Recently in the General Discussion Category
By Marianne Frederick
On January 12, 2012, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in cooperation with Thule Child Transport Systems Ltd., d/b/a Chariot Carriers, of Calgary, Canada, announced a recall of approximately 44,000 bicycle trailers and 70,000 bicycle trailer conversion kits due to reports of incidents and injuries received. The CPSC and the company received 24 reports of the bicycle trailer's hitch mechanisms cracking and breaking, causing the trailer to detach from the bicycle. Three of the incidents occurred in the United States.
The Chariot Carriers are manufactured in Canada and convert to strollers, jogging strollers and bike, hike or ski trailers. According to the CPSC announcement, this particular recall involves Chariot bicycle trailers and bicycle trailer conversion kits. Trailers with serial numbers 1205-xxxx to 0710-xxxx (representing manufacture dates December 2005 through July 2010) located on the left side of the frame are being recalled.
Recalled conversion kits have hitch arms which attach the carrier to the bicycle. Model number 20100503 is printed on a label attached to the aluminum tube (next to the warning label). Older conversion kits that do not have a label, but have a release push button located where the hitch arm inserts into the carrier, are also being recalled at this time.
Chariot bicycle trailers and conversion kits were sold at bicycle stores nationwide. The trailers could be purchased on several websites, from December 2005 through August 2010, for from $400 to $925. The bicycle trailer conversion kits were similarly available from October 2002 through August 2011 for between $40 and $70.
Consumers should stop using the bicycle trailers and conversion kits and not transport children in the trailers. Consumers can contact the company for a free repair kit which the consumer can install. Chariot Carriers can be reached at (800) 262-8651 between 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, or consumers may visit the firm's website at
www.chariotcarriers.com.To view photos of the bicycle trailers and conversion kits being recalled, please visit the CPSC website at:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12085.html.##
Wherever it occurs, child abuse is wrong. Wherever it occurs, victimization of children is wrong. We have heard a lot in the news in the past year about victimization of kids--from the Casey Anthony trial and on. From time to time, we offer suggestions that we hope help parents keep kids safer. At one time, we were taught the phrase, "stranger danger," but Ernie Allen, CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says it isn't necessarily strangers who are the biggest danger to kids.
Allen has some comments and cautions for parents* and those of us who are guardians of children. Allen says that people who victimize kids are rarely strangers. "The offenders do not match society's stereotype," he says. "Most Americans want to believe that someone who would prey upon a child...is evil-looking, a menacing, frightening stranger." Yet, most of the time those who victimize children are not strangers to the child, they are known to the child and seek out legitimate access to a child. Because of this fact, it is important that leading children-serving organizations do background screening of their staff and volunteers, and monitor and supervise interactions between adults and children.
Child victims rarely tell on the person who victimizes them. Research shows that at least 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys will be victimized in some way before they reach the age of 18, and just 1 in 3 will tell anyone about it. Allen says, "These are America's hidden victims. We have made progress as a nation in attacking this problem but even today, two out of three child victims suffer in silence. They don't tell Mom, they don't tell Dad, they don't tell anybody."
"The most important things parents can do is communicate with your children and empower them. Make sure that they understand that you love them, trust them, and believe them and that if anyone ever touches them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable, they should tell you or a trusted adult."
"Second, the first line of defense is a vigilant public. If you see it, know about it or suspect it, report it. Call your local police and then call 1 (800) THE LOST or report it to
www.cybertipline.com, at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children."The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has helped bring thousands of kids home safely.
Childsafetyblog.org is grateful to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for all they do.
By Marianne Frederick
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*Allen, Ernie, CEO, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, "Those Who Victimize Children Are Usually Not Strangers" Commentary, 12/09/11.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and Target Corporation of Minneapolis, Minnesota, are recalling 139,000 Circo 17" Children's Travel Cases due to violation of the federal lead paint standard.
Followers of Childsafetyblog.org may have read about recent lead paint violations causing some children's furniture painted with lead paint that exceeded the federal lead paint standards to be recalled. This particular recall involves Girls' and Boys' 17" Travel Cases that are coated with excessive amounts of lead.
