Kids In Danger

KID has a new Blog!

2011-04-25T09:20:00.001-05:00

As we mentioned in the last post, KID has moved our blog to be more integrated into our website -- you can find new posts here. This page will remain up for a while, but set your bookmarks for http://www.kidsindanger.org/blog/.

KID to launch new website!

2011-04-22T11:39:00.003-05:00

Late today, KID is switching over to a new website -- we've listened to what parents, caregivers, advocates and others want to see and made some amazing changes. We think you'll find the new KID website easier to use and navigate and a wealth of information to access while working to keep children safe.

Our blog too is moving to be better integrated into our web presence. But don't worry, all our older posts can still be found there including some of our most popular such as Back-to-School Safety and CPSC, FDA issue warning on sleep positioners.

So, next time you type in KidsInDanger.org, we hope you'll take a look around our new site and give us feedback in the blog comments. Many thanks to our designer Amy Cordell and site builder Seventhfury.

In the meantime, if the transfer hits a few bumps or snags, we'll have it fully operational by Monday. You can email us here if you run into problems.

CPSC database now has over 200 incidents posted; survived appropriation process

2011-04-13T10:44:00.003-05:00

First, thanks to all of you who emailed or called Congress expressing your support for the new consumer incident database, SaferProducts.gov, at CPSC. If you haven't visited yet, check out the Search page and see what incidents consumers have already filed.

But during last weekend's debate on keeping the government open, discussion of eliminating funding for this important safety program continued. In the end, the final agreed bill did not include a defunding of the database. It did however contain a required study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to be conducted within 180 days.

The proposed study has to examine:

whether the information that is submitted is from first-hand knowledge;
whether the complaint information is adequate for CPSC investigative purposes;
whether the product information is sufficient to enable consumers and stakeholders to identify the product; and
whether the time allotment before posting complaints is reasonable for adjudication of claims.

However, with spending discussions continuing in Congress, additional action could still be taken. But having spent the money to conduct this study, any possible changes to the database should wait for any results.

Saferproducts.gov now has consumer reports posted

2011-04-08T11:41:00.003-05:00

Saferproducts.gov, the new searchable database at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) went live for reports on March 11. Now, as the three week timeline for processing the reports comes to an end, CPSC has begun posting those reports. KID, while not busy defending CPSIA in the House, has taken a look and recommends you do too.

The reports are varied. Some cover known hazards such as crib failures, fingertip amputation hazards in strollers, and the continuing reports of rashes from diapers. Others raise new potential issues: loosening hardware on cribs, breaking toys and rattles releasing small parts, and possible design problems in other products.

Also of interest is the manufacturer response. Some, use the comment space to indicate a real commitment to safety, while others reassert their compliance with voluntary standards or to even negate the parent's report.

One report, while including a catalog page with the exact product reported, included a business response that the information was insufficient to tell if it was their product. Huh?

So please, take a look for yourselves and let us know what you think about the database -- will it be a useful tool for researching product safety or identifying emerging hazards? It might be a little hard to tell with just a week's worth of reports, but we'd love to hear what you think. Leave a comment here or on our Twitter or Facebook pages.

House subcommittee grills safety advocates

2011-04-08T11:27:00.004-05:00

At yesterday's hearing to begin the dismantling of the 2008 safety law which includes key provisions on juvenile product safety named for Danny Keysar, the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade seemed unwilling to consider that their "wrecking ball" approach (as noted by Representative Waxman (CA-30)) might be unwise. Most of the questioning was reserved for the few safety advocates and its intent seemed more to score points than learn helpful information to construct a narrow approach to give flexibility rather than gut safety provisions. It appears that if we hope to keep safety laws intact, with minor adjustments to address concerns raised by handmade and very small toymakers, this might not be the committee to do that. However, Chairman Bono Mack did indicate a willingness to work with Congressman Jan Schakowsky (IL-9) on cribs and other juvenile product safety issues. We'll continue to hope!

This morning, a House Committee looks at gutting CPSIA

2011-04-07T05:32:00.004-05:00

This morning in Washington, DC, the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade is holding a hearing on proposed changes to the landmark Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. Hearing from three panels, mostly of industry representatives, the subcommittee will look at far reaching changes including changing the requirement that all children's products should be lead-free, eliminating independent testing for most children's products and allowing cribs that could be unsafe to remain in child care facilities.

We'll have an update after the hearing, but were reassured that at least the majority of the commissioners at CPSC still support strong safety measures. Read their analysis of the legislation here and Rachel Weintraub's testimony here. Rachel is with the Consumer Federation of America and a past KID's Best Friend honoree -- you can see why!

Arm's Reach Bed-Side Sleepers RECALLED

2011-04-06T14:45:00.009-05:00

Yesterday, CPSC released the Arm's Reach Concepts, Inc's voluntary recall of about 76,000 infant bed-side sleepers, due to entrapment, suffocation and fall hazards.

Infants are at risk of falling from the raised mattress to the loose fabric at the bottom of the sleeper or possibly suffocating by becoming entrapped between the mattress and the sleeper. 10 reports have been filed with CPSC and Arm's Reach, citing infants falling or becoming entrapped.

The recall includes all bed-side sleepers manufactured between September 1997 and December 2001. Model number and manufacture date can be found on a sticker on one of the product's legs. The recall includes model numbers that begin with:

Originals: 8108, 8133, 8111, 8112 & 8199

Universal: 8311

CPSC suggests that consumers stop using the product immediately. Visit www.armsreach.com/instructions to download instructions to make sure your sleeper is assembled correctly before continuing use. Consumers can contact Arm's Reach at (800) 954-9353 or a www.armsreach.com.

Ten reports of potentially entrapped infants is troubling and just telling parents to read the instructions again doesn't seem much of a remedy. Be very careful using this product and discontinue use until you check your assembly for any potential gaps. Bedside sleepers can form dangerous gaps between the adult bed and the product if it isn't tightly installed, only on beds with a box spring and mattress configuration. Report any concerns with your bedside sleeper or other products to SaferProducts.gov.

Proposal before House Committee will gut the Danny Keysar Act and leave children vulnerable

2011-04-02T11:50:00.005-05:00

In 2008, parents of children injured or killed by unsafe juvenile products rejoiced when the Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act was included in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and signed into law. This portion of the CPSIA assured parents that:

For the first time, cribs, strollers, high chairs and other juvenile products had to be independently tested for safety before we brought them into our homes to use with our children.
Strong new standards would be adopted for juvenile products that would assure that the required testing would find potential flaws and make sure the products were safe for use.
Child care facilities and other public accommodations could only offer children safe cribs that met federal standards.
Parents would be given the opportunity to register their products with the manufacturer either through a postage paid card or online – making sure they would learn of recalls.

Well, fill out those product registration cards – you’re going to need them! The new House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Manufacturing wants to strip most of those protections – just like they stripped the words ‘Consumer Protection’ from their subcommittee name – it’s not like they didn’t warn us!

