Toy Recalls and Safety
National Child Passenger Safety Week: Check for Child Seat Recalls This Year
This is National Child Passenger Safety Week, when parents can get answers to common questions about driving safely with their children.
National Child Passenger Safety Week began last weekend and is observed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and local communities. It ends this weekend with National Seat Check Saturday.
Motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of death for children in the United States. Child safety seats reduce the risk for injury if they are used properly, by more than 70 percent when it comes to infants and more than 50 percent for children age 1 to 4. But parents have long struggled with how to use them. In one study, more than 70 percent of 3,500 observed car and booster seats were misused in a way that could harm children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Parents should also closely examine their child safety seat models this year. Several months ago, Graco recalled more than 6 million child safety seats, the largest car seat recall in U.S. history. Parents reported they were unable to unbuckle defective harnesses and had to cut their children out of the straps. The cause was food was getting dried up in the harnesses and causing them to stick.
Child passenger safety laws have changed over the past decade and every state now has a law for infants and children-fitting specific criteria. All but two (Florida and South Dakota) require booster seats for older children. The Massachusetts Child Passenger Safety Law requires children to ride in federally-approved child passenger safety seats that are properly secured until they are eight years old or over 57 inches tall.
Despite laws for older children, Safe Kids, a national non-profit organization, has released a new report, showing 7 in 10 parents did not know a child should be at least 57 inches or 4’9″ tall before they ride in a car without a booster seat. The organization surveyed 1,000 adults.
A few resources on child safety seats:
Check Your Car Seat Label. Become informed about the specifics of car seats. Make sure yours fits your child’s weight, size and age. For infants through age two, look for a rear-facing child safety seat. For children between ages 2 -4 or up to 40 pounds, choose a forward facing child safety seat. From age 4 to 8 or 57 inches, children should ride in belt positioning booster seats. Read more.
Car Safety Seat Checklist for Parents. Safe Kids has developed this checklist for parents.
Register Your Car Seat. Here is a resource from the NHTSA on registering your car seats with the manufacturer. This will allow the manufacturer to contact you if there is a defect.
Used Car Seat Safety Checklist. Here is a resource from the NHTSA on using used child safety seats.
Community Events. Some organizations offer free car seat safety inspections this weekend as part of National Seat Check Saturday and allow parents to make appointments with trained professionals throughout the year. Here is a directory of locations or you can contact your local police department to ask about resources in your community.
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Defective Bean Bag Chairs Kill Two Children by Suffocation
More than two million bean bag chairs have been recalled after heartbreaking accidents in which children suffocated and died.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced last week that Ace Bayou Corp. of New Orleans, Louisiana has voluntary recalled 2.2 million bean bag chairs, including both traditional and L-shaped bean bag chairs.
The bean bag chairs have zippers which can easily be opened, a violation of the CPSC’s voluntary standard. Children can crawl inside, become entrapped and suffocate from lack of air or choke on the chair’s foam beads.
Prompting the recall were the deaths of a 12-year-old boy from Texas and a 3-year-old girl from Kentucky. The children were found inside bean bag chairs after suffocating. The boy’s mother told the media that the bean bag chair had been in her son’s room for years and she never thought he would climb inside.
The CPSC instructs consumers to check for these bean bag chairs in their homes. For the full list of recalled models, see the end of this blog.
The chairs have two zippers. Consumers can contact Ace Bayou for a free repair kit to permanently disable the zippers. Consumers should take chairs which can be unzipped away from children.
The defective products were sold at Bon-Ton, Meijer, Pamida, School Speciality, Wayfair and Walmart and online at Amazon.com, Meijer.com and Walmart.com. They were sold prior to July 2013 for $30-$100.
Another option is to simply remove these products from your home altogether. Call Ace Bayou and ask them how to safely dispose the product. (Remember, you should never give someone a recalled product or resell it to anyone. Reselling a recalled product is against federal law.)
Bean bag chairs have a history of injuring children. In the 1990s, the CPSC received reports that 5 children died from suffocation inside bean bag chairs and 27 were injured but recovered. It then launched an industry investigation and recalled 12 million bean bag chairs. More than a dozen manufacturers were involved in that recall effort.
