Posted by Marianne Frederick
"How do these things ever get on the market if they are so dangerous?" worried parents ask. It is one of the worst experiences for parents when they learn a hazard is so serious that a piece of childhood furniture endangers the lives of their infants and young children. The CPSC is now urging parents to immediately stop using crib tents and play yard tents made by Tots in Mind, Inc. due to strangulation and entrapment hazards.
The CPSC has learned of 27 incidents of the crib and play yard tents failing and causing injuries to children and one death of a child that occurred between January 1997 and April 2012 from crib tents and play yard tents made by Tots in Mind, Inc. In 2008, a 2-year old boy became trapped between the bottom and top rails of a play yard tent and died. In 2007, a child sustained a traumatic brain injury when the crib tent inverted and trapped him at the neck. The additional 25 reports involved inverted crib tents and entrapment between the crib tent and the crib or play yards, three of which involved injuries to children.
The CPSC has issued an urgent voluntary recall and the retailers that sold the crib tents/play yards will provide a refund or a full store credit, depending upon from which retailer the crib tent/play yard was purchased. The company, Tots in Mind, Inc., had previously recalled the play yard tents in July 2010 and offered a repair kit at that time which is no longer available as the company is out of business. The CPSC strongly recommends that consumers not attempt to repair the crib and play yard tents.
The products were sold at a variety of retail stores, including Bed Bath & Beyond/Buy Buy Baby, Burlington Coat Factory, Toys R Us/Babies R Us, Walmart, and online from websites including Amazon.com, for in the range of $60 to $85. Consumers should contact the store where the item was purchased to obtain a full refund or store credit. Contact information for the following stores offering a refund or store credit is listed below:
- Amazon.com
No model names or numbers are located on any of the tents; but the crib tents can be identified by the photos on the CPSC website and by the Tots in Mind logo on top of the tent. To view photos of the crib tents and play yard tents being recalled, please visit the CPSC website at:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12179.html.The CPSC reminds all consumers that it is illegal to re-sell recalled products of any type.##
Posted by Marianne Frederick
It's 2012 and it's terrifying that the scourge of kids disappearing from their homes in America continues. We hear about it and see it in news media almost every week. My first memory of this terrible phenomenon was learning of the disappearance of the two young Lyons sisters, daughters of John and Mary Lyons, from a Maryland shopping mall in 1975, 37 years ago. Because John Lyons was a popular radio personality on WMAL, much publicity was given to the case, but it was never solved and the children, ages 12 and 10 at the time of their disappearance, never returned home. Little more than a week ago, 12-year old Alexandria Bain and 8-year old Kyliyah Bain were still missing from their home--thankfully, they were found, but two members of their family, their mother and sister did not survive their abduction.
In a recent comment in an article on the disappearance of 6-year old Isabel Mercedes Celis (April 21, 2012), Ernie Allen, CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, qualified through statistics just how serious the issue of missing children is, "Each year, 58,000 children are abducted by strangers and released, according to the most recent statistics. Of those, 115 were 'stereotypical' kidnappings carried out by strangers... and 16 percent of those were taken from home."
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/arizona-family-stop-missing-girl-article-1.1066506#ixzz1v8q4bHfH.Allen says that nearly 75 percent of the victims are young girls ages 12 to 14, with the next largest group of victims young girls ages 6 to 11. Marc Klaas, whose daughter Polly Klaas, went missing in 1993, says at the time there were few police protocols on how to manage a missing child investigation. Now, in 2012, with the help of technology, better protocols for investigations, the ability of law enforcement to share information, and the existence of social media, one might think it would be easier to find missing kids, but still others say social media has actually increased predation on children.
In 1983, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children moved families a step forward by launching their "Take 25" program encouraging parents, guardians, and other trusted-adult role models to spend time talking to kids and teaching them ways to be safer. Here are some of the ways NCMEC suggests parents, caregivers, teachers and others can keep kids safer (and we encourage you to visit NCMEC's website at
http://www.take25.org/page.asp?page=50 for more):- Teach kids their full names, addresses and telephone numbers. Make certain they know your full name too.
- Make sure your children know how to reach you at work or on your cell phone.
- Teach your kids how and when to use 911, and make sure your kids have a trusted adult to call if they get scared or are in an emergency situation.
- Teach kids to keep the door locked and not to open the door to talk with anyone, or let anyone in, if they are at home alone.
- Choose babysitters with care. Get references from family and friends. Once you have employed a sitter, drop in unexpectedly to make sure your child is being cared for well.