In addition to many other onerous changes that reduce the safety of all products you and your children use, here are the specific changes that affect infant and toddler durable products:

Strips the requirement for independent testing from all infant and toddler products, except for testing cribs to the old standards that eliminated gaps between slats, but little else. But that stroller, high chair or carrier? Your child will again be the test dummy for safety. Companies may say they employ their own testing, but we saw where that got us with the 10 million cribs recalled in the last four years and dozens of deaths each year in nursery products.
First, the proposed change says that child care providers have to replace their old cribs that don’t meet the standard – but just this once. In the future, if the standard changes, the facilities can keep using their cribs, only moving up to cribs that meet the new standard when they replace them. We understand this rule – after all, some centers will only be getting their new cribs in late 2012 when there might already be a few changes to the standard – making it a ridiculous exercise in trying to keep up. BUT, the next proposed change, combined with this commonsense change, will basically mean that your child care can keep on using any old crib they want – as long as it doesn’t have a drop-side. Read on…
The next proposed change says that if a child care facility is using fixed sided cribs (no drop-sides), they don’t have to comply with the new law that requires all cribs in child care to meet the new standard by 2013. So if a center is using an old crib, that we know is unsafe – it has corner posts that have hung children, it has cut-outs that have caused strangulation, or it is simply too old and rickety – they get to keep using that crib! And since they don’t have to comply with the next revision of the standard, they can keep using it forever! They do provide that the facility has to be subject to regulations that require them to stay in the room with the infant, not leave an awake baby in a crib and move all babies out of cribs at 12 months. But we all know that supervision is a poor substitute for safe products. When a baby suffocates or strangles, it is usually with little or no noise. Babies have died when parents have been in the same room.

So, what should be done, what are we asking for?

All products in section 104 of the CPSIA (infant and toddler durable products – cribs, strollers, high chairs, etc) should be subject to independent, third-party testing with no exceptions. These are products parents and caregivers buy to keep their children safe. They involve many parts and hardware and can be very dangerous if defective. Let’s not go back to the days of baby test dummies – let’s make sure the products are safe before we use them for our children.

While it may not be reasonable to ask child care providers to replace all cribs every time there is a minor change to the crib standards, there should be a means by which CPSC can require that if necessary. If another flaw in cribs erupts as the drop-side issue did over the past few years, CPSC should have the ability to require safe cribs in child care settings.

The new mandatory crib standard does so much more than ban drop-sides. In fact, it is unlikely that the drop-side cribs on the market over the past decade that led to millions of products being recalled and dozens of deaths could meet this standard – thereby eliminating the need to even officially ban them. The new standards will make sure crib hardware is sturdy, mattress supports and slats can stand up to real world use and that cribs, used to protect an unattended child, can keep a child safe. Allowing all matter of cribs, safe and unsafe, to remain in child care – just because they don’t have a drop-side is a clear attempt to gut the safety improvements of the past few years. Child care is varied and diverse. It is unreasonable to have an exemption for fixed sided cribs without knowing the condition of the crib, when it was made and what standards it does meet. If we are allowing some child care providers to keep older, less safe cribs, they should at least meet the most recent voluntary standard, ASTM 1169-09 or ASTM 406-09 for non-full size cribs.

Tell Congress – “Don’t Retreat on Safety: Keep our nurseries safe”

Call or email your own representative as well as Chairman Bono Mack of the subcommittee and other members. Let them know we can't go backwards on the safety of our youngest consumers. Tell them about your child and why it is important to you that nursery products meet strong standards and be independently tested.

Hiking for Aiden

2011-03-30T12:03:00.018-05:00

On April 1, Tami Vanderwilt will set out to hike the Appalachian Trail. Tami is planning this trip in honor of her grandson, Aiden. He was just 6 months old when his life was tragically ended after he suffocated against a bumper pad while sleeping.

After the death of her grandson, Tami started a blog, Tami's Mental Meanderings, devoted to sharing the message of safe sleep to others to protect children and those who love them from suffering the pain her family experienced. It was here that she announced her plan to hike along the Appalachian Trail, from Springer Mount in Georgia to Mount Katandin in Maine.

For Aiden with Love is a foundation started by Vanderwilt in memory of her grandson. She is raising money through the foundation to help fund organizations, including KID and First Candle, whose missions align with her efforts to spread the word about safe sleep. Anyone interested in donating to For Aiden with Love can find more information on Tami's blog or click here for a direct link to the donation page.

While Tami is advocating for safe sleep practices, the hazards of bumper pads and the lack of response from the CPSC is getting public exposure. The Chicago Tribune ran an article yesterday highlighting stories of babies suffocating because of bumper pads. The article also criticizes CPSC for dragging their feet on investigating submitted reports and possibly laying blame elsewhere. See more in our blog post here.

Failed Investigations on Crib Bumper Safety

2011-03-30T11:12:00.017-05:00

Chicago Tribune reporter Ellen Gabler has published an article exposing the Consumer Safety Product Commission's (CPSC) less than adequate job of investigating the role that crib bumper pads play in infant suffocation. The article reported that there have been 17 cases of infant deaths reported to CPSC that were not thoroughly investigated.

Although they had not investigated them, CPSC says other crib items such as blankets and pillows or even medical conditions could be to blame in these 17 infant deaths.

"If the baby was found with the face smushed up against the bumper pad, then I don't understand the relevance of the pillow or the blanket," said Dr. Rachel Moon, a pediatrician at Children's National Medical Center and researcher for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Bumper pads were originally created to cover the space between crib slats that were too far apart. The space between slats was reduced, but they are still being sold 40 years later and are causing an unnecessary hazard.

The Chicago Tribune also published an article in December 2010 on the hidden hazards of bumper pads. This article featured the stories of Preston and Aiden, two babies who lost their lives to bumper pads. The article also states that federal regulators have known about the hazards of bumper pads for years but has failed to warn parents and remove the item from stores. A study done by Washington University pediatrician Bradley Thach concluded that over two decades, at least 27 infant deaths have been attributed to bumper pads. Again, the Tribune article shows CPSC downplaying the role of bumper pads in infant deaths, claiming there were other contributing factors in each case.

KID recommends that babies be put to sleep on their backs in a bare crib without pillows or soft bedding present in their cribs. KID wrote a blog post on the December 2010 article found here.

Check out our other blog post today on Aiden's grandmother's mission to raise funds and awareness of this issue with a hike along the Appalachian Trail -- starting April 1.

KID chosen for crowdSPRING's next Give Back project

2011-03-28T12:33:00.017-05:00

Kids In Danger has been selected as the recipient of crowdSPRING's latest Give Back project!

Based in Chicago, crowdSPRING is a web and graphic design website specializing in giving access to creative talent from all over the world. Their goal is to present businesses with new, more affordable ways to buy creative products.

In 2008, crowdSPRING started a project called Give Back, the online web designers "way of helping worthy non-profit and charity causes in need." A creative (their name of a designer) suggested that crowdSPRING develop a way for other creatives to learn from each other's work. The Give Back project was born from this suggestion.

crowdSPRING has designed for companies such as Starbucks, Livestrong, Forbes and LG, although they cater to smaller businesses.

Calling all designers!! Submit your designs for KID's project on crowdSPRING.com today!

View the official blog post announcing KID as the new Give Back recipient here.

The Safest Line: a blog for parents

2011-03-24T16:36:00.002-05:00

KID recently met with Ken Levinson, the author of The Safest Line blog. Ken is a Chicago attorney. We asked him some questions about the blog and his thoughts on safety for children.

What led you to start The Safest Line?

My experience helping injured children (plus having three boys of my own) inspired me to take a proactive stance to prevent child injuries by showing parents how to become active proponents of their own children’s safety.

What are your goals for the blog and outreach?

Parents are bombarded daily with child safety messages and warnings that create an environment of fear. The Safest Line helps parents move past the noise by cutting to the safety issues that matter. As parents we can do a better job educating ourselves and our children about child safety to reduce the amount of child injuries that occur each year.

I also want parents to feel empowered to take a stand against careless corporations and individuals. Being a child injury lawyer helps, but in the age of social media, parents have a whole new way of alerting the public about dangerous products and behaviors. The online petition to ban crib bumpers is a great example of the proactive steps we can take to improve child safety.

If you had to give parents one piece of safety advice, what would it be?

