In accordance with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the well-known children's toy manufacturer, Fisher-Price, voluntarily recalled another children's toy this past week.  Little People Play 'n Go Campsite™ looked like a very attractive toy for kids.  Fisher-Price, based in East Aurora, New York, has produced and sold generations of parents their colorful, sturdy, good-looking toys for children; however, on August 5^th, CPSC found it necessary to urge Fisher-Price to immediately recall 96,000 of the toys which were manufactured in China and exported to the U.S. and sold in the U.S. and Canada (14,000) from October 2009 through August 2010, for approximately $15. 

 

The recall is due to the presence of small parts which may represent a choking hazard.  For a visual of this toy, go to the CPSC recall website located on the web at: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10313.html

 

The particular small parts found in the Play n' Go Campsite set's "Sonya Lee" doll, which bends at the waist, are the specific potential hazard.  The doll can break at the waist causing small parts to be exposed.  CPSC notes: "The seven-piece plastic play set includes Sonya Lee, a tent and other accessories. Product number R6935 is printed on the toy's packaging. The name, Sonya Lee, is printed on the underside of the figure. The remaining pieces of the Little People Play 'n Go Campsite are not affected."

 

As parents, caregivers, and family members, we know small children love to put things in their mouths which don't necessarily belong there and we must continue to remain vigilant about what they put in their mouths.  At the same time, this child safety blogger notes that it is a disappointment to see toys that are less than safe arrive from China for sale to parents of America's children! 

 

Recently, Good Housekeeping (June 2010, p. 128) published a brief article entitled "Lead in Kids' Jewelry." GH's investigative reporters spotted some jewelry that actually bore warnings that the jewelry was "not for children under ages 7"- despite the jewelry's obvious appeal directed to small children.  Good Housekeeping became suspicious and had a variety of children's earrings and necklaces they purchased at Wal-Mart and Target analyzed: "All 7 items contained lead well above the legal limit for children's products." Most of the products also contained cadmium (another heavy metal which can be poisonous if consumed)"! 

 

So again, we need to be more than vigilant when visiting the children's jewelry counter.  According to GH, one small stud earring from Wal-Mart contained "124 times the permissible lead level for kids."  Along with Good Housekeeping, ChildSafetyBlog.org recommends:  Keep all jewelry away from young children! While ingesting an item containing heavy metals may not cause immediate harm or death, parents and caregivers need to immediately call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) if your child swallows such an item!

I'm not sure how it's the holiday season again, because it seems like it just ended yesterday.  I am particularly distressed about how Christmas continues to invade  November - this year, here in Charlottesville, the town lit its Christmas tree before Thanksgiving.  Despite all we are hearing about the economy, the retail chaos has started.  Money is tight for a lot of people, and this naturally leads people to purchase less expensive toys for their kids.  Unfortunately, it is usually the cheaper toys that are poorly designed and poorly made.  Parents should be vigilant in inspecting all toys bought for or given to their children. 

 

But it's important that parents know what to look for.  In that vein, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG) has recently released their 24^th annual report on toy safety entitled "Trouble in Toyland" which draws attention to toys which might present a danger to children.  USPIRG's report divides "dangerous" toys into 16 different categories, including toys that are too noisy and may endanger children's hearing, toys with small or detachable parts that could be accidentally swallowed, and toys that may contain potentially toxic chemicals (lead and phthalates), to name only a few.   

 

And a really cool feature - they also has an interactive smart phone website: http://www.toysafety.mobi to aid shoppers in avoiding already-known toy hazards and to report potential dangers.  So, if you have a question about a toy while your shopping, you can access this site and get an immediate answer.

 

 A recent CNN "American Morning" show examined several toys which were identified in the USPIRG report as containing potential hazards to children, such as the "Real Wood Shape Sorter Barn" made by P&C, which had a toy part on the side of the barn that could be a choking hazard to a child.  Also, Kota and Pals Stompers Triceratops made by Playskool was identified as a toy potentially too noisy for children's ears.  Hasbro, the parent company of Playskool, indicated, however, that this particular "toy complies with all sound requirements" answering USPIRG's concern. A toy identified as potentially toxic to children is "The Elmo Lunch Bag" made by Fast Forward, New York.

Check out toy safety tips after the jump.

Just in time for Christmas, an organization called W.A.T.C.H. (World Against Toys Causing Harm) has released its annual list of the top 10 worst toys.  What amazes me is that all of the hazards here have long been established -- choking hazards, projectiles that can damage eyes, etc - yet these dangerous toys still reach the market.  There is no approval or evaluation process by any government agency for toys - the CPSC only steps in when a problem is identified.  Please go to the next page for the list. 

Click here for a list of the worst toys of all time (complete with Lawn Darts).  These would be funny if not for the fact that each of these put thousands of kids needlessly at risk.

One of the important things I'd like to do with this site is provide a place where parents can get quick, easy access to recall information for children's products.  Up-to-date recalls will be posted, and eventually we'll have a sign-up for a monthly or weekly electronic newsletter that will, among other things, contain current recall information. 

But what is a recall of a consumer product such as a toy or child safety seat?  A recall is a corrective action by a company with regard to a product that it has discovered may be unreasonably dangerous to users.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has jurisdiction over toys and child safety seats sold in the United States, as well as other consumer products such as household appliances, sporting equipment and furnaces.  It does not have jurisdiction over motor vehicles, drugs, pesticides or medical devices (other government agencies have jurisdiction over those).