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Posted by Marianne Frederick
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Kolcraft Enterprises of Chicago, has issued a recall of 46,000 Kolcraft Tender Vibes and Light Vibes Baby Bassinets due to a faulty latch system creating a serious fall hazard.
The CPSC is aware of seven reports of injuries due to the faulty latch that is supposed to attach the bassinet base onto the metal frame. The latch can appear to be locked in place while it still remains unlocked; thus the bassinet can become detached from the frame and the entire bassinet can fall to the floor causing injury to the child in the bassinet.
The bassinet models involved in this recall are: Kolcraft Tender Vibes bassinets model numbers KB021-ARC, KB022-VER, KB039-CMR1 and Light Vibes bassinets model number KB043-BNT1. Consumers will find the model numbers on a label on a leg of the metal frame. "Kolcraft Tender Vibes" or "Kolcraft Light Vibes" also can be found on the removable music box attached to the side of the bassinet.
The bassinets were manufactured from July 2008 through May 2010 and sold from July 2008 through May 2012 for from $50 to $100 by mass market and independent juvenile specialty stores throughout the US and online.
Consumers should stop using these bassinets immediately and contact Kolcraft Enterprises for a free repair kit with instructions on how to secure the latch to the metal frame. In the interim, parents should make an alternative safe sleeping arrangement for their child. For additional information on this recall, consumers may contact Kolcraft on their toll-free number 1(888) 624-1908 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's website at
www.kolcraft.com.To view photos of the recalled bassinets, please visit the CPSC website at:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12173.html.##
Posted by Marianne Frederick
Recently, MedPage Today's Crystal Phend highlighted the results of a study that mothers frequently turn a blind eye to their toddlers who are overweight. In the article of May 7, 2012, Phend said instead of being apprehensive about their babies' pudgy cheeks and chubby bodies, mothers seemed to approve of these as signs their babies were on track and normal.
The study and its results, performed by the University of Maryland School of Medicine, in Baltimore, were published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The study also noted that mothers of children whose weights were "healthy" were less satisfied with their babies' body size. Those moms regarded heavier toddlers as the norm.
In the past, heavier babies have been symbols of health and successful parenting; and, therefore, have been perceived to be less at risk for a variety of childhood illnesses. Seventy percent of the mothers in this study did not correctly perceive their baby's body size--possibly indicating that love is truly blind. How often have I heard a mom say when referring to her toddler's weight, "Oh, she's not fat, she's just pleasantly plump, just right!"
But, it is not difficult to recognize, especially with recent publicity, that there is a looming safety and health problem in our country. It is a problem that has become very costly to our society in many ways. It is obesity. And sometimes it begins, sadly, in childhood with parents frequently over-feeding their children or allowing them to eat too many foods which are not healthful--and, certainly, too much fast food. This often sets up a dangerous pattern that is difficult to reverse or conquer as an older child or adult, and can even be the precursor of Type II diabetes, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels and a host of weight-related bone structure and tissue problems.
Childsafetyblog.org hopes that to keep your baby healthy, you will be sure to go to all your pediatrician appointments regularly and check your baby's weight-to-length ratio with your pediatrician to make sure your baby's weight and growth are where they should be. Feeding toddlers healthful foods, making sure they have adequate play, exercise, and rest, are just a few ways to help keep your babies happy and healthy, and ultimately reduce their risk of becoming an obese child or adult.
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Posted by Marianne Frederick
My friend, Anderson Cooper on CNN, can add this one to his "Ridcu-List": The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Target are recalling the Target Home Bunny Sippy Cups due to an injury hazard.
One of the bunny's ears on the sippy cup can poke a child in the eye when she drinks. Target has received six reports of incidents where the plastic ear poked children while using this Sippy Cup. Cuts and bruises were reported in three of the reports.
It's really disappointing that these Sippy Cups manufactured in China even made it into the children's toy/accessory market in the US and that Target actually sold them. But there are 264,000 of these Sippy Cups out there that were sold by Target stores throughout the United States from February 2012 through April 5, 2012 for $3.
And there are two styles of Target Home Bunny Sippy Cups... one male and one female, one blue and one pink. Each has a corresponding white bunny head screw-on lid with one ear that is folded downward and one ear that sticks straight up. The cups have imprints on the bottom: "TARGET 200020683 (pink) and "TARGET 200020884" (blue).