Be alert, be proactive, and stay educated – but don’t be overprotective. We want to raise children who think for themselves. Find effective ways to instill safety values in your kids. If parents are always doing the thinking for their children, those kids miss out on learning experiences that will protect them when they grow up and experience more personal freedoms.

What is the attorney’s role in product safety?

Traditionally, child injury lawyers haven’t become involved until after the child is injured. Unfortunately, this role will always exist, but I think we have an obligation to do more to prevent child injuries by better promoting child safety. I want to help families hold careless companies and people accountable, but I also want fewer dangerous products on the market. I firmly believe that one child injured is one too many.

Thanks Ken! You can read KID's blog post on The Safest Line here.

CPSC and Delta reannounce recall of deadly cribs

2011-03-22T10:16:00.005-05:00

After learning of another death, CPSC and Delta today re-announced the 2008 recall of almost one million drop-side cribs. The design of the crib relies on little plastic pegs to keep the drop-side in place. When they inevitably fall out unnoticed, the drop side can separate from the crib, causing a gap where a baby can be entrapped. A seven-month-old Colorado Springs girl died in 2009 after becoming entrapped. At the time of the initial recall, CPSC was aware of 1 death, 2 entrapments and nine disengagements due to the design. Today's announcement doesn't list any additional disengagements, although doesn't say there weren't any -- too bad the database wasn't up and running!

These cribs were initially recalled because the tiny pegs come out of the crib leg, allowing the drop-side to push free and cause an entrapment hazard. It was recalled at the same time as another 600,000 Delta drop-side cribs using a different attachment mechanism that also fell out, causing entrapments and one death. Then last year, Delta recalled an additional 747,000 cribs whose drop-side mechanisms failed.

While CPSC has exerted strong leadership in pushing for a rigorous mandatory standard for cribs that will eliminate this dangerous design, they dropped on the ball on this re-release. Their main safety message delivered by Chairman Tenenbaum in the release? Be careful when you buy second-hand! Not that these products were unsafe from the day they were made and parents should avoid all drop-side cribs. Checking second hand products against the list of recalls and for safety goes without saying. But the reason to check is because these products are hazardous to begin with, not because they are second-hand.

So we'll say it -- Delta has recalled over 2.3 million drop-side cribs because the drop side hardware fails. Don't buy or use these cribs. It doesn't matter if you are the first or the tenth user -- they are unsafe. And while the recall announcement calls for Delta to send out more little plastic parts that they want you to check continuously to make sure they stay in -- don't. Just don't use these cribs-- they aren't safe.

UPDATE: A call to Delta confirms that there are no immobilizers available for this style drop-side crib. So we restate our warning -- do not use these cribs, with or without the new plastic 'safety' plugs!!

AAP and NHTSA -- new guidelines for car seats

2011-03-21T13:55:00.012-05:00

In the April 2011 issue of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advised parents to keep their children in rear-facing car seats until age 2 or until the child reaches maximum height and weight limit for the seat. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released new child seat safety guidelines shortly after AAP's publication was released.

Both AAP and NHTSA suggested parents check the maximum height and weight limit on their child's seat before moving them up to the next type of seat. They also suggested older children should ride in a booster seat until they reach 4 feet 9 inches and are between the ages of 8 and 12 years old. At this time, a regular seat belt should fit them properly.

“A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body,” Dr. Dennis Durbin, MD, FAAP said. “For larger children, a forward-facing seat with a harness is safer than a booster, and a belt-positioning booster seat provides better protection than a seat belt alone until the seat belt fits correctly.” Previous policy cited age 12 months and 20 pounds as the minimum for transitioning a child out of a rear-facing car seat.

NHTSA Administrator David Strickland pointed out that while all car seats sold in the U.S. must meet federal child restraint safety standards, he said, "Selecting the right seat for your child can be a challenge for many parents. NHTSA's new revised guidelines will help consumers pick the appropriate seat for their child."

As always, children should ride in the backseat of a vehicle until they are 13 years old. Learn more at AAP's Health Children site.

More on the database, four days after launch

2011-03-15T13:58:00.004-05:00

Have you gone to check out SaferProducts.gov? That's the new CPSCsite dedicated to the publicly available consumer safety incident database.

Consumers and others can report problems with products, incidents and injuries related to consumer products. CPSC has always had an online form for reporting, but now, most reports will become part of the public database.

Remember that this is a site to report safety issues, not product reliability or quality, except as they affect safety. So if the infant seat doesn't swing like it shows on the package, that is a quality issue, perhaps to be reported to customer service or an online product rating site. But if the motor that is supposed run the swing gets so hot it melts its casing and starts a fire, that is a safety issue and should be reported here, to CPSC.

Gather and input as much information about the product as possible – including identifying information such as model name or number, date of manufacture, etc. The more complete the report, the more likely it is to be posted and to provide CPSC with the information they need to assess the risk and take action if needed. CPSC has helpful pop-ups on the form that will help you find the needed information.

You need to provide your name and contact information for your incident to go into the database, but that information will not be posted and will only be released to the manufacturer with your permission. Giving the manufacturer your contact information, either through the CPSC form or by reporting directly to the manufacturer will allow them to fully investigate your incident and determine if action is needed. If you choose to file a report anonymously, CPSC will still get the incident information, but it will not go into the public database.

Manufacturers have 10 days after they are notified of a report by CPSC to review it for material inaccuracy. The best way to have the full 10 days is to register now with CPSC. The report will then be sent automatically.

Then, the report, if it has all the necessary information will be posted online. Right now, you can see the format here which CPSC has populated now with recall notices. Once the database has injury and incident reports, those will show up here too.

If you have problems reporting incidents or finding the data you need, let CPSC know. They already have great tools on the site to help both consumers and businesses navigate the system. We’d also love to hear of your experiences with the new database in the comments below.

Important Consumer Tool Launched Today

2011-03-11T07:29:00.004-06:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A coalition of consumer and safety groups today applauded the launch of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s consumer product safety information database that would allow people to share and access safety information about the products they own and consider buying.

The groups -- Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Kids In Danger, Public Citizen, Union of Concerned Scientists, and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group -- hailed the launch as a major step forward in educating consumers about product safety hazards and improving the CPSC’s ability to identify and act on problems in the marketplace. The database is up and running today online at www.SaferProducts.gov.

The database is required under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) approved by Congress and signed by President Bush in 2008. As the debate over the federal budget continues in Congress, some lawmakers have pushed to defund the database. Manufacturers have also been pushing to undermine the database.

The CPSC has historically collected consumer complaints, but because the agency has been required to obtain the approval of companies before it could communicate with the public about a specific product, the information has been kept from the public for months or even years. The consumer complaint database will help shed light on the safety of products currently in the marketplace.

The CPSC database contains an array of protections to ensure that inaccurate information does not get published. Anonymous complaints will not be permitted, and only safety-related information will be posted. Complaints will not be considered for publication if 8 specific minimum fields are not completed. Businesses also get to see every report of harm before it is placed in the database, and have the opportunity to correct inaccurate information and to provide their own comments. These measures provide an appropriate balance between transparency for consumers and providing protections for manufacturers.

Rachel Weintraub, Director of Product Safety and Senior Counsel at Consumer Federation of America, stated, “Consumers will no longer be left in the dark about product safety -- they will now have access to lifesaving information. The CPSC will also be able to more nimbly identify and act upon safety hazards. The database carefully balances the need to bring safety complaints to light, while also allowing manufacturers to review submissions and provide comments.”

Ami Gadhia, policy counsel for Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, said, “This is safety news consumers can use. Once the database is up and running, we think fears raised about the database will be shown to be unnecessary. This database will be a useful tool for consumers.”

Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids In Danger, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting children from unsafe products, added, “This crucial tool will help parents keep their families safe. The database will fling open the windows at CPSC and allow consumers to learn of dangerous products before it is too late. The decades of hiding injuries and deaths for months or even years will end. Parents trust a lot of products with their children’s lives. The database puts information in the hands of those who need it most.”

Christine Hines, Public Citizen’s consumer and civil justice counsel, agreed. “Today begins a new era in consumer product safety - one that will empower consumers to help themselves to identify hazardous products. That’s why it’s imperative that Congress follows up its commendable action in creating the database by ensuring it continues to thrive with appropriate funding.”

Liz Hitchcock, U.S. PIRG Public Health Advocate, said, “The information exchange that SaferProducts.gov will provide for consumers is going to prevent injuries and save lives.”

Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D., President of the National Research Center for Women & Families/ Cancer Prevention and Treatment Fund stated, “The product safety database will give everyone the information they need to help protect themselves and their families. It’s a simple but effective strategy that will save lives and improve the quality of our lives.”

Celia Wexler, Washington Representative, Scientific Integrity Program, Union of Concerned Scientists, said, "The new database strengthens the transparency of CPSC and will enable scientists and researchers, both inside and outside the agency, to spot trends early and pro-actively. The ability to respond to problems before product defects harm scores of consumers benefits both the public and businesses.”

***

Tomorrow is the day

2011-03-10T16:03:00.005-06:00

It feels a little like the eve of the first day of school – some of us are very excited and can’t wait; others, not so much.

Tomorrow, CPSC will launch their new publically-accessible consumer database at saferproducts.gov. Now, just as is already the case with cars, medicine and medical devices, consumers will have a place to report incidents with products as well as look for safety information that other consumers might have entered. Manufacturers seem to be dreading the change in the current situation – where they have all the power to determine what safety information consumers know about their products.

We'll have more tomorrow on using the database.

For today, here are some statements from parents who have already lost children to unsafe products – they know the importance of this new database.

The CPSC database gives parents, grandparents, families, friends, medical personnel, and even retailers, IMMEDIATE and FREE access to information regarding problems reported on a particular product, not just those few which rise to the surface because a child has either died or been seriously injured by the product. By that time, it is dangerously too late. It could take months, as it did in Ellie’s case, before the public has knowledge of this essential information.

Lisa, mother of Ellie who was killed in a Graco play yard with a changing table accessory in 2002.

I firmly believe that if such a database was in effect in the 1990s my son, Tyler, would be alive today. Tyler died when a dangerous drop side crib strangled him. Tyler was not the first (and sadly, not the last) to die due to the inherently flawed crib design. If I, as a consumer, knew about the other babies who died in drop side cribs I would never have purchased that deathtrap. A public database would have empowered me to make a more informed decision about a product intended to be my Tyler’s safe haven.

Michelle, mother of Tyler, who died in 1998, entrapped by a drop-side crib.

If I had known there had been children killed in drop-sides, it would have swayed me against them.

Nicola, mother of Liam, who died in 2005 in a Graco-branded Simplicity drop-side crib. The report to CPSC sat hidden for two years because of confusion over the manufacturer of the crib.

KID believes this database is an important tool for consumers – both to report information they believe will keep other consumers safe and to research products they own or are considering purchasing. It will give CPSC and others tools to identify emerging hazards and injury trends. Contrary to the fears of some – KID won’t be entering data – we’ll be too busy making sure parents are aware of this great safety resource.

KID releases Moving Toward Safety, a review of 2010 recalls and CPSC actions

2011-03-07T07:34:00.006-06:00

Today, KID, along with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and Illinois PIRG state director Brian Imus, released Moving Towards Safety, a review of 2010 recalls and CPSC actions.

Just about every two days there was a recall of a children’s product in 2010. These 160 recalls account for over 44 million individual toys, cribs, sweatshirts, strollers and more. That’s an increase of twelve percent from 2009 in recalls and 110% in units recalled.

At first glance these facts seem to indicate that the state of children’s product safety had worsened in the last year. However, though the number of recalls and the number of children hurt and killed by unsafe products is cause for concern, there were marked improvements to product safety oversight in 2010 as a result of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and other CPSC actions. We believe that many of these actions will not only reduce recalls in the future, but make it more likely recalled products will be retrieved from use.

The increase in recalls from 2009 can be partially attributed to the numerous recalls to remove from use failure-prone drop-side cribs which have been linked to dozens of deaths, as well as children’s sweatshirts and outerwear that continue to be produced with dangerous drawstrings.

The recalls show that we still have a long way to go before children are fully protected from unsafe products, but at the same time CPSC has taken actions that have had a measurable and positive impact on safety. We can take heart that we are moving in the right direction.

Days away from launch, public safety database still faces threats.

2011-03-01T16:24:00.003-06:00

The database CPSC has been working on for two and a half years is days away from launch. It will go live on Friday, March 11. CPSC has carefully crafted the site to both solicit important safety information from consumers and encourage accurate reporting. The database will provide consumers with a place to report injury and safety information and provide consumers, researchers and the CPSC with important information on injury trends and emerging hazards.

The CPSC did a soft launch of the database last month. That just means it was live, but the information wasn't made public. The results? 900 reports -- only four were 'materially inaccurate.' And two of those had the wrong manufacturer listed and were easily corrected. One manufacturer/importer at ICPHSO last week said that of the 50 reports they got, 90% agreed to give the manufacturer their contact information, providing a way to verify the information. Some manufacturers told us they didn't receive any reports during the month, others that they had a few and all were reasonable reports of a consumer's experience. So perhaps the sky won't fall next week after all.

But that doesn't stop the attacks. After all, for years manufacturers have been able to hide virtually all injury reports from the public. The status quo means consumers continue to use products that have been involved in numerous injuries or even deaths. The sunshine the database brings means more educated consumers and ultimately, safer products.

The House adopted an amendment to the Continuing Resolution they sent to the Senate that defunds the database -- a move that wastes the money already spent rather than saving money and is designed to stop injury data from coming to light.

If you haven't already contacted your US Senators, please do so and urge them to oppose any "Keep American Families in the Dark" efforts to stop the database.

Update on ICPHSO

2011-03-01T14:13:00.002-06:00

So the week spent with other product safety folks at the International Consumer Product Health and Safety (ICPHSO) Symposium was full of information and opportunities to collaborate on new approaches to safety. The first day and 1/2 of the meeting focused on injury prevention. Representatives from the Injury Free Coalition for Kids, including our 2007 KID's Best Friend, Dr. Elizabeth Powell, presented information on their research and education efforts. Then, through a series of workshops, representatives from industry, retailers and consumer groups brainstormed with them on injury prevention ideas we could all implement.

Dr. Powell was joined by two other KID's Best Friend honorees -- Dr. Gary Smith (2010) who spoke on his research on smoke alarms and children and Rachel Weintraub (2004) of Consumer Federation of America who organized and moderated the injury prevention segments.

KID's executive director, Nancy Cowles spoke on a panel on recalls. She stressed the need for better recall effectiveness and the rights of consumers to have information on product hazards. In addition, Cowles participated in an injury prevention workshop on toy and home safety.

Much of the conference was dedicated to new changes from CPSC including the database and testing requirements.

We also saw new tools such as the HD XRF machine which can detect heavy metals with more precision than regular XRF guns.

CPSC Chair Inez Tenenbaum spoke and on the final day, CPSC Commissioner and business school professor, gave a talk on negotiating with the CPSC.

More info and membership information can be found at ICPHSO.org.

