Forest Hill, Maryland (PRWEB) September 18, 2015
First Candle, in partnership with HALO® launched a new campaign to educate grandparents on child safety at home and on the road. The campaign was kicked off on Grandparent’s Day (September 13th) with the launch of GrandparentTips.org, an educational resource site designed to not only provide useful information but also to recognize grandparents who are making a difference in their grandchildren’s lives.
In the United States, about 4.2 million homes include grandchildren and grandparents, and over 2.7 million grandparents have primary responsibility for raising grandchildren. After car crashes, home accidents are the leading cause of fatal injuries for babies and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome remains the leading cause of death for infants 1 month to 1 year of age. Ensuring that grandparents have a go-to resource for baby safety is critical.
As the nation’s leading non-profit organization committed to helping all babies reach their first birthday, First Candle recognized the need to provide the latest and most accurate information to this important audience. As First Candle CEO Chris Blake explains, “There are low-cost, high-impact solutions to end preventable infant deaths and support safe environments for young children. With so many grandparents taking care of young children, ensuring that they have a go-to resource for baby safety is critical and an important part of First Candle’s mission.”
The site provides downloadable resources, videos on creating a safe sleep environment, blogs on numerous baby safety topics, product recall information and a Q&A section. Additionally, each month the site will showcase a “Grandparent Hero,” someone who is caring for his or her grandchild and/or has done something to help ensure his or her safety. The first honoree is Beverly Dow, a grandmother in Oklahoma, who’s raising her 8 grandchildren with her husband.
HALO®, a leader in providing safe sleep products including the revolutionary HALO® Sleep Sack® and the Sleep Sack® Swaddle, is the sponsor of this initiative. “HALO is very happy to partner with First Candle to help all the grandparents who care for their grandchildren have access to the latest safety information to protect their loved ones,” states Bill Schmid, founder, HALO Innovations. “Just as new parents are constantly learning about such critical issues such as safe sleep for baby, so too do grandparents need to be up to date on their baby knowledge as well.”
In addition to the website, First Candle will be working with local community organizations to provide child safety information to grandparents in specific markets around the country.
About HALO Innovations: HALO Innovations was founded by Bill Schmid, a professional engineer with over 20 years of engineering experience in airflow technology, a father of four, and a parent who knows first-hand about the tragedy of SIDS. After he and his wife, Cathy, lost their daughter Haley in 1991, Bill began an exhaustive review of the latest medical research available on SIDS. Based on input from leading SIDS researchers, Bill started Halo Innovations with the mission to reduce the number of infant deaths due to SIDS. Through his research he introduced a safer, more convenient alternative to crib blankets, the Halo™ SleepSack™ wearable blanket and subsequently, the patented Halo SleepSack Swaddle. HALO wearable blankets and swaddles are now sold throughout North America and a number of foreign countries, are used in over 1400 hospitals nationwide to educate parents about safe sleep practices. Bill most recently invented the HALO ® Bassinest™swivel sleeper, a bedside bassinet which gives baby his own separate safe sleep space while still being as close as possible to the parent. For more information please visit http://www.halosleep.com or call 888-999-HALO.
About First Candle: First Candle is a leading national nonprofit dedicated to safe pregnancies and the survival of babies through the first years of life. With programs of research, education and advocacy, the organization is working to ensure that every baby is given the best possible chance to reach not only his or her first birthday, but many happy birthdays beyond. First Candle also provides compassionate grief support to all those affected by the death of a baby through a toll-free crisis hotline (1.800.221.7437). For more information or to make a donation, please visit http://www.firstcandle.org or call 443-640-1049.