The Girls' 17" Travel Case has the pattern of hearts, butterflies and daisies against a pink or teal background with a plush butterfly toy attached to the zipper pull. The Girls' travel case has a UPC number of 618842135844. The Boys' 17" Travel Case has a pattern with jet planes against a red or blue airplane background with a blue plush jet plane attached to the zipper pull. The Boys' travel case has a UPC number of 618842135868. On both versions, the Circo brand label can be located on the handle on the top of the travel case. The UPC code can be found on the round Circo hangtags. Date codes beginning with 01/11 thru 08/11 can be located on a second white tag sewn inside the cover of the zippered main compartment of the travel case.
These travel cases were manufactured in China, imported and sold by Target stores throughout the U.S. and online from April 2011 through August 2011, for approximately $21. Consumers should remove the travel cases from children's access and return them to any Target store for a refund. Consumers can contact Target at (800) 440-0680 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at
www.target.com for additional information or instructions.To view photos of the travel cases being recalled, please visit, the CPSC website at
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12064.html?tab=recalls. The CPSC would like us to remind parents and other consumers that under federal law, it is illegal to attempt to sell or resell this or any other recalled product.by Marianne Frederick
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Last week, in cooperation with IKEA North America Services, LLC, of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled 169,000 children's high chairs because "the high chair's restraint buckle can open unexpectedly, posing a fall hazard to the child." IKEA has received eight reports of the buckle opening unexpectedly and three reports of "minor injuries" to children due to their falling from the Antilop high chair.
The high chair was sold nationwide by IKEA for several years from August 2006 through January 2010, for about $20 and came in different colors, red, blue and white, and had detachable metal legs. Model numbers affected by this recall include: 701.467.92 (blue), 501.467.93 (red), and 300.697.24 (white). These high chairs were manufactured in China between June 2006 and November 2009 from supplier number 17389. The production date (in the Year/Month format) and supplier number are molded into the underside of the seat.
Consumers should immediately stop using these high chairs and contact IKEA to obtain a free replacement seat restraint. Consumers may contact IKEA toll-free for repair instructions at (866) 966-4532 anytime, or visit the firm's website at
www.ikea-usa.com. For photos of the recalled high chair, please visit the CPSC website at: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12079.html.Granted, the price of the high chair is affordable for most families with young children, and IKEA does have a reputation for selling reliable furniture. And, IKEA is making good on providing consumers a new seat restraint. But perhaps it's time for American consumers to ask, do we really want to continue risking our children's safety on imported Chinese products? And, Why are these products getting to the marketplace and remaining for such a long time before incident reports are made known? We need to be scrutinizing Chinese imports for safety, quality and fitness for use. Our future, our children's future, may depend upon it!
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A third child has become ill due to a rare bacterial infection called Cronobacter sakazakii, and it is not yet known whether this is due to consumption of infant formula. ChildSafetyBlog.org readers will recall the sad news of last week and our posting about the 10-day old infant who had been given the formula, Enfamil Premium Newborn Powdered formula, contracted a bacterial infection called Cronobacter sakazakii, and died.
During the Christmas holidays, many stores besides Walmart -- including Kroger's, Safeway, Walgreen, and SuperValu, all pulled the 12.5 oz. containers of Lot No. ZP1K7G Enfamil Premium Newborn Powdered formula from their shelves. Mead Johnson Nutrition, the manufacturer, didn't pull the product from its distributors or retailers, but began testing their products for the bacterium.
Now, a third child has come down with the rare bacterial infection of which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, "Between four and six cases of cronobacter are reported in a typical year. So far, 10 cases have been reported in 2011 which is still within a normal range." http://blogs.webmd.com/breaking-news/2011/12/third-baby-tests-positive-for-cronobacter.html
As of December 23, 2011, Mead Johnson Nutrition said all batches of Enfamil were tested for Cronobacter bacteria before they were shipped, and if an ingredient or batch are found to contain the bacterium, they are rejected. They also said "the lot used by the newborn's family did not test positive for Cronobacter when the company tested it." http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9RQDD881.htm
Mead Johnson Nutrition has been working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to test the formula. According to a statement from Mead Johnson, no traces of cronobacter have been found.
Also according to a posting on WebMD of December 28, 2011, "Although the babies in Illinois and Oklahoma had been given infant formula, it's not yet known whether the formula was the source of the infection, according to a CDC spokesperson. The baby in Oklahoma was not fed Enfamil, and the baby in Illinois reportedly was fed several different types of formula. The CDC reports that state health authorities are currently testing the formulas and the water they were mixed with to determine the source of the infection and to uncover any possible links between the three cases. So far, no direct connections have been found." http://blogs.webmd.com/breaking-news/2011/12/third-baby-tests-positive-for-cronobacter.html
ChildSafetyBlog.org is following this news and will provide updates as we learn them.