ICPHSO Annual Meeting this week

2011-02-21T15:48:00.003-06:00

Where is one of the few places you can find consumer advocates, manufacturers, retailers, regulators, lawyers, test labs and consultants talking about product safety -- and let me add talking nicely to each other? It is the annual symposium and meeting of the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO), being held this week in Orlando, Florida. The organization's sole purpose is to put on these conferences, both here and internationally, to further efforts to improve product safety. You can hear some of the latest research, see new testing tools in exhibits, and participate in lively discussions on recalls, imports, oversight and more. KID has been participating since 2001 when our co-founder, Linda Ginzel, participated in a panel on Parents as Advocates. This year, we'll be on a panel about recalls and a discussion about working with the injury prevention community.

New research in Pediatrics shows 26 crib-related injuries per day

2011-02-21T14:57:00.003-06:00

A study in the March issue of Pediatrics shows that as many as 26 infants and toddlers are rushed to emergency rooms each day for injuries involving cribs, play yards or bassinets. Most of the injuries (83%) are crib related. One of the lead authors on the study was Dr. Gary Smith, KID's Best Friend Award Honoree in 2010.

Much attention (rightly) has been focused on suffocation and strangulation deaths in poorly designed cribs or those with hardware problems. But this study highlights that most injuries involving cribs are related to falls. Some of the falls are also hardware related when a side rail comes loose or may be caused by mattresses set too high, children still sleeping in cribs when they can attempt to climb out or soft bedding that provides a foothold for climbers.

Parents can prevent injuries by

checking their crib for loose or missing hardware,
making sure their crib hasn't been recalled,
Lowering the mattress setting to the lowest level when a child starts to push up on hands and knees,
keeping the drop-side* in the top position,
removing any soft bedding that can provide a foothold or suffocation risk,
moving the child to a toddler bed or even a mattress on the floor as soon as they reach 2 years, 35 inches or show signs of attempting to climb out.

Check KID's or CPSC's crib pages for more information.

The data in the study will be useful to CPSC and ASTM International as they look for design changes or stronger warnings to prevent falls and other injuries.

*The drop-side is dangerous for many other reasons too.

Don't let them hijack safety -- attempts to gut CPSC funding for critical safety measures

2011-02-16T12:08:00.008-06:00

Amendments to vital funding measures are currently being considered in the US House of Representatives that would gut key safety provisions of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Under threat is the funding for the public database that is set to help consumers learn of and report unsafe products and the third-party testing provisions that are helping to ensure the safety of toys and other children's products.

Without third-party testing to ferret out design flaws and other safety issues, the tough new mandatory standards won't mean much. After all, a ban was in place before the avalanche of toys recalled for lead paint in 2007 -- but with no independent testing, the tainted products were sold to our children anyway.

Without this public database, all of our efforts to make information about unsafe products available to the public will be undermined. The status quo, where public safety information is sealed away in CPSC files, serves no one -- except those making dangerous products. The CPSC database contains an array of protections to ensure that inaccurate information does not get published. Anonymous complaints will not be permitted, and only safety-related information will be permitted. Complaints will not even be considered for publication if 8 specific minimum fields are not filled out. Businesses also get to see every report of harm before it is placed in the database, and have the opportunity to correct inaccurate information and to provide their own comments. These protections are in place to provide transparency for consumers, while also providing protections for manufacturers.

Read this letter from Lisa Olney, whose daughter Ellie was killed in an unsafe portable crib for a personal testament to the importance of this database.

And don't be fooled -- the small amount this will save won't balance the budget -- these cuts are specifically targeted to stop safety measures already approved by Congress.

Contact your representatives immediately to tell them to oppose these attempts to hijack safety and to put the safety of our children first. The amendments to the Continuing Resolution (CR) are filed by Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) and are #545 (defunds the Database), #546 (defunds work to set rules for third party testing) and #547 (defunds CPSC's ability to accredit labs for third party testing for phthalates and toy testing) Click here to find and contact your representative!

UPDATE: Amendment 545 is up for discussion today! Call or email your Congressional Representative. Click here to find and contact your representative!

A special guest blog by CPSC Chair Tenenbaum: Sneak Preview of the Database

2011-02-16T08:55:00.009-06:00

A Sneak Preview for Supporters of Kids In Danger of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s New Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database

Posted February 16, 2011

by Chairman Inez M. Tenenbaum

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is the leading federal agency charged with ensuring the safety of consumer products. We protect families like yours from risks of injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products, including items that many of you use every day, such as cribs, strollers, sleepwear, and toys.

From the first day I took over as Chairman of CPSC, I have been committed to making the agency more open to the public and to families. In just a few weeks, we will launch our biggest open-government project. Starting in March 2011, CPSC will unveil a new publicly searchable database of reports of harm we receive from consumers and others relating to the use of consumer products. The database will be posted on the website SaferProducts.gov. Kids in Danger supported the creation of this database and has provided valuable feedback during its development, along with many other CPSC stakeholders.

Before we launch the database, CPSC would like to provide you with a sneak peek at one way the database will work for parents and other consumers. We want you to become familiar with how the database can be used to report a harm or risk of harm relating to the use of a consumer product or search for reports and recall information on products that you own already or may be thinking of buying. Knowing how to use SaferProducts.gov will help you gain access to important safety information and become connected to the CPSC.

We urge all Kids In Danger supporters to click on this link to watch a video demonstration of the process for reporting an incident to CPSC. Please share this message with friends and family who you think would be interested. We hope you’ll connect with us on Twitter @OnSafety and through our blog, which aims to answer your questions.

We are grateful for the involvement of Kids In Danger in our new consumer database, and we look forward to our continued partnership to keep children and families safe!

Almost 800,000 Dorel car seats recalled for faulty harness systems

2011-02-15T11:20:00.005-06:00

Almost a year ago, NBC Target 5 reporter Lisa Parker reported on a father's efforts to alert the manufacturer, NHTSA and the public to a problem he found with his Dorel Juvenile Group car seat. He documented on a YouTube video that the harness could pull loose when it was supposed to be locked in place. This could prove dangerous in a crash -- allowing the occupant to fly out of the car seat or even if retained, suffer injuries from the additional movement allowed.

That was early 2010, now a year later, NHTSA and Dorel announced the recall today for thousands of car seats manufactured between April 2008 and the end of May 2009. The brand names are varied and include Safety First, Eddie Bauer, Dorel and others as well as both convertible seats, infant seats and those sold with travel systems -- so if you have a Dorel car seat -- check the recall notice. Carseatblog.com has taken the time to correlate model numbers with brands and names.

Dorel is providing lubricant which is intended to make the latch work as required. NHTSA is asking for anyone having harness issues with one of these car seats to report it through safercars.gov. It is interesting to note that the date NHTSA's official investigation was opened(3/5/10) corresponds exactly to NBC Target 5's story on the air! Our friends at Safety Squad are quoted in the story as well!

Summer Infant recalls video baby monitor for burns AND strangulation hazard

2011-02-11T10:07:00.002-06:00

We posted a few weeks ago a recall that mysteriously showed up on the manufacturer's site (Summer Infant) and on Toys"R"Us, but not on CPSC's list of recalls. Many parents get their news of recalls from CPSC -- without that listing, parents using the product might be unaware of the dangers.

So today CPSC did list the recall for overheating batteries in Summer Infant Slim & Secure Baby Video Monitors. Summer Infant will provide new battery units for affected units.

But in addition, CPSC listed a recall of most Summer Infant baby monitors for cord strangulation hazards. Summer Infant will provide new instructions and warning labels to let parents know that a monitor should never be placed within three feet of a crib.

We'll have more on this, but wanted to get the links out -- here is CPSC's warning on monitor cord dangers.

