this tragedy but still don't understand how it happens. I just can't clearly understand how people forget their children! I just feel like this alarm is another way for less responsibilty for parents, even though it may be beneficial to others!
I used to feel this way too...until I became a parent! Lack of sleep, demands at work, heated arguments with your spouse or significant other, financial problems, etc. all affect your ability to focus 100% on the task at hand. I have never left my baby in the car or anything like that but I have forgotten little things that weren't life or death. It happens to the best of us.

I see it as an added level of protection for those of us who are super paranoid or have a less-than-stellar memory.

If someone is a totally irresponsible parent though, then this alarm probably won't do much good for them anyway.
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kitkat 01:33 PM 08-11-2010
I've never forgotten the kids were in the car, but I have had those moments of, "Oh my gosh, are they in the van?" Yesterday on the way to swim lessons, I buckled DD in her seat, DS was buckling into his booster, and I got in the front seat and started up the van. DS called my name, I answered with an exasperated, "What!?" only for him to inform me I left the van door open. I don't know how I did that, but I clearly did. Sadly, I can see how parents can forget about leaving a baby in the car.

I saw part of an episode on the Today Show where they were talking about that technology and that no car manufacturers would install it even though it was less than $50. I didn't get to see the entire thing, but try looking on the Today Show website and you might find more info.
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Fro 02:52 PM 08-18-2010
I can definatly see how it happens, tho before I had my daughter I also thought that these people must just be horrible parents. I dont think thats the case now.
I had horrible pregnancy brain, Which is just hormones that make you very forgetful. It can take months after the baby is born for the hormones to go away and your memory to heal, Things like depression, or other hormone imbalances can cause it to take longer. This combined with sleep deprivation, and stress can cause you to forget things you never thought you would for a year or more after your baby is born.
I also had postpartum depression after she was born, and am just now feeling like Im getting back to my normal self.
I have never left my daughter anywhere, but I have forgotten to buckle her carseat. I have even left for the store and realized that I forgot to change her diaper or even feed her before we left... (not that she was at risk of starving, just at risk of getting cranky before I was done shopping.)
I have forgotten to eat, or take my slippers off and put my shoes on before leaving the house. Ive walked into the kitchen and forgotten what I went in there for, ect.
So I can definatly see how you could forget that your baby is in the car. (If your lucky enough to have a baby who sleeps and not scream in the car)
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