More Recall Information
CPSC Recall Notice Read More
After a Child’s Death, Nearly 3 Million IKEA Children’s Lamps are Recalled in U.S.
Parents who shop at IKEA should be aware of a far-reaching product recall involving a children’s lamp which has been blamed for a 16-month-old’s death.
On Dec. 11, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall of IKEA children’s wall mounted lamps sold from July 1999 through May 2013. A total of 23 million of the SMILA-series wall mounted lamps were sold around the world. Of these, 2.9 million were sold in the United States and 1.1 million in Canada.
The recall follows two tragic incidents in Europe. In one case, a 16-month-old child in a crib died after becoming entangled in the lamp’s cord. In another incident, a 15-month-old became entangled in the cord and was nearly strangled.
Consumers are instructed to stop using the recalled lamp and contact IKEA for a free repair kit.
The lamps were recalled by IKEA North America, of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. IKEA is a Swedish company which sells home furniture. The company has 340 IKEA stores in 42 countries. The company has 38 stores in the United States, including one on Route 24 in Stoughton, which opened in 2005. This is the only Massachusetts IKEA store.
The defective wall lamps were sold in eight designs through IKEA’s stores, catalog and ikea-usa.com for between $10 and $13.
What Consumers Should Know
Here is the IKEA lamp recall notice. The lamp was sold in eight designs, including a blue star, yellow moon, pink flower, white flower, red heart, green bug, blue seashells and an orange horse. The lamps are about 11 inches by 11 inches and have a seven-foot long electrical cord. Model numbers are included in the recall notice.
Parents who contact IKEA for a repair kit will be given self-adhesive fasteners to attach the lamp’s cord to the walls along with safety instructions.
Recalls Related to Children
Each year, the CPSC announces recalls dozens of dangerous toys. For 2012, the agency estimates that toy-related injuries resulted in 192,000 visits to U.S. hospital emergency rooms.
The dangers poorly made toys can pose is well known and always in the spotlight around the holiday shopping season. But the public often overlooks the dangers in other children’s products, which are often used even more frequently than toys. In 2013, a number of defective children’s products were recalled, including bunk beds which posed an entrapment risk, children’s utensils, children’s hooded sweatshirts with drawstrings, pajamas and baby strollers. See the link below to learn more.
Related
Summary of 2013 product recalls, Safe Kids Worldwide
IKEA Recalls Children’s Wall-Mounted Lamps Due to Strangulation Hazard; One Child Death Reported, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
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“Worst Toys List” Warns of “Toy Weapons,” Choking Hazards and Hazards of Buying Toys Online
The World Against Toys Causing Harm, Inc. has released its 41st annual “10 Worst Toys” list. This year, the Boston-based non-profit nominated toys which posed a choking hazard, had improper labeling and several “toy weapons,” including toy guns, sling shots and boomerangs.
The report said, “These toys, that resemble real weaponry, have no place in the hands of children. Evidence of the potential for tragedy is the recent death of a thirteen-year-old boy in Santa Rose, CA, who was fatally shot by a police officer who mistook his toy gun for a real weapon.”
In one case, the World Against Toys Causing Harm (or W.A.T.C.H.) caught a vendor selling slingslots on Amazon.com. Massachusetts law prohibits sale of slingshots and New Jersey, Rhode Island and Washington have similar laws.
W.A.T.C.H. urged consumers to be vigilant even if they are purchasing toys from a well-known brand name. It stated there have been 29 toy recalls in the past 12 months, which included over one million units of unsafe and defective toys in the United States and Canada. Of these, 20 recalls were initiated for toys which posed choking and ingestion risks.
This year’s list includes:
1) Army Force Automatic Rifle
Hazard: Realistic toy weaponry and inconsistent age recommendations on labeling and Amazon.com.
2) Big Rock & Roll Ball Pit
Hazard: Potential for impact injuries because children as young as 3-years-old are encouraged to climb inside a rolling, inflatable ball. W.A.T.C.H. also criticizes the package, which shows children playing with no parental supervision.