Support KID when you buy flowers for your sweetie (or anyone!)

2011-02-10T15:28:00.002-06:00

Use this link to purchase flowers or a gift for Valentine's Day and KID will receive $10 for each purchase - an easy way to support KID and surprise someone!

CPSC votes 4-1 to extend stay on lead testing

2011-02-01T14:06:00.003-06:00

With delays in publishing the rules for testing children's products for lead as well as an upcoming possible change in the lead content limit from 300 parts per million (ppm) to 100ppm, CPSC voted 4-1 today to extend the current stay on the testing and certification requirements in the CPSIA until the end of the year.

This means that while manufacturers still have to meet the current 300ppm limit of lead content in products intended for children under 12, they don't have to prove they have met it through testing or certification.

We urge CPSC to finish the rules, including a process for component testing, so the law can be fully implemented.

ASTM toy standard committee meets in Baltimore

2011-02-01T13:27:00.004-06:00

The ASTM 15-22 Committee on Toy Safety met Monday, January 31, 2011 in Baltimore. On the agenda were proposed changes to the F963 standard on toys. KID participated with Consumer Federation of America and Consumers Union as consumer representatives along with manufacturers, testing labs and consultants.

Some of the issues discussed were strengthening provisions on hazardous magnets in toys, yo-yo water balls, and heavy metals such as cadmium.

ASTM F963 standard is written into the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and toy makers are required to meet the provisions in the standard.

Land of Nod recalls 300 drop-side "Rosebud" cribs

2011-01-26T09:28:00.002-06:00

CPSC and Land of Nod announced a recall today of 300 "Rosebud" drop-side cribs. The cribs pose (as do most drop-side cribs) a risk of entrapment and suffocation. These cribs were sold in 2003 and 2004. While no injuries or deaths were reported, the company and CPSC cite 13 reports of failing drop-side hardware -- almost 5% of the cribs sold were reported to be faulty. It is not clear from the information released when the reports of failure began to surface and how long this recall was in the works.

We applaud Land of Nod for stepping up to the plate now and providing a full refund ($599) for this dangerous crib. The crib's manufacturer, Status Furniture, is out of business.

If you have this crib, please stop using immediately and find a safe place for your baby to sleep until you can get a new crib.

With over 10 million cribs recalled since 2007, consumers should all check their crib against the CPSC's list of crib recalls. You can find more safety information on cribs on CPSC's Crib Information Center as well as KID's website.

CPSC announces "soft launch" of consumer database

2011-01-24T09:24:00.002-06:00

Today on its SaferProducts.gov website, CPSC has begun taking reports of injuries or incidents with dangerous products -- a trial run of their Public Database required under CPSIA. The catch is that this trial (reports prior to March 11, 2011) will not be made public.

CPSC is announcing this soft-launch to test the reporting form and make sure it all runs smoothly for the real launch in March. But even though the reports won't be public, they will be used in CPSC investigations of product hazards.

Businesses can also register to expedite the process of learning about consumer reports and responding.

We'll try to get more information about the process during this trial, but if you have an incident to report -- your child was injured, a toy appears dangerous, etc, please give this new system a try and let KID know what you think in the comments below.

Summer Infant recalls battery from color video baby monitor

2011-01-19T17:00:00.002-06:00

Not sure why this is not posted yet on CPSC, but both Babies"R"Us and Summer Infant have it posted on their websites:

Summer Infant recalls the batteries from their Slim and Secure Handheld Color Video Monitor. The battery can overheat and rupture -- the company has five reports of incidents involving some property damage, but no injuries.

The batteries are in video monitors sold from June 09 through May 10 and there is more information at Summer Infant's website about identifying affected units. Those who have the affected units can get a replacement battery from the company.

This is the second recall since August of overheating or malfunctioning monitors. The last recalls were in 2003. It appears that this might be a product class that needs additional scrutiny -- no one wants a fire or even a rupturing battery in a nursery! CPSC also issued an alert about monitor cord hazards last year.

Remembering Andy Sage

2011-01-07T14:09:00.004-06:00

This weekend, KID honors the memory of Andy Sage. Andy suffocated on a sleep positioner in January 2002. Since then, his parents have been committed to warning others of the dangers of this product. Just last year, CPSC and FDA finally warned parents about what the Sages and KID had been saying for years -- sleep positioners are dangerous and an unnecessary product. After that warning, manufacturers stopped making the product (we hope!) and they are no longer available on most retailer's shelves. But many are still in use or circulation and we urge parents to stop using this deadly product. As with bumpers, pillows and comforters, soft bedding has no place in a crib.

Andy left behind not only his parents, but a twin brother and a little sister he never got to meet. Andy's family members have been strong supporters of KID, holding several New York based events to raise awareness. Judy Sage, his mom, serves on our board of directors. Because of the Sages' efforts, babies now sleep safer.

And there is another legacy as well. When Andy's grandmother died in 2008, the family directed memorial gifts to KID. With those, KID launched the Debby Sayah Grandparent Outreach Program. This project recognizes the important role grandparents play and gives them the tools they need to keep their beloved grandchildren safe.

So join us this weekend in honoring Andy's memory. Share our life saving resources with the grandparents in your child's life and learn more about safe sleep.

Alert to Child Care Providers: Information on new crib requirements

2011-01-06T09:45:00.013-06:00

With the new crib standards from CPSC published in the Federal Register last month, dates are now firm for compliance. The effective date of the standard is June 28, 2011. By that date all cribs sold -- new or used -- must meet the new standard. We'll be watching for word from retailers and manufacturers who might meet that threshold sooner. The mandatory standards only contain a very few changes from the voluntary industry standard that is already in effect.

Because of the nature of cribs -- children spend long hours, often unattended or at least assumed to be safe, in them -- additional requirements are added to this standard. Any crib in a public accomodation -- hotel, guest house or child care facility -- must also meet the new standard. But CPSC extended that date by 18 months, giving facilities until December 28, 2012 to comply. Again, we'll be watching for word from providers or larger chains who may comply sooner. Facilities using mesh sided portable cribs are not affected by this provision, although these cribs should be checked against the CPSC recall list and for any wear and tear damage that might make them unsafe.

This requirement might seem overwhelming to child care providers and there may be confusion about how to make sure the cribs currently being used are safe and how to comply with the new requirement by the deadline.

KID wants to help. We will be updating this blog regularly with information for providers and working with allies in the child care field to make sure all providers learn of the new standards and requirements and are given the information they need to comply.

We will also develop an email listserve just on child care and product safety issues, including the crib standards. To join this list, sign up here.

Congrats to former KID staffer Genny Kirk

2011-01-03T12:14:00.002-06:00

Genny and her husband Hector Hernandez welcomed little Ana Maria on December 30. She joins big brother Mateo. Genny and Hector live in Rwanda now and you can follow their adventures here. We love hearing about child rearing in another place from Genny. She was one of the first full-time staffers at KID and helped put in place many of the office systems, outreach programs and communications we still use today!

Safer sleep for babies in the New Year

2010-12-30T13:22:00.003-06:00

As we prepare to celebrate the coming of a new year, we thought we would recap some of the safe sleep news from this past year. Make a commitment to help KID keep babies safe this year.

2010 was a big year for product safety news:

CPSC and FDA warn parents against the use of sleep positioners.

CPSC approves the toughest crib standard in the world.

Chicago Tribune and KPRC in Houston report on dangers of crib bumper pads.

University of California study shows increase in SIDS death on New Year's.

Millions of cribs were recalled in 2010 for faulty hardware, failing drop-side mechanisms, weak side slats and failing mattress supports.

