A one-year-old boy was strangled after a lift cord loop fell into his portable crib. Another boy, 13 months old, had his head caught between the exposed inner cord and cloth on the back of a Roman shade. And a four-year-old girl died after being tangled in the loop of a verticle blind cord that wasn’t attached to the wall or floor.
The blinds or shades in the deaths were made or imported by Lewis Hyman of Carson, Calif., and Vertical Land of Panama Beach City, Fla. But four other companies are also recalling their products as well. The massive recall involves about 5.5 million blinds or shades.
Pottery Barn Kids is recalling Roman shades after reports of six kids becoming entangled in the inner cord. Ikea has decided to recall Roman blinds after a 2-year-old boy was nearly strangled in a looped beaded chain. Target is recalling cloth and bamboo Roman shades made by Victoria Classics even though injuries haven’t been reported. Similarly, Lutron Shading Solutions is taking back its roller shades although it hasn’t received any negative reports.
For more info on the specific blinds being recalled, check out the web site for the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Just one more thing that parents have to worry about as kids hit the pool — 4 million swim floats are being recalled because the leg straps can tear and cause kids to fall unexpectedly into or under the water and put them at risk for drowning.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has received 31 reports of float seats tearing; no injuries have been recorded. The affected products are a variety of styles and colors, detailed here. Consumers should contact the manufacturer, Aqua-Leisure Industries of Avon, Mass., for a full refund. Call the company at (866) 807-3998 or visit its Web site.
Every year 16,000 children are injured in lawn mower accidents, according to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission.
Most injuries– such as severed fingers and toes, limb amputations, broken bones, burns and eye injuries – are caused by carelessness and can be prevented.
“Power lawn mowers are dangerous adult tools, but many children, and sometimes adults unfortunately, see them as toys,” said John Canady, MD, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. “Lawn mowing can be dangerous to the operator as well as those nearby if proper safety precautions aren’t taken.”
A coalition of physicians groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, has issued new guidelines on how to keep your kids safe while cutting the grass. Some of them include:
1. Children should be at least 12 years old before operating a lawn mower and 16 for a ride-on mower.
2. Kids should never been passengers on a ride-on mower.
3. Young children should be at a safe distance from the area being mowed.
4. Pick up stones, toys and debris from the area being mowed to prevent flying objects.
Photo by Tod Baker
There’s yet more proof that parents should avoid drop-side cribs at all costs. About 5,000 cribs sold under the names of Babi Italia Pinehurst, Bonavita Hudson and Bonavita Cabana have been recalled.
Authorities have received 33 reports of the drop-side detaching due to failure of the spring pin in the Babi Italia and Bonavita Hudson cribs. Two kids became entrapped and one child fell. For the Bonavita Cabana cribs, there have been 16 reports of the slats falling out of the rails or breaking. No children were injured in those incidents.
The cribs, made in Vietnam and China, were imported by LaJobi Inc. of New Jersey. The Consumer Products Safety Commission says that parents and caregivers should immediately stop using the cribs. LaJobi says that it will pay for technicians to perform in-home installations of a free retrofit hardware kit. Consumers should call LaJobi at (866) 688-9009 or visit the firm’s Web site at www.lajobi.com.
Repeated malfunctioning of drop-side cribs have caused numerous injuries and a few deaths. Major crib manufacturers have decided to stop making drop-side cribs, but tens of thousands are still on the market.
Simplicity-brand portable play yards are being recalled because of reports that one or more rails have collapsed and could cause children to fall or be entrapped.
About 25,000 of the play yards, which include a bassinet and changing table, are affected by the recall, announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The Chinese-made products with these model numbers were sold nationwide and online from March 2005 through January at Babies R Us, Target, Burlington Coat Factory and Kohls. Consumers should stop using the play yards and return them to the place of purchase for a refund or replacement.