3) Max Steel Interactive Steel with Turbo Sword
Hazard: Potential for impact and facial injuries.
4) Disney Princess Backpack Fishing Kit
Hazard: Potential for chemical ingestion injuries. The cardboard insert warns the play item may contain lead which may be harmful if eaten or chewed.
5) Black Widow Folding Slingshot
Hazard: Potential for serious bodily injuries. Illegal to sell in Massachusetts and three other states. On Amazon.com, the product carried a “for 6 months and up” age recommendation.
6) Little Drummer
Hazard: Potential for ingestion and choking hazards. The drum is sold for babies as young as 12-months-old and the drumstick could block a child’s airway.
7) Boomerang “Throw & Catch”
Hazard: Boomerangs should not be sold to children of any age. Online toy recommendations and those on the package were also inconsistent. Online, the boomerang was recommended for children 16 months and up versus on the package, which stated it was not for children under 3 years.
8) Disney Baby Snow White
Hazard: Potential for choking hazards. The toy is marketed for children 2 years old and up, but has small detachable pieces, such as hair accessories.
9) Nerf N-Strike Jolt Blaster
Hazard: This toy is marketed for children age 8 and older. It has a dart which can be shot and potentially cause eye injuries. On the Hasbro website, the product description reads “Hide it in your pocket to maneuver in close to your enemy, then pull down the cocking handle to ready your shot. Pull the trigger and reload fast to win the day!”
10) The Spooner-Freestyle
Hazard: Potential for head and other impact injuries. This toy resembles a skateboard without wheels and is marketed for children age 3 and older. It does not mention use of safety gear and none is worn by children on the packaging.
Related:
10 Worst Toys of 2013, W.A.T.C.H.
Trouble in Toyland, U.S. PIRG.
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Tips for Buying Safe Toys This Holiday
Many of us worry about buying unsafe toys during the holiday season. This concern has merit. In 2011 alone, more than 262,000 toy-related injuries were reported and another 13 children were killed while playing with dangerous toys, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This year, the CPSC reports toy recalls are down, but toy-related injuries have risen.
What to remember when you shop:
Choose Age-Appropriate Toys. Toys should have labels explaining age recommendations and other important warnings, such as “Flame retardant/Flame resistant.” The CPSC recommends avoiding toys with small pieces for children under age 3. They pose a choking hazard. For older children, avoid playsets with small magnets and balloons.
Buying Toys Online. Read instructions for use carefully. If you are buying from Amazon or eBay, remember those websites are only shopping forums. Take note of which company is selling the product.
Sharp Pieces.Toys designed for children under 8 years of age should not have sharp glass or metal edges.
Shattered Pieces. Set aside any toy that looks like it could easily shatter into small pieces and cause choking, cuts or other serious personal injuries.
Magnets.Toys with small magnets are dangerous to children. When children swallow one or more, the magnets can pull together and cause internal injuries, resulting in vomiting, abdominal pain and infection. In the past few years, children have suffered serious injuries and even death. In response, the CPSC has started a Magnets Information Center.
Loud Noises.Toy guns, tablets and talking dolls can damage a child’s hearing over time if used too closely.
Cords and Strings. Toys with long cords and strings can cause strangulation. Carefully consider this before you buy crib gyms, baby mobiles and swings. If a child can reach a baby mobile, it should be removed.
Batteries. Make sure an adult, not a child oversees battery charging for any toys or electronics. Avoid toys with small button-cell batteries, which can be easily swallowed and cause burning, esophagus pain and vomiting among other symptoms. Also be aware of other appliances, such as remote controls, which use these small batteries.
Sports Equipment. When you buy a sports-related toy, make sure you also buy the safety equipment, such as bike helmets for bikes. Children are required to wear bike helmets in Massachusetts until age 16 and if an accident were to occur, they are an important tool for preventing a lifelong head injury.
Related:
Holiday Toy Safety, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Tiny Batteries Causing Big Health Problems for Kids, ABC News.
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Toys Recalled in Summer 2013 Pose Choking Hazard, Injury Risks
If you have young children, you have probably logged a few hours watching them play this summer. This joy of parenthood comes with an important responsibility: to make sure their toys are safe.