If you have purchased this Sippy Cup for your child, please do not allow your child to use it further, and take it back to Target for a full $3 refund. For additional information about the Home Bunny Sippy Cups, you may contact Target at 1(800) 440-0680 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, or you can visit the firm's website at
www.target.com.To view photos of the Home Bunny Sippy Cups, please visit the CPSC website at:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12162.html.##
by Marianne Frederick
Dorel Juvenile Group (Dorel Industries of Montreal, Quebec, Canada), and the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are recalling 1,737 child safety car seat "restraint systems", including models IC124FSM (OnBoard 35) and IC 123FSM (Comfy Carry). Consumers may remember that in mid-February 2011, Dorel recalled an estimated 800,000 child safety seats due to a harness locking-and-release button issue.
The child safety car seats being recalled now were manufactured from May 2011 through April 2012, and sold without the separate seat base that contained the required LATCH attachment assembly. Units without the LATCH assembly do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Standard No. 213, "Child Restraint Systems" and are more difficult to secure in the vehicle, thus a child may not be adequately protected from injury in the event of an accident or crash.
Dorel Juvenile Group will notify distributors and owners who have registered their child safety seats. According to the NHTSA, bases with LATCH systems will be provided at no cost to consumers who are able to verify they own affected units. Owners who have not registered their child safety seats can contact Dorel Juvenile Group at 1/877-416-8111 or email the company at
infantlatchrecall@djgusa.comTo-date, photos of the recalled child seat restraint systems have not been published to the web. Childsafetyblog.org will upload them to our website when they are available. Dorel notes on its company website that "increased scrutiny is being placed on consumer products in general and the juvenile industry in particular." We would certainly hope that Dorel, as the "world's largest manufacturer of car seats and a leader in other juvenile product categories" would place as much emphasis on bringing safer child products to the market as a leader in the manufacture of child car seats and restraint systems should. In Dorel's opinion, the company is "sensitive" to each and every recall-related incident! Childsafetyblog.org would like to see fewer child safety seat recall-related incidents!
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Posted by Marianne Frederick
According to an article by Dr. Gopal Singh et al, infant mortality in the United States has declined steadily since 1933, but in 2010 the US was ranked 23rd in the world's countries in infant mortality. The US' infant mortality rate is higher than most other industrialized nations, and while it is on the decline in the US, the rate of decline is still slower than that of many other industrialized nations.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1615523/pdf/amjph00445-0063.pdfThere is good news, however. An April 27, 2012, article by Linda Davidson in The Washington Post, noted that the infant mortality rate in Washington, D.C., is at "an historic low." The District's infant mortality rate in 1989 had been one of the highest in large U.S. cities, reaching a
peak in 1989 at 23.1 per 1,000 births. The rate is still higher than the national infant mortality rate of 6.1 per 1,000 births, but below cities such as Baltimore (11), Richmond (13.5) and Detroit (12.8) http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/dc-infant-mortality-rate-at-historic-low/2012/04/25/gIQAJidAiT_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlinesDavidson says,"
Infant mortality is considered one of the key indicators of a community's well-being. Its leading causes include birth defects, maternal complications of pregnancy, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome." Poverty and lack of access to health care are also major determining factors in infant mortality.One organization that has endeavored to make a difference in the area of infant mortality is Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies! In 2011, the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies celebrated the 30th anniversary of its founding in 1981,
following the US Surgeon General's conference on infant mortality. Six major organizations pulled together to improve the dissemination and quality of public and professional education related to prenatal and infant care. Those lead organizations, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the March of Dimes, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Nurses Association (ANA), the National Congress of Parents and Teachers and the US Public Health Service, continue to play an active role in making sure Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies serves as a resource in the field of maternal and child health. The organization serves as a resource to an estimated 10 million health care professionals, parents, and policymakers through its membership of more than 100 local, state and national organizations and creates partnerships among community groups, nonprofits, professional associations, businesses and government agencies to improve the health and safety of mothers and babies through educational materials and collaborative partnerships.##
By Marianne Frederick
A review of a study in an article by Todd Neale in MedPage Today of April 2, 2012, shows that only about half of children preschool age or below are taken outside at least once a day to play! This surprising revelation was also reported in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
Examination of the study's results by Seattle (Washington) Children's Research Institute, by Poojah Tandon, MD, MPH, dealt with a large survey group consisting of 8,950 children aged four, or children who were one year away from attending kindergarten-level school. The study data supplied by the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort tracking children born from 2001 showed "girls, non-white children and children in some types of daycare were less likely to have a parent take them outside every day."[1] Most of the children in the study (80%) spent almost 30 hours/week in non-parental daycare. Sixty percent of the mothers of the almost 9,000 children worked outside the home, but only 44% of the parents--mothers or fathers--reported taking their kids outside to play once a day.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/GeneralPediatrics/31977?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=WC&eun=g323650d0r&userid=323650&email=liv2ryt@verizon.net&mu_id=5317771.In the study, there was no association to the probability of children playing out of doors regularly vis à vis the amount of time children time spent watching TV or playing video games. Nor were there indicators of the family's household income or the parents' perception of the safety of the neighborhoods in which they lived. The researchers noted that the study's survey was limited in detail and believed that "future studies that better quantify outdoor time" and its benefits to children would be important.[2]
One thing many children's health and safety experts agree about is that outdoor play for children is generally very good and parents as role models for young children can encourage this practice safely. Some simple guidelines for parents of young children for their safe outdoor play are:
- Very young children playing outside need to be closely supervised by a parent, caregiver or family member.