About 40,000 “zoo” pacifiers with animal cartoon figures as handles are being recalled because the nipples can easily separate from the base and pose a choking hazard to babies. The products, made in Spain and imported by Healthtex of Miami, were sold nationwide at supermarkets and pharmacies from December 2002 through March. Consumers can receive a refund or exchange from Healthtex by calling the company at (866) 348-5080.
More than 180,000 baby toys are being recalled because their blue metallic fabric can detach, posing a choking hazard for young children.
Infantino LLC of San Diego has received 45 reports of the fabric detaching, but no incidents of injuries. The various infant toys, made in China, were sold at major retailers such as Wal-Mart from June 2007 through February. Model numbers of the affected products are listed here. Consumers can get a free replacement toy by calling the company at (888) 808-3111 or visiting its Web site.
Bikes made by the Electra Bicycle Company of Vista, Calif., are being recalled because the front tray can come loose and make contact with the front tire. Four incidents have been reported to the company, including one that resulted in minor cuts and bruises to the rider.
About 3,000 bikes with these model numbers are affected. Consumers should be able to get a free inspection and repair from Electra bike dealers. For more info, contact the company at (800) 261-1644 or visit its Web site.
Fishing games, baby rattles and pull-a-long cars contain small parts that can easily detach and become a choking hazard for young children. Mini-cars and bubble guns are being recalled because their paints have excessive levels of lead, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced this week.
A total of 39,000 of the recalled toys were made in China and imported by CBB Group Inc. of California. They were sold at various dollar and toy stores from July 2007 through December 2008, and consumers can return them to the place of purchase for a refund.
Photos of the affected toys and their model numbers are here. For more info, call CBB Group Inc. at (866) 628-6238 or visit its Web site.
The law was meant to protect kids from toxic lead levels, particularly in toys. But all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes have lead batteries, and that means they can no longer be sold to young riders.
Parents may be split on whether it’s wise to let Junior ride an ATV, but it seems clear that a lead battery wouldn’t be their biggest safety concern. “I don’t know anybody who has ever wanted to eat their ATV, didn’t know anyone who wanted to lick the battery,” Brian Lackey, owner of B&R Go Karts, told KFDA TV News in Amarillo, Tex.
The law, which went into affect on Feb. 10, wasn’t originally intended for child-sized ATVs and dirt bikes, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. But for now, that’s the way the law has to be applied. Motorbike groups are mobilizing to get an exception granted.
Nine kids have been injured when a end cap dislodged from an “exersaucer” activity table, causing the play center to fall, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced. One child in Canada suffered a broken collarbone; the other received bumps and bruises.
About 213,000 of the Evenflo ExerSaucer Triple Fun activity centers are affected in the recall. The products, made by Evenflo Co. Inc. of Ohio were sold nationwide from October 2006 through this month. Consumers are advised to stop using the activity table in the “stage 3 position.” Contact the company to receive a free replacement end cap at (800) 233-5921 or visit its Web site.
Two children nearly choked on pieces of a toy tool set that unexpectedly detached. About 20,000 of the Playouse Disney “Handy Manny” tool sets were sold nationwide at the Disney Store from October 2007 until January. Consumers are advised to return the toys, made in China, to the Disney Store for a full refund. Additional information is available from the company at (866) 902-2798 or its Web site.
Starting on Tuesday, parents should be able to shop for toys with some peace of mind. A new federal law bans all toys or products for kids under 12 that contain excessive lead and chemicals called phthalates.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission almost made the law moot by allowing toymakers to keep selling products made before Tuesday, but a judge has closed that giant loophole, USA Today reported. The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Paul Gardephe on Thursday resulted from a lawsuit by consumer advocacy groups.
If the judge hadn’t made the ruling, parents wouldn’t have known which toys had phthlates and which didn’t. The so-called safety commission actually suggested that parents call manufacturers, as if busy moms and dads didn’t have enough to do. Phthlates, used in soft plastic toys such as rubber duckies, have been known to interfere with the human hormone system.
“A trip to the toy store shouldn’t require a guessing game on which toys contain harmful chemicals and which toys are safe,” said scientist Sarah Janssen of the National Resources Defense Council in a statement.