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Recent data evaluated by Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, point to an increase in childhood poisonings; and it's a startling fact that "more young children now visit the ER for drug poisonings than for car crashes." According to the National Capital Poison Center, this is mostly due to the fact that adults are taking more medicines than ever before (especially to treat Type II diabetes) and there are more children who find, open and swallow prescription drugs in their homes.
The most dangerous medicines for children to consume are adult dosage drugs for:
- Treating diabetes
- Relieving pain (opioids)
- Treating anxiety, muscle spasms and sleep disorders
- Treating heart disease and high blood pressure
More adults are taking opioid narcotic pain relievers today than ever before, and these drugs, such as morphine, oxycodone, hydromorphone, and others, can kill kids. The more medicines present in a home, the greater the chance for children to find and take pills that are not prescribed for them. Sadly, young children often mistake pills for candy.
While it may be inconvenient for parents and caregivers to keep medicine locked up, we highly recommend this practice. Drug and packaging firms have proposed some changes in packaging so children in the future will not be able to open multiple blister packs at once time and dispensers containing liquid medicines may only dispense a single dose at a time. But even child-resistant caps and major packaging changes won't solve the entire problem.
Please review the following tips offered by The National Capital Poison Center:
- Use child-resistant packaging. Replace caps tightly after each use.
- Lock all medicines up high, out of sight and reach of children.
- Take medicines when children aren't looking, because children will imitate adults taking medicines.
- Be sure that other family members and visitors are vigilant about locking up their medicines.
- Take special care when traveling to be sure medicine is locked away from children.
If a child in your care swallows someone else's medicine or too much medicine of any kind, DO NOT WAIT until the child becomes ill, but immediately call The Poison Center 1-800-222-1222. This number is in service 24 hours a day!
ChildSafetyBlog.org wishes you a very happy, safe and healthy New Year!
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Walmart has pulled Enfamil, the Mead Johnson baby formula, off its shelves in stores throughout the nation following the death of a10-day old infant due to a bacterial infection. The formula lot number pulled off the shelves is ZP1K7G.
According to a report by local television station KYTV, a 10-day-old infant died from a rare bacterial infection following the purchase of powdered Enfamil baby formula from a Walmart in Lebanon, Missouri.
Mead Johnson Nutrition, the company that produces the formula, is performing tests to determine whether the baby died due to ingesting the formula, the water that was mixed with the formula, or some other cause. Chris Perille, the company's spokesperson, said the company is confident about the safety and quality of their products.
For more information on Enfamil or if consumers find they have this lot number ZP1K7G, please call Mead Johnson Nutrition at 1-800-BABY-123 or 1-800-222-9123.
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Did you know that most toy purchases take place each year from Thanksgiving to Christmas? SafeKids encourages parents to educate themselves and offers the following safety tips for purchasing toys:
- When purchasing toys for children, consider their ages and skill levels. Most toys have an age specification on the packaging, such as "For 3+" or "Not for Under 3 Years."
- Make certain toys for older kids are stored separately from those for younger children. Older children might receive toys with small, detachable parts, but are unlikely to put the parts in their mouths.
- Make sure toys with small, detachable parts are kept away from children under 3 years old. Small, detachable parts are choking hazards.
- Check the toys your children have for any damage or breakage that could cause injury.
- Always supervise young children playing with toys that are battery-powered, electric, or operated by remote control. This season, particularly, watch out for toys that fly and toys that climb walls and can fall on children.
- Always supervise young children playing with toys that have small balls, strings, small parts or contain magnets.
- Always supervise children playing with any kind of riding toy or toys that might create a fall hazard, such as trampolines, swings or pogo-sticks or toys that resemble those. If you are thinking about purchasing a toy with wheels, you may also want to get a helmet to go with it.
- Remember: According to SafeKids, active supervision means keeping children within sight and reach while paying undivided attention to them as they play.
And, as always, parents should stay informed about any unsafe toy products on the market by checking the Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall website at
http://www.recalls.gov and by checking in with us at http://www.ChildSafetyBlog.org.
Best wishes for a safe and happy ramp-up to this season of holiday gift-giving!