- Play area surfaces should be thick and soft if you have an option! If it's a playground, make sure there is no broken glass or uneven pavement where a little one could trip, fall and hurt themselves.
- Play toys and equipment should be in good condition--no rusty swing sets, no sharp edges, no loose or broken parts, please!
- When riding tricycles or other wheeled toys, put a helmet on their head.
- As with any play, make sure toys and equipment used are age appropriate--young children should not be using the same equipment older children use.
- Watch the weather--if it's too cold or very hot, use caution--young children get can get too chilled or overheated fast. Make sure children are dressed appropriately for the weather outside. Don't forget to use sunscreen on their nose, ears, hands, etc.
- If little shoes get wet during play, make sure to remove their shoes and thoroughly dry their feet (and put on dry socks) when they come indoors; and
- Have fun with your children and at the same time remember to play safely!
Posted by Marianne Frederick
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Todson Inc., of North Attleboro, Massachusetts, have announced the recall of 40,000 Topeak Babyseat™ II Bicycle Carrier Seats due to a recent reports of safety hazards.
The Topeak Babyseat has an opening at the grab bar's hinge mechanism where a baby's fingers can be caught and pinched. When an adult attempts to lift the grab-bar to remove the child from the seat, if the fingers are caught in the hinge mechanism, this can cause a laceration or amputation hazard. The firm has received two reports of near amputations requiring stitches and one of report of a child's crushed finger.
The Topeak Babyseats involved are Models number TCS2100, TCS2101 and TCS2102. The model numbers can be located on the product's packaging. The Babyseats are made of gray plastic with "Topeak" embossed on the Babyseat's seat back. The Babyseats were manufactured in Taiwan and imported by Todson Inc.
The Babyseats were sold by J&B Imports, REI, Action and Hawley, independent bicycle dealers, distributors and retail stores throughout the country and online at REI.com, from January 2009 through April 2012. The Babyseats ranged in price from $140 to $180 and were available in several styles: Babyseat, Babyseat with disc brake compatible rack, and Babyseat with non-disc brake compatible rack, according to the CPSC's recall announcement.
Parents and caregivers should stop using the Babyseats immediately and contact the Todson to request a free hinge cover kit. The company may be reached by calling toll free 1(800) 250-3068 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, or by visiting the firm's website at www.todson.com.
To view a photo of the Babyseats being recalled, please visit the CPSC website: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12143.html.
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Posted by Marianne Frederick
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in cooperation with Happy Shirts of Honolulu, Hawaii and Kohl's, has recalled 9,000 toy trucks sold in gift packages that accompanied boys' "Happy Tee-shirts". The toy trucks are the Big Movers Super Car toy trucks that were gifts with the purchase of Big Movers tee-shirts (in sizes small, medium and large).
While the boys' tee-shirts might make parents happy, the trucks certainly will not, as connections in the toy truck's battery compartment can smolder and catch on fire, posing a fire and burn hazard to the child playing with the truck. Happy Shirts has received a report of one toy truck catching fire and three additional reports of toy trucks having smoldered when the batteries were placed in the toy trucks. To-date no reports of injuries have been received.
The trucks were manufactured in China, imported by Happy Shirts of Honolulu, Hawaii, and sold exclusively by Kohl's between February 2012 and March 2012 for about $20. The blue toy trucks are 4 inches in length, have oversized tires and a flashing light on the top of the truck. A yellow, red and blue logo appears on the hood of the toy truck. (In addition, the trucks are noted to have small parts and represent a choking hazard for children less than 3 years of age.)
Parents need to remove the toy trucks from their children's access and remove the battery in the truck. Consumers may contact the firm, Happy Shirts, for instructions on obtaining a refund by calling toll-free at (855) 354-2779 between noon and 8 p.m. PT (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. HT) Monday through Friday or visit the firm's website at
www.happyshirts.com.For photos of the Big Movers Super Car toy truck and the tee shirts that accompanied them, parents can visit the CPSC website at
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12140.html.##
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