Caramia crib recall
Generation 2, ChilDESIGN crib recall
Simplicity crib recall
Sorelle Crib recall
Victory Land crib recall
Longwood Forest Crib recall
Ethan Allen crib recall
Childcraft crib recall and here
Delta crib recall
Evenflo crib recall
Jardine crib recall
Lajobi crib recall
Million Dollar Baby crib recall
Simmons crib recall
Bassettbaby crib recall
Alexander Design crib recall
Pottery Barn crib recall
Sorelle crib recall
Graco/Lajobi crib recall
Dorel Asia crib recall

And this is just the list from 2010! Check here for all crib recalls.

To keep your baby safe, here are some resources:

CPSC's crib resource page

KID's safe sleep flyer

SIDS Illinois info on safe sleep.

KID's Q&A on the new crib standard

KID's blog post on drop-side cribs -- why are they so dangerous?

For a peaceful and safe new year!

2010-12-24T15:17:00.000-06:00

More from Illinois's Attorney General on crib bumper pads

2010-12-22T13:15:00.004-06:00

Following two news stories last week on crib bumper pads, one in the Chicago Tribune and the other at the Houston NBC affiliate, KPRC, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has released a warning to Illinois consumers. The AG's office has released an alert poster warning of the dangers of crib bumper pads as well as a letter to the Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association calling on that industry group to release a study they have conducted on bumper pads and take "immediate and substantial action to address the hazards associated with crib bumpers."

The families featured in both news stories have also shared their children's (Preston and Aiden) stories with KID's Family Voices. Certainly their stories will encourage most parents to remove crib bumper pads (and sleep positioners) from their child's sleep environment immediately.

KID believes a safe sleep environment is a crib, bassinet or portable crib/play yard that meets CPSC and ASTM standards with a tightly fitted sheet and a baby placed on its back -- nothing else should be in the crib. Sleepers and wearable blankets can help parents avoid possible hazardous blankets in the crib.

Q & A on the new crib safety standards: what does it mean for you?

2010-12-16T10:44:00.010-06:00

On December 15, 2010, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) adopted new rules that set strong mandatory standards for cribs and portable cribs. These new standards are now the strongest in the world and will provide assurance to parents that when they buy a new crib; it will keep their child safe. This Q&A attempts to answer questions parents and caregivers may have regarding these ground-breaking rules.

Q. Why do we need a new crib standard?

A. Following recent years of recalls of millions of cribs due to entrapment deaths and injuries, the new standards will ensure that new cribs have been tested for safety to rigorous standards. Many babies were killed or injured in unsafe cribs.

Q. What do the new standards cover?

A. The new rules put many new tests and requirements in place:

Cribs with full side drop-sides will not be allowed -- the bottom 20" of the crib rail must be fixed to eliminate the entrapment hazards seen when the hardware fails.
All cribs must undergo rigorous testing for slat strength, durability and mattress support strength. The series of testing is conducted on one crib to simulate a life-time of use. This is the key to the new standard. Most of the 10 million cribs recalled since 2007 were able to meet the weak industry standards that were in place.
Warnings and labeling have been improved, both to make parents more aware of when a crib is mis-assembled and to alert them to developmental signs to stop using a crib (when the child attempts to climb out). While most attention has been rightly focused on entrapment deaths in cribs, most injuries are as a result of children falling out of cribs.

Q. What types of cribs do these standards and rules cover?

A. The new standards include two sets of similar rules: one for full-size cribs and one for non-full-size cribs. Non-full-size cribs can be smaller, larger or a different shape than a full-size crib, which is a standardized shape and size. The rules do not cover mesh sided play yards or portable cribs, only those with rigid sides such as wood or metal cribs. CPSC will be developing a standard for play yards, but it won’t apply to child care as these do.

Q. What is the timing of all these requirements?

A. The new crib standards will be effective in six months. At this time, new and used cribs for sale will have to meet the standards. Then, child care providers and hotels and other public accommodations will have an additional 18 months to replace their non-compliant cribs. By January 2013, all child care facilities should have compliant and safe cribs. Many providers will be able to comply sooner.

Q. I have a drop-side crib at home. Will it be illegal now to use it?

A. No, the new rules have no impact on use of your own cribs at home. However, it will be illegal to sell older model cribs after the effective date in six months. Here is some information on what to do if you are using a drop-side or other older model crib at home:

First, check the list at CPSC.gov and make sure your crib hasn’t been recalled – millions have. Check the list carefully –cribs might be known by a name other than their brand name, or made by one company and sold under another name. If it doubt, get the model name and number and manufacturer and call CPSC to confirm. If it has been recalled, follow the recall instructions to get a repair kit, replace the crib or receive a refund.

If your crib is not recalled, check all the hardware and plastic parts to make sure it is all tight and there are no broken, cracked or missing pieces. The crib should feel sturdy when you shake it and you should not be able to lower the drop-side by any means other than the manufacturer’s instructed method. If your crib shows any breakage or you can move the drop-side without following the correct method, STOP using the crib. Call the company for replacement parts and do not use the crib until new parts are correctly installed. If the crib doesn’t have replacement parts, stop using it and call both the company and CPSC to report the breakage. Never attempt to fix the crib yourself without the correct hardware and instructions from the manufacturer.

If your crib has no broken, cracked or missing parts and feels sturdy, continue to use it until the child can transition to a bed, but stop using the drop-side mechanism and check frequently – at least once a week -- for loose, broken, cracked or missing hardware or parts. However, do not use the crib for a subsequent child or hand it down since assembly and disassembly of a drop-side crib can increase the risk of failure. It may be worth the peace of mind to purchase a new crib.

Q. I’m short (or have a bad back) and think a fixed side crib will make it too difficult for me to care for my baby. What are my options?

A. Many new cribs are lower to the ground and easier to reach into to pick up or lay down your baby. Another option is a drop-gate cribs in which just the top section of the side rail folds down, allowing easier access. And if you feel you do need a stool for access, consider using a wide stable step such as those for step aerobics classes.

Q. My crib has been recalled or I just don't feel safe using it anymore. What is a safe sleeping arrangement for my baby until I get a new crib?

A. First, if your baby is still under 5 months and not yet rolling over or pushing up on her hands and knees, you can use a safe bassinet. For older babies, a safe (not recalled) portable mesh crib or 'pack and play' is a good alternative. And finally, toddlers can be safely moved to a mattress on the floor or a toddler bed. In fact, many injuries in cribs happen when toddlers attempt to crawl out, so it might be time to make the move anyway. Unsafe sleep arrangements include couches, chairs, soft bedding or with siblings or others in a an adult bed.

For a link to a PDF of this Q&A, click here.

CPSC adopts world's toughest crib standards

2010-12-15T09:34:00.003-06:00

Following recent years of recalls of millions of cribs due to entrapment deaths and injuries, the new standards, which become mandatory in six months, will ensure that new cribs have been tested for safety to rigorous standards.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), signed into law in August of 2008, requires CPSC to issue mandatory standards for infant durable products. This provision of the CPSIA was named in honor and in memory of Danny Keysar. Danny was sixteen months-old when he died in his Chicago childcare home because a portable crib collapsed around his neck. The CPSIA requires mandatory standards and testing for durable infant and toddler products, product registration cards and a ban on the sale or lease of unsafe cribs. Cribs are among the first products for which mandatory standards have been promulgated under this provision.

“This new mandatory standard, the strongest in the world, will ensure that new cribs coming onto the market will provide safe haven for babies and their families,” stated Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger. “We applaud CPSC for their hard work and tenacity in developing and adopting this landmark rule.”