In the United States, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulates the toy industry. Toys for children 12 and under are required to pass third-party testing and certification, but each year, defective toys still make it to store shelves and cause serious injuries and deaths. In 2011, more than 260,000 children were treated for toy-related injuries in the hospital emergency room and 13 were killed, according to the CPSC.
If you are a parent, be vigilant. Start by inspecting your children’s toys every time they play. Check the age labeling. Make sure they are no small parts that pose a choking hazard. When in doubt, set the toy aside and have your children play with something else.
Another way to protect your children is to stay informed. You may not see every toy recall on the TV news, but can visit the CPSC website and social media sites for news on toy recalls. A few recalls from this summer include:
Baby Einstein Musical Motion Activity Jumpers
Kids II voluntarily recalled about 400,000 Baby Einstein Musical Motion Activity Jumpers earlier this month. Another 8,500 activity seats have been recalled in Canada. The toy is linked to 61 injuries.
The hazard is when infants reach out and play with one of the attached toys (the toy with the smiley face), it rebounds back.
Kids II received 100 incident reports, including the 61 injuries. Injuries included bruises, facial lacerations and a 7-month-old boy who sustained a lineal skull fracture. In one case, an adult suffered a chipped tooth.
Kids II, which is based in Atlanta, Georgia, is the product importer. The toy was manufactured in China prior to November 2011. Kids II will replace the defective part for consumers for free. Many models were sold at Target, Toys R Us and Amazon.com between May 2010 and May 2013. Recall notice.
Kolcraft Jeep Liberty Strollers Kolcraft recalled 96,000 strollers in the United States after 39 reports of defective wheels. The inner tube can rupture, causing the wheel rim to fracture and fly off as a projectile. The reports included 18 injuries, most of which occurred when an adult attempted to fill a tire with air. Children and adults reported suffering lacerations, abrasions and contusions.
The stroller was manufactured in China. Kolcraft Enterprises, Inc. of Chicago, Illinois was the product importer. It was sold at Burlington Coat Factory, Sears and Toys R Us and other retailers from June 2010 to June 2013 for between $150 and $180.
Consumers are advised to stop using the defective stroller and contact Kolcraft for free replacement wheels. Recall notice.
“Buff Baby” Baby Rattles
In June, Fred & Friends announced the voluntary recall of 47,500 “Buff Baby” baby rattles in the United States. The rattles, which are designed to look like a dumbbell weight, are designed for children 3 months and older. The rattles were recalled because they pose a choking hazard to young users. The cap can separate and expose the plastic pellets inside to infants. Fred & Friends received two reports of this happening, but no injuries.
The rattles were sold in specialty toy and baby stores nationwide and in Canada, as well as online through Amazon.com and other websites from October 2011 through June 2013.
Consumers are advised to stop using the rattles and contact Fred & Friends for a full refund. Fred & Friends, which is located in Cumberland, Rhode Island, is the distributor. The toy was manufactured in China. Recall notice.
Thermobaby Bath Seats Recalled Due to Drowning Hazard
The Aquababy Bath Ring was recalled after the CPSC determined it does not meet federal safety standards. The product is supposed to hold children secure in the bath, but the design poses a risk for tipping over.
SCS Direct Inc. of Milford, Conn. voluntarily recalled 7,500 of the bath seats. There were no injuries involved in this recall. The seats were designed for children five months to ten months old. It was sold through Amazon.com. Consumers are advised to stop using the product and contact SCS Direct for a $35 refund. Recall notice.
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Dangerous Magnet Toys Recalled by Major Retailers
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has moved a step closer to taking two dangerous magnet toys out of the hands of children.
On April 12, six retailers voluntarily recalled Buckyballs and Buckycubes. The stores included Barnes & Noble, Brookstone, some Hallmark stores, Marbles the Brain Store and Think Geek.
Maxfield & Oberton Holdings of New York City, the importer and distributor, refused to issue a recall last year, prompting the CPSC to file a lawsuit against the company in July to stop sales. The rare legal action – one of just four taken by the CPSC in the past 11 years – resulted in the company discontinuing its products in October. It stopped doing business in December.
The product was manufactured by Ningo Prosperous Imp. Exp. Co. Ltd. of Ningbo City in China.
Buckyballs and Buckycubes vary in size and color, but they are essentially a ball or cube of small powerful magnets. They were sold in containers of 10 to 216 magnets that can become loose. The first of the two products was introduced in the U.S. in March 2009. Since then, over three million sets of magnets have been sold in U.S. retail stores and online.
Maxfield & Oberton initially marketed Buckyballs to children, calling it “an amazing toy.” It later rebranded the magnet toys as an adult desk toy and stress reliever.
But while the magnets were being marketed to adults, the CPSC was still receiving reports that children were swallowing them. It has received 54 reports of injuries, all but one requiring medical treatment.
CPSC Complaint
The CPSC’s July 25, 2012 complaint alleged that the magnet products had defective labeling and warnings, defective design, and posed a substantial product hazard.
The CPSC began working with the company on labeling three years ago, when the magnets were labeled for use by children “Ages 13+.” The agency said the magnets should have been marketed for age 14 and up.
Maxfield & Oberton changed the labeling and agreed to a voluntary recall of 175,000 magnet toys, but the CPSC said the injuries continued. In its complaint, it states, “…labeling and warning labels cannot guard against the foreseeable misuse of the product and prevent the substantial risk of injury to children.”
Company officials did not agree with the CPSC’s action. In October, they posted a statement on their website that read in part: “We’re sad to say that Balls & Cubes have a one-way ticket to the Land-of-Awesome-Stuff-You-Should-Have-Bought-When-You-Had-the-Chance.”
Dangerous Toy
Over the past few years, the CPSC set up a Magnets Information Center on its website to educate the public about the danger of swallowing magnets.
The risk is that if a child ingests more than one of the powerful magnets, they can become attracted to each other while in the intestines, pinching tissue and damaging the intestinal walls. This can result in a wide range of symptoms, including vomiting, abdominal pain, infection and death. Surgery is often required and becomes more complicated because the magnets can stick to the metal surgical tools.
And in some cases children ingested more than one or two. CBS News reported the case of a 3-year-old Oregon girl who swallowed 37 Buckyballs. The CPSC complaint details cases of other young children who have swallowed numerous magnets.
Related:
CPSC administrative complaint
Recall information for consumers
Toy Safety: 10 Worst List Highlights Dangerous Toys
As the holiday shopping season begins, a watchdog organization is reminding consumers that not every toy on the shelves is safe.
The organization W.A.T.C.H., or World Against Toys Causing Harm, Inc., has released its annual list of 2012 “10 Worst Toys.” W.A.T.C.H. says the toys on the list can cause children to choke, have sharp parts and carry misleading labels. The defective toys can be found online and in stores, at major retailers such as Toys “R” Us, Walmart and Amazon.
Dangerous toys seriously injure and kill children every year in the United States. In 2010, 17 children were killed in toy-related accidents. The majority were related to choking on balloons, small balls and rubber balls. The same year, about 181,500 children younger than 15 were treated in hospital emergency departments for toy-related injuries.
If you are shopping for young children, take a look at this year’s “10 Worst Toys” list. We have also provided a list of websites to help you make safe purchases below.
The Avengers Gamma Green Smash Fists
Potential for blunt impact injuries and there are no warnings on the package.
Playful Xylophone
Potential for choking injuries.
Power Rangers Super Samurai Shogun Helmet
Potential for impact and puncture wound injuries.
Water Balloon Launcher
Potential for choking and facial injuries. Varying age recommendations online and on the package.
N-Force Vendetta Double Sword
Potential for Impact injuries.
Explore & Learn Helicopter
Potential for strangulation and entanglement injuries. Cord is twice the length allowed by law.
Spinner Shark 4-Wheel Kneeboard
Potential for impact injuries.
Dart Zone Quick Fire 12 Dart Gun
Potential for eye injuries.
