Product Recalls for May 2012

Federal Agencies

CPSC - Consumer Product Safety Commission

FDA – Food and Drug Administration

NHTSA – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Safe Kids is committed to keeping you informed about recalls of kids’ oriented products. While it is important to keep aware of all recalls, Safe Kids urges you to pay particular attention to ones in red, as they are associated with one or more deaths. (A death and other severe injuries prompted a recall of a crib tent and, as previously reported, a pool slide; see below.)

Following the May Recalls list, there’s important news on several safety issues about:

Lead paint poisoning
Swimming safety
Swallowing powerful magnets

MAY RECALLS:

CPSC 05/30/2012 - Toys R Us voluntarily recalls Imaginarium 5-sided Activity Center due to choking hazard

CPSC 05/22/2012 - Bicycle handlebar stems voluntarily recalled by Ridley Bikes due to fall hazard. The stems are black and have the words "4ZA Cycling Performance"

FDA 05/22/2012 - Harris Teeter is voluntarily recalling five flavors of sorbet due to possible undeclared milk allergen

CPSC 05/17/2012 - Climbing ropes voluntarily recalled by Porter Athletic due to fall hazard (The climbing rope can slip through the clamp that connects at the top, posing a fall hazard for climbers)

CPSC 05/17/2012 - Aqua-Leisure recalls children's trampolines due to fall hazard; sold exclusively at Toys "R" Us

CPSC/Health Canada 05/17/2012 - Safety 1st toilet and cabinet locks voluntarily recalled due to lock failure; children can gain unintended access to water and dangerous items

CPSC 05/16/2012 - Five retailers agree to stop sale and recall Tots in Mind (out of business) crib tents due to strangulation and entrapment hazards; one death and a serious brain injury reported. The retailers are amazon.com, Bed Bath & Beyond/Buy Buy Baby, Burlington Coat Factory, Toys R Us/Babies R Us and Walmart. This is an ongoing recall effort.

FDA 05/11/2012 - Whole Foods Market recalling carrot cake cupcakes for undeclared walnuts in Northern California.

CPSC 05/10/2012 - Supreme Trading Children's Letterman jackets voluntarily recalled due to detachable snaps posing a choking hazard; sold exclusively at Dillard’s

CPSC 05/09/2012 - Tender Vibes and Light Vibes bassinets voluntarily recalled by Kolcraft due to fall hazard

CPSC 05/09/2012 - Sportspower BouncePro 14’ trampolines,sold exclusively at Walmart, voluntarily recalled by Sportspower Limited due to fall hazard

CPSC 05/08/2012 - Severe neck injuries prompt recall of Banzai inflatable pool slides manufactured in China by Manley Toys, Ltd., in cooperation with Wal-Mart and Toys R Us (Resulted in the death of a 29-year-old mother and several other significant injuries)

CPSC 05/08/2012 - Girls' “Goddess” hooded sweatshirts with drawstrings voluntarily recalled by LANY group due to strangulation hazard; sold exclusively at dd's Discounts

CPSC 05/08/2012 - Girls' hooded sweatshirts with drawstrings voluntarily recalled by YMI Jeanswear due to strangulation hazard; sold exclusively at dd's Discounts

CPSC 05/08/2012 - LaJolla Sport voluntarily recalls hooded boys' flannel shirts due to strangulation hazard

CPSC 05/08/2012 - M.M.M. boys' jogging suits voluntarily recalled by Hot Chocolate; waist drawstrings pose entanglement hazard; sold exclusively at dd's Discounts

NHTSA 05/07/2012 - Dorel Juvenile Group, in cooperation with NHTSA, is voluntarily recalling Cosco Comfy Carry and Safety 1st OnBoard35 child restraint seats; the affected seats were sold without the base and therefore fail to provide the required LATCH attachment assembly (This has already been reported.)

OTHER SAFETY NEWS:

Pool, Swimming Safety
In advance of what turned out to be a hot Memorial Day weekend in many parts of the United States, the Consumer Product Safety Commission launched its “Pool Safely, Simple Steps Save Lives” campaign and released new data showing that child drownings in pools and spas remain a leading cause of death. The focus of the campaign will be on vulnerable populations.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that children younger than 5 years old represent nearly 75 percent of child drowning fatalities. African American and Hispanic children between the ages of 5 and 14 drown at higher rates than white children. Further, data from USA Swimming indicates that 70 percent of African American children and 62 percent of Hispanic children cannot swim, making them especially vulnerable populations. Safe Kids was a leader, with Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), in the passage of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act.

Lead Paint
On May 25, 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it was lowering the limit for child lead poisoning from 10 micrograms per deciliter to 5. About 250,000 children in the U.S. between the ages of 1 and 5 years old, have blood lead levels greater than 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, the level at which CDC recommends public health actions be initiated. The lower limit would put that figure at approximately 450,000. Still, there are efforts to weaken federal efforts on lead paint and Safe Kids weighed in on the issue with a statement, “Mr. President: Lead Paint Still a Danger to Kids.” Read the Consumer Reports articleon the new standard.

Magnets
Safe Kids and the CPSC released a joint statement about the dangers presented to kids when they swallow powerful magnets resulting in severe injury to the digestive system.