For big items, think in the order borrow, buy used, buy new, and don't buy everything at once

Cost

No extra cost, and what you save is usually counted in thousands of yuan. The hard part is holding back from buying everything at once.

What you get

Strollers, cribs, swaddle blankets and toys are used for a very short time, and the supply on the used market far exceeds demand. For used goods, hold three safety lines. The first is the car seat. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises replacing a seat after a moderate or severe crash, and never using it again. Only a crash that meets all five conditions counts as minor, and then the seat may continue to be used. The five are: the car could be driven away on its own, the door closest to the seat was not damaged, nobody in the car was injured, the airbags did not deploy, and no damage can be seen on the seat. A used seat can be used only if you can confirm all of these: no moderate or worse crash, the label shows the manufacture date and model, no recall, all parts present, and the manual is still there. The manufacture date and model are for checking recalls and whether the seat is too old. The second is the mattress. A Scottish study compared babies who died suddenly with healthy babies of the same age, and looked back at what mattress each had slept on. Sleeping regularly on a mattress that another child had used carried a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (OR 3.07, about 3 times, 95% CI 1.51–6.22). When the mattress came from another household the figure was 4.78, and from the family's own earlier use it was 1.64, which is not a meaningful difference. The authors said the existing evidence is not enough to tell whether the mattress itself is the cause. The third is the crib. From June 28, 2011, the U.S. put new mandatory crib standards into effect, and used cribs must meet them too. The old style with a side rail that drops down was phased out. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says an old crib can only be tested by taking it apart to destruction, so it can give no way to check for yourself. From November 2007 to April 2010, the U.S. reported 147 deaths linked to standard-size cribs. Of these, 35 involved a structural problem with the crib, and 18 involved failure of a drop-side rail. Loose screws caused at least 10 deaths. U.S. law lists inclined infant sleepers as banned products, whatever year they were made, written into regulation in 2023 (U.S. and UK).

Notes

The evidence grade is still C, because the money-saving half has no literature. Each of the three safety lines has a source, but all are American or British. No official advice specifically on used cribs or used car seats was found in China. The mattress study has been disputed: in 1997 a scholar wrote in that household income and bed-sharing would confound the effect of a used mattress. For why a child should ride in a car seat, see §1.10 (car seats). For how a baby sleeps and what goes in the crib, see §20.1 (sleep on the back). This book neither recommends nor rejects postpartum recovery centers (月子会所), early-learning classes and baby swimming pools. But they are all large optional expenses, and the 24-hour cooling-off period described in §5 applies.

Evidence grade

C : The author's experience or common practice, without direct literature.

Sources

1. 省钱部分为作者经验，无直接文献
2. US NHTSA. Car Seat Use After a Crash. https://www.nhtsa.gov/car-seats-and-booster-seats/car-seat-use-after-crash
3. US NHTSA. Used Car Seat Safety Checklist. https://www.nhtsa.gov/car-seats-and-booster-seats/used-car-seat-safety-checklist
4. Tappin D, Brooke H, Ecob R, Gibson A (2002). Used infant mattresses and sudden infant death syndrome in Scotland: case-control study. BMJ, 325(7371), 1007. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.325.7371.1007
5. Blair P, Fleming P, Smith I (1997). Case-control study of sudden infant death syndrome in Scotland. Income level or bed sharing would confound any effect of previous use of mattress. BMJ, 315(7111), 812. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.315.7111.812a
6. US Consumer Product Safety Commission (2010). Safety Standards for Full-Size Baby Cribs and Non-Full-Size Baby Cribs; Final Rule. Federal Register 2010-32178. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2010/12/28/2010-32178/safety-standards-for-full-size-baby-cribs-and-non-full-size-baby-cribs-final-rule
7. US Consumer Product Safety Commission (2023). Ban of Inclined Sleepers for Infants. Federal Register 2023-17350. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/08/16/2023-17350/ban-of-inclined-sleepers-for-infants
8. 冲动消费见第 5 节

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 20, tip 11. This section is about health and medicines. It is general information, not a substitute for a doctor’s diagnosis or prescription. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer