defective children’s products’
Child Car Safety Seats Recalled Because of Harness Failures
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
Britax Child Safety is recalling more than 14,000 infant car seats because of a possible risk of harness failure that could expose a child to the injury hazards in an accident. About 14,220 infant car seats are included in the recall which has been announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
According to the company, the recall is linked to a potential defect in the harness adjuster, which can cause the harness to fail to restrain the child. This could cause the harness to become detached from the seat, rendering the straps unable to restrain the child. The National...
Defective Children’s Toys Seized at Houston Port
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
Federal consumer safety investigators have seized more than 25,000 defective children's toys at the Port of Houston, more than any other consumer product imported into this country. Those toys included a number of hazards, ranging from choking and strangulation hazards to lead poisoning risks.
The approximately 25,000 toys that were seized were part of 117,000 foreign products that were seized at the Port of Houston between 2010 and 2011. These recalled products included lighters, mattresses, and electronic devices.
The Port of Houston is one of the busiest ports in the country, and not surprisingly, 19 federal investigators have been assigned to...
CPSC Recalls Children’s Robes Due to Fire Risks
Thursday, December 29th, 2011
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall of children's robes, because these don't meet federal inflammability standards, and are susceptible to fires.
The recall involves more than 1,000 fleece robes for children that were imported by Hanna Andersson of Oregon. The robes were manufactured in China. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, these robes do not meet inflammability standards, and pose a possible burning hazard to a child.
So far, there have been no injuries reported from the use of these robes, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission believes that the risk is strong enough to recall the...
Enfamil Formula Maker Insists Product Is Safe, Even As Retailers Pull Product from Shelves
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011
Mead Johnson Nutrition Company, the manufacturer of Enfamil Premium Newborn formula insists that the product is completely safe, and has been properly tested, even as retailers around the country rushed to pull the formula from their shelves.
Last week, a 10-day-old boy in Missouri died after he contracted a deadly bacterial infection. He had been fed the Enfamil Newborn formula which his parents had purchased at a Wal-Mart in Missouri. Wal-Mart reacted immediately by pulling the product from more than 3,000 stores nationwide. Now, other retailers including Safeway and Walgreens say that they will pull the Enfamil Newborn formula from...
Company to Pay $600,000 for Failure to Report Defective Toys
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
Build-A-Bear Workshop has agreed to pay $600,000 in penalties to federal safety regulators to settle charges that the company failed to report defects in its toy beach chairs.
The company will pay the money to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. According to the allegations against the company, Build-A-Bear Workshop failed to notify the Consumer Product Safety Commission when it became aware of a defect in its product. The defect involves sharp edges on the beach chair’s wooden frame. The sharp edges can cause cuts, lacerations and other wounds. They can even be severe enough to amputate a child’s...
CPSC Issues Warning against Using Bumbo Baby Seats on Elevated Surfaces
Sunday, November 27th, 2011
In spite of earlier warnings as well as recalls by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the manufacturer of Bumbo Baby Seats, too many parents continue to use these seats on elevated surfaces. The result is very often a nasty fall accident.
Several infants have fallen off the elevated baby seats, and suffered serious head injuries, like skull fractures. Now, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Bumbo International are again advising parents not to use the baby seats on elevated surfaces. Bumbo International is warning that infants may have a high risk of falling, when they lean forward from the...
Report Indicates High Risk of Choking, Noise, Toxic Exposure Hazards in Children’s Toys
Thursday, November 24th, 2011
The US Public Interest Research Group has released its annual survey of toy safety Trouble in Toyland. The report finds that children still continue to be at risk from toys that contain toxic chemicals, or conceal choking or noise hazards.
The surveyors found several toys on the market that contain excessively high levels of lead and phthalates. Lead has been found to contribute to neurological delays in children. Phthalates have been linked to premature delivery and reproductive disorders.
The survey also found toys that concealed choking hazards, or failed to warn parents and consumers about choking hazards. The surveyors also included...
Johnson & Johnson Will Phase out Carcinogenic Chemical from Products
Friday, November 18th, 2011
Johnson & Johnson has announced that it will phase out a potentially carcinogenic chemical from hundreds of its baby products.
According to the company, it will phase out formaldehyde preservatives in shampoos and other children's products over two years. There have been a number of complaints about the presence of formaldehyde in Johnson's baby shampoo. This is a known carcinogenic that has also recently been linked to a hair styling product. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has warned about the risk of formaldehyde poisoning in hair salon workers who work with Brazilian Blowout hair straightening products.
Formaldehyde can trigger some...
Spin Master Fined $1.3 Million for Selling Tainted Toys
Tuesday, November 1st, 2011
Toymaker Spin Master, which distributed the Aqua Craft Kit toys inside the United States, has agreed to pay $1.3 million in fines to the Consumer Product Safety Commission to settle allegations that the company continued to sell its Aqua Craft Kits even after receiving reports of injuries and illnesses.
The Aqua Craft Kits contain small beads that stick together when water is poured on them. The company soon began to receive reports of children who became severely ill after they ingested the tiny beads. At least two children went into a coma in October 2007. It was only after these...
Incorrect Use of Car Seats Increases Children’s Risk of Injuries
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011
While car seat usage rates across the country have increased, and more numbers of parents are restraining their children in these seats, many parents are also making errors in the way they use these seats. These errors are serious enough to cause injuries to a child in the event of an accident.
According to a survey, more than 70% of respondents in the survey admitted to shifting their child from a rear-facing car seat to a front-facing car seat soon after the child's first birthday. Toddlers are much safer in a rear-facing car seat, because being seated in this manner...
