They’re a staple of toddler’s birthday parties, children’s holiday parties and other seemingly carefree events. Your children take off their footwear and climb into the inflated bounce house and you’re free from worry (and perhaps bother) for a few minutes. Or are you? If the allegations in California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s lawsuit against several companies involved in manufacturing children’s bounce houses are correct, some of the inflatable structures contain unsafe amounts of lead in their vinyl covering. (more…)

Baby slings – soft fabrics that wrap around the chest so that busy parents can carry their babies or just stay close as they bond with their infants – are potentially dangerous products that continue to be of great concern. This past week the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall of about 40 Sprout Stuff infant ring slings. The CPSC advised consumers to immediately stop using Sprout Stuff infant ring slings due to a risk of suffocation to infants. This recall follows one on March 24, 2010 by Infantino LLC, of more than one million Infantino “SlingRider” and “Wendy Bellissimo” infant slings. (more…)

Working in consultation with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), McNeil Consumer Healthcare is implementing a voluntary recall of infant and children’s liquid products due to manufacturing deficiencies which may affect quality, purity or potency. Some of the manufacturing deficiencies include products that may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than specified; others that contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and others that may contain tiny particles. (more…)

You’d be forgiven if you mistook a Camel Orb for a Tic Tac mint. They share a similar size and shape, and have candy flavoring. But Camel Orbs are no breath mint. Instead, Orbs are made of finely ground tobacco packed with nicotine, a highly addictive drug. Or if you prefer, you can chose a thin strip similar to some breath mint products or a stick resembling a toothpick. With their discreet form, candy-like appearance, and added flavorings that may be attractive to young children, smokeless tobacco products are of concern. From 2002 to 2006, there was an average increase of 6% per year recent increase in the prevalence of smokeless tobacco use among adolescents. (more…)

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted last week to approve (4-1) a final rule interpreting factors to be considered when seeking a civil penalty amount for knowing violations of CPSC laws.  The new factors required to be considered are: (1) the nature, circumstances, extent and gravity of the violation, including the nature of the product defect or the substance; (2) the appropriateness of the penalty in relation to the size of the business or of the person charged, including how to mitigate undue adverse economic impacts on small businesses; and (3) other factors as appropriate. These factors are in addition to the factors already required to be considered: the severity of the risk of injury; the occurrence or absence of injury; and the number of defective products or the amount of substance distributed. (more…)

In 2009, there were three infant deaths associated with sling-style infant carriers. Going back 20 years there have been 14 other deaths. Twelve of the seventeen deaths involved babies younger than 4 months of age. As a result, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) earlier this month warned parents and caregivers to be cautious when using infant slings for babies younger than four months of age. (more…)

When considering the risk of young children choking, thoughts tend to center more upon toys than upon food.   But that can cause the risk of choking on food to be overlooked.  Statistics currently on the website of the Centers for Disease Control state that in 2000, 160 children ages 14 years or younger died from an obstruction of the respiratory tract due to inhaled or ingested foreign bodies. Of these, 41% were caused by food items and 59% by nonfood objects.  For every choking-related death, there are more than 100 visits to U.S. emergency departments.  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), noting that many of the prevention strategies currently in place to prevent choking on toys have not yet been implemented to prevent choking on food, issued a policy statement yesterday (more…)

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) directed the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to assess and report to the House and Senate enforcement efforts, difficulties encountered, as well as recommendations for improvement to the lower numerical level limits for lead content of children’s products the CPSIA established. The CPSC issued its report on January 15, 2010, noting that it has continued to find excessive lead levels in children’s toys and products.  Most of the lead content violations were identified by screening children’s products at ports using x-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology. In these cases, the violative products were seized and never entered into the U.S. marketplace.  (more…)

With the onslaught of cold weather and the forecast for snow, one feels the urge to hit the ski slopes. One of the most trustworthy names in ski bindings for many, many years is Salomon. But last month the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Salomon, announced a voluntary recall of about 10,000 alpine ski bindings and directed consumers to stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. The manufacturer has received two reports of injuries, including a broken leg and a knee injury. (more…)

The 2009 Trouble in Toyland report is the 24th annual Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) survey of toy safety. This report provides safety guidelines for parents when purchasing toys for small children and provides examples of toys currently on store shelves that may pose potential safety hazards. This year’s report focused on three categories of toy hazards: toys that may pose choking hazards, toys that are excessively loud, and toys that contain the toxic chemicals lead and phthalates. This year’s report is interesting because it is the first year that any effect would be felt from The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), which greatly strengthened the clout of the U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission (“CPSC”) to promulgate and enforce rules.  Last year we wrote about toy hazards the CPSC identified for the holiday season. (more…)