Bongo Ball
Potential for impact and other serious injuries. Children are encouraged to climb inside the inflatable ball. The toy and the packaging have contradicting instructions about supervision.
Magnetic Fishing Game
Potential for choking injuries. Different age recommendations online and on the packaging.
Related:
Toy Safety Fact Sheet, Safe Kids.
Toy Safety, U.S. PIRG.
Dangerous Toy Report Details Lead, Choking Hazards, Breakstone, White & Gluck.
Product Liability: Magnet Desk Toy is Children’s Choking Hazard
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has taken a rare legal action seeking to stop sales of a magnet desk toy, alleging children are swallowing the pieces, then suffering serious injuries requiring surgery.
The CPSC filed an administrative complaint on July 25 against Maxfield & Oberton Holdings LLC, of New York, N.Y., the maker of Buckyballs and Buckycubes. The government agency and company failed to agree on the CPSC’s proposed voluntary recall plan for the magnet sets with 216 units.
The CPSC alleges the popular desk furnishing contains a defect in design, packaging, warnings and instructions. It wants the company to stop selling the defective product, notify the public about potential for injury and offer consumers a full refund. It is the CPSC’s second time taking this type of legal action in 11 years.
The CPSC is intervening after receiving more than two dozen of reports young children and teenagers have swallowed the magnets, requiring surgery. At least a dozen involved Buckyballs.
When two or more magnets are swallowed, they can move toward each other through the stomach and intestinal walls, resulting in serious injuries such as holes in the stomach, intestinal blockage, blood poisoning and possible wrongful death.
The CPSC reports young children are removing the magnets from the kits and placing them in their mouth. Meanwhile, older children and teenagers have unintentionally swallowed the magnets while placing them in their mouths to mimic having a tongue ring.
At least 10 retailers, including Amazon.com, have agreed to stop selling the defective product. EBay is also removing these listings from its online marketplace.
In May 2010, the CPSC and Max & Oberton conducted a cooperative recall of about 175,000 Buckyball magnet sets for mislabeling. The toys were labeled “Ages 13+” and did not meet the federal toy standard that loose magnets not be sold for children younger than 14. Injury reports preceded and followed the notice.
In November 2011, the CPSC and Max & Oberton worked cooperatively to warn about the dangers that could occur, but injuries continued, leading to the CPSC’s latest action. The CPSC now says a recall is necessary because all these prior steps have been ineffective.
Related:
- CPSC Sues Maxfield & Oberton Over Hazardous Buckyballs and Buckycube Desk Toys, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
- Feds file suit against Buckyballs, retailers ban product, USA Today.
Defective Toy Truck Recalled by Fisher-Price
Fisher-Price has recalled a popular toy truck after its plastic handle has been found to pose a laceration risk.
The East Aurora, New York toymaker recalled its Little People® Builders’ Load ‘n Go Wagon in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada this week. About 208,000 defective toy trucks were recalled in the United States and 2,800 in Canada. The toy trucks were sold in mass merchandise retail stores nationwide from June 2009 through July 2011 for about $25. They were manufactured in Mexico.
The toy truck is being recalled because its plastic handle has molded-in reinforcement. If a child falls on it, he could suffer a laceration.
The CPSC and Fisher-Price are aware of seven reports of personal injuries. Five reports came from children requiring surgical glue or stitches.
Consumers affected by the Fisher-Price recall can call 800-432-5437 or visit www.service.mattel.com for a free repair kit. The recall involves the wagon with the model number P8977. More information is available on the Mattel website.
Product recalls and deaths related to unsafe toys have declined in recent years, but toy-related injuries have been increasing. In 2009, 186,000 children under 15 were treated for toy-related injuries in emergency rooms, up from 152,000 in 2005.
In 2009, 12 children under 15 suffered wrongful deaths involving defective toys, a 50 percent decrease over the two prior years. Meanwhile, in 2010 there were 44 toy recalls, a significant drop from 172 in 2008.
The CPSC offers a few tips for parents: purchase age-appropriate toys, include safety gear whenever you buy sports equipment and ride-on toys and always be aware of your child’s location during play. Parents should also closely inspect toys prior to giving them to children.
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