Productopia | Family & Pets

Buying a gift card is simple, but not all cards are alike. Store-issued cards generally don't have any associated fees or expiration dates. But bank-issued cards, such as the Discover gift card or Visa gift card have fees and expiration dates that can turn a good gift sour.

Your best bets are flexible store cards that are good at several different retailers like the Gap GiftCard, which can be used to shop at Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, Athleta and Piperlime.com. And among bank-issued cards, the American Express gift card is the best pick; the company recently dropped maintenance fees entirely. Our updated gift card report has the scoop on buying and using gift cards, plus best-bet picks.

The Maclaren website and phone system were overwhelmed to the point of crashing yesterday as worried parents tried to request repair kits for their strollers. This comes as a result of a massive recall of every single Maclaren stroller sold in the United States over the past 10 years. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, twelve children lost fingertips when they were caught in the strollers' hinges as they were being folded and unfolded. Reaction among parents ranges all the way from shock to apathy.

It's not yet official, but the news has been leaked to New York's Daily News and was on CBS News this morning. Maclaren, in cooperation with the Consumer Products Safety Commission, is poised to recall every umbrella stroller it's made since 1999 -- more than a million models -- including several of the strollers recommended in our reports on umbrella strollers and double strollers.

According to the Daily News, 12 children allegedly suffered amputated fingertips when their fingers were caught in one of the stroller's hinges. Maclaren will send consumers guards for the hinges, which should correct the danger.

Own any Baby Einstein DVDs? Unhappy that your child isn't smarter as a result? Well, now you can get your money back. Depending on which articles you read, the refund offer -- which has been available since September but was only splashed around in the media this week -- is either a hangdog admission of fraudulent marketing or the result of a one-woman smear campaign against Disney, the parent company of Baby Einstein.

With all the baby carriers on the market today, no wonder new parents are befuddled. Soft front carriers (like the venerable BabyBjorn) support the baby vertically, but without many other options. Meanwhile, cloth slings cradle the baby in soft fabric both vertically and horizontally, but they can be a pain to put on and take off. The same goes for wraps and mai tais -- neat concepts that come with a learning curve. Our recent update covers which types and brands might work best for you.

This week, The New York Times and other outlets reported that American Express would drop monthly fees associated with its gift cards effective immediately. Until now, and as we reported in our analysis of gift cards, a $2 monthly fee kicked in if you had not used your gift card within 12 months. It's pretty easy to see how the fee would quickly whittle away the value of your card. The fee drop applies to all American Express gift cards -- even ones you already own.

One new infomercial offering, the "Your Baby Can Read!" program, continues to catch many a parent's eye. Its claim: For 200 bucks, Dr. Robert Titzer, (who possesses a PhD. in human performance--he's not an MD) promises that his program can teach children as young as 3 months to read.

 A quick peek at the product's web site reveals the infamous kit, which includes five movies, several books and a deck of "Word" flash cards--oh, and yes, a lengthy list of glowing parent reviews.

Along with standard double strollers like the Graco Quattro Tour Duo or Maclaren Twin Techno, parents can also choose from some alternatives. The highly-rated phil&teds Sport Buggy (shown at left) converts from a single stroller to a double stroller with an optional second seat that fits below the main one. That's not the only interesting design available to parents, either. For instance, the Joovy Caboose Ultralight features a toddler-sized rear 'running board', while the standard main seat can accommodate a younger child. For more on these and other double strollers, be sure to check out our new report update.

You can find a cheap inflatable U-shaped neck pillow in pretty much any airport shop, but with a little forethought, you can choose a much better travel pillow for a long flight, train ride or car trip. In our new report on travel pillows, we found that experts gave the best reviews to the $27 TravelRest pillow, which doesn't look anything like one of those U-shaped neck pillows.

One car seat that has proved itself in the past with owners, parents and safety experts is again judged an excellent infant car seat. The Graco SnugRide is still the best car seat on the market, according to reviews. Parents say the SnugRide is easy to use, comfortable and easy to install in most cars. The primary complaints lodged against this car seat are that its fabric isn't very breathable and that bigger babies will outgrow it before age 1. You can read about the Graco SnugRide and alternatives in our newly-published infant car seat update.