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Checking the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website for toy recalls this week, we were alerted to a major warning for parents, family members, and caregivers of young children, particularly infants, about "Bumbos."
What is a Bumbo? Bumbos are baby seats made in South Africa by Bumbo International and imported to the U.S. They are made of brightly colored, usually aqua or purple, plastic. Apparently, the inherent danger is that infants, from three to ten-months old, when placed in a Bumbo baby seat, can fall or escape from the seat by arching backward, leaning forward or sideways or rocking. In October 2007, there was a recall of the Bumbo baby seat when Bumbo and the CPSC learned of approximately 45 incidents in which babies fell from the baby seat while it was being used on an elevated surface, such as a table top or counter. In 17 of those incidents, babies suffered skull fractures.
Even more shocking, the CPSC and Bumbo International have been notified of 50 more incidents involving babies falling or maneuvering out of the Bumbo baby seat when it was placed on the floor. Those events included 2 reports of babies suffering skull fractures and one of concussion. The CPSC recall announcement says, "The Bumbo seat is labeled and marketed to help infants sit in an upright position as soon as they can support their head."
Even though the product warnings state that the seat "may not prevent release of your baby in the event of vigorous movement," we think the CPSC warning should go out to parents in the form of an "All Points Bulletin", because these seats apparently sold like hot-cakes--and everybody has them! Approximately 3.85 million Bumbo baby seats have been sold in the United States since 2003 -- at about $40 -- that's approximately $154 million, depending on whether they were purchased at full price.
If you have one of these jewels in your home, please note that the "CPSC and Bumbo International are now aware of at least 46 falls from Bumbo seats used on elevated surfaces that occurred prior to the 2007 recall, resulting in 14 skull fractures, two concussions and one incident of a broken limb."
One retailer's advertisement for the Bumbo baby seat indicates they sold for $39.99. The advertisement said, "The Bumbo Baby Seat is cleverly designed to support babies and allows little ones to sit up independently. Made from a single piece of latex-free, low-density, lightweight foam, the Bumbo Seat provides a snug and comfortable environment for your baby to sit in during feedings, play time or quality time with the family. The Bumbo Baby Seat requires no straps or fasteners to hold your baby in place and helps babies make the transition to sitting upright."
To view a photo of a Bumbo baby seat, go to the CPSC website:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12047.htmlAt this time there appears to be no provision for a refund or replacement. Childsafetyblog.org suggests parents remove this baby seat from their homes.
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Recently, articles in the medical media have raised concerns about the effect on children's brains and their cognition in general due to fast-paced cartoons. An article by Michael Smith featured in MedPage Today (9/12/11) noted a University of Virginia study performed by Angeline Lillard, PhD, and Jennifer Peterson, that points to kids' cognition possibly being impaired by the rapid switching of scenes in cartoons such as "SpongeBob SquarePants."
In the U.Va. controlled study, "The immediate impact of different types of television on young childrens' executive function," children who watched a rapid-pace, 9-minute cartoon that featured marine animals did less well afterward on tests of attention and cognition than children who spent the same amount of time using their creativity drawing. The children also performed less well in testing than children who watched a slower-paced, educational cartoon. This particular study was reported in Pediatrics, the
In a follow-up commentary on the study, Dmitri Christakis, MD, University of Washington-Seattle, suggested that while the U.Va. study had some weaknesses, including a small sample size (60 children), it raised an interesting point that "more children are now 'digital natives'" who are highly exposed to media and are more accustomed to the various forms. (Christakis, DA, "The effects of fast-paced cartoons," Pediatrics 2011: DOI: 10.1542/peds.2011-2071.)
On another front, concerns were raised about childrens' exposure to technology in an article called "Generation Wired" in the October 9, 2011, issue of Parade Magazine. The article offers a quiz parents can take, entitled, "What Kind of Internet Parent Are You?" (found at http://www.Parade.com/wired ), and helps parents decide whether they need to get involved in their childrens' digital lives as actively as they do in academic or sports activities.
Television and the digital landscape can be positive places for kids to go to. The various media to which children are exposed can promote healthy habits, but children need guidance. Well-informed guidance is important for parents, family members and caregivers to provide. For today's children, TV and computer technology have become an integral part of their lives, and parents need to make smart choices about what their children hear and see, whether it's on TV or the Internet.
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