“Parents and caregivers should have peace of mind that when they leave their baby in a crib that their baby will be safe. For too long that has not been the case,” stated Rachel Weintraub, Director of Product Safety and Senior Counsel for Consumer Federation of America. “We congratulate CPSC for shepherding this strong and much needed consumer protection.”

The new rule puts many new tests and requirements in place:

Cribs with full side drop-sides will not be allowed -- the bottom 20" of the crib rail must be fixed to eliminate the entrapment hazards seen when the hardware fails.
All cribs must undergo rigorous testing for slat strength, durability and mattress support strength. The series of testing is conducted on one crib to simulate a life-time use of a crib. This is the key to the new standard. Most of the 10 million cribs recalled since 2007 were able to meet the weak industry standards that were in place.
Warnings and labeling have been improved, both to make parents more aware of when a crib is mis-assembled and to alert them to developmental signs to stop using a crib (when the child attempts to climb out). While most attention has been rightly focused on entrapment deaths in cribs, most injuries are as a result of children falling out of cribs.

The new requirements are mostly part of the ASTM International voluntary standard that has been adapted to serve as the CPSC mandatory rule. Over the past two years industry, consumer advocates and safety experts have worked feverishly to update the voluntary standard to provide real assurances of a safe product. Prior to the recent rewrite, the most recent significant changes to the voluntary standard were made in 1999. The CPSC mandatory standard was last changed in 1982. The new standards include two sets of similar rules: one for full-size cribs and one for non-full-size cribs. Non-full-size cribs can be smaller, larger or a different shape than a full-size crib, which is a standardized shape and size.

“The lack of durability of recently produced cribs is appalling and has put many babies at risk,” said Don Mays, senior director of product safety and technical policy for Consumers Union/Consumer Reports. “These new regulations will ensure safe sleep environments by raising the bar for the safety and quality of cribs.”

For the first time, this mandatory rule promulgated by CPSC applies to products already in use by some entities as well as to new products. Efforts will begin immediately to remove older unsafe products off store shelves, out of child care homes, and out of hotels. The CPSIA includes a section requiring that cribs that don't meet the new standard can't be sold -- new or used, used in child care, used by hotel guests, or used in other public accommodations. This measure alone will go far in removing unsafe cribs from use. This does not apply to already purchased cribs being used in private homes, except for barring their resale.

Six months after the publication of the standard, all cribs on the market must be in compliance. The Commission voted to give child care facilities and hotels an additional 18 months after that date to replace any non-compliant cribs. CPSC has indicated that cribs currently being manufactured and tested that meet the new standard can continue to be used, even though their sale took place prior to the new rule being official.

“After years of foot dragging by the industry, CPSC has now approved a standard and testing regimen that will keep children safe – avoiding the crib recalls, entrapment deaths and injuries that have plagued the industry,” said Elizabeth Hitchcock of US Public Interest Research Group.

A look back before tomorrow's historic CPSC crib vote

2010-12-14T13:30:00.005-06:00

As we posted last week, the CPSC will vote tomorrow on new mandatory standards for full-size and non-full-size cribs. The standards, if adopted, will be the strongest crib standards in the world. This in the country that has had to recall 10 million plus cribs in the last three years because of deaths and injuries from entrapment hazards when the cribs basically fall apart.

But the push for strong mandatory standards didn't start in 2007 when a Chicago Tribune story and a flood of recalled toys from China focused the nation's attention on children's product safety.

There was Danny Lineweaver in California. His parents, Rose and John, founded the Danny Foundation in 1984 after Danny strangled when his clothing was caught on a crib corner post. For years, the Danny Foundation worked to improve the voluntary standard by incorporating the ban against corner posts and crib cut-outs that might catch on clothes or strings. They also supported the Infant Crib Safety Act, requiring that cribs for sale or in use in public accommodations such as child care met current crib standards.

Iin 1997, Tyler died in a drop-side crib. His mother Michelle Witte has fought valiantly for a ban on this particularly hazardous crib design.

Then in 1998, another Danny, Danny Keysar was killed when the portable crib he napped in at child care collapsed, catching his neck in the v-shape of the side rails and strangling him. His parents founded Kids In Danger -- originally to spread the word to parents about recalled products and child safety. But they soon learned that the real problem was bigger -- there was no requirement that children's products like cribs, strollers and high chairs be tested for safety before they were sold. The crib that killed Danny was never tested for the safety of that folding design -- even though it was the first of its kind. Within months on the market, it had killed a child -- the first of six children to die in that particular brand, at least 19 have died in cribs of that same design.

So in 2001, KID board members sat down with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky who had volunteered to help with the problem of unsafe children's products. She asked us, "what would be your ideal fix? What would solve the problem?" Without hesitation, we responded -- strong mandatory standards and independent testing. She drafted the Infant and Toddler Durable Product Safety Act and introduced it that year. Each year co-sponsors signed on, but no vote was taken.

Fast forward to 2007 -- the articles, the recalls and Congressional attention. Now, Congress was ready to act and in 2008, the Infant and Toddler Durable Product Safety Act, along with the Infant Crib Safety Act, were incorporated into the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) under the Danny Keysar Child Product Notification Safety Act. This also included the requirement for product registration cards for these same durable products so parents would learn more quickly of recalls.

Now three years later, the new crib standard, and accreditation procedures for the independent labs that will test these cribs is on the verge of adoption.

KID does our work to honor the memories of Danny Keysar, Tyler Witte and Danny Lineweaver, along with the many other children who have died in unsafe products. Visit the Family Voices website to read just a few of the stories.

We eagerly anticipate tomorrow's vote and hope CPSC does the right thing. Let's give our children a safe future!

Chicago Tribune writes about dangers of crib bumper pads, CPSC agrees to take a 'fresh look'

2010-12-11T18:32:00.005-06:00

Both Aiden's and Preston's families have shared their stories with KID and we have been warning for years against crib bumper pads. But bumpers continue to be marketed to new parents, show up in many retailer 'staging' of cribs, and even CPSC has previously dismissed the hazards.

But now, the Chicago Tribune has written another impactful story on a juvenile product safety concern -- crib bumper pads. The article cites the stories of these two families whose children suffocated on bumper pads this year. It also cites additional data at CPSC of dozens of other deaths in which bumpers were involved.

We urge parents and caregivers to read the article, throw out your bumpers if you are currently using them, and pass this safety message unto any new parents you know. CPSC has agreed to re-examine the safety of bumpers. As safe sleep groups have been saying for years, a safe crib is a bare crib -- a tightfitting sheet only and a baby on its back.

Our hearts go out to Preston's and Aiden's families and we thank them again for sharing their stories -- it will save lives.

CPSC set to vote on final new crib standards

2010-12-09T16:01:00.004-06:00

At this week's CPSC Commission meeting, staff presented a briefing on the new rules for full-size and non-full-size cribs. There were few changes from the earlier proposed rules. These new rules put many important tests and requirements in place:

Cribs with full side drop-sides will not be allowed -- the bottom 20" of the crib rail must be fixed to eliminate the entrapment hazards seen when the hardware fails.
All cribs must undergo much more rigorous testing for slat strength, durability and mattress support strength. The series of testing is done on one crib to simulate a life-time use of a crib. This is the key to the new standard. Most of the 10 million cribs recalled since 2007 were able to meet the weak industry standards that were in place.
Warnings and labeling have been improved, both to make parents more aware of when a crib is mis-assembled and to alert them to developmental signs to stop using a crib (when the child attempts to climb out). While most attention has been rightly focused on entrapment deaths in cribs, the largest number of injuries come from children falling out of cribs.
For the first time, efforts will begin immediately to get the older unsafe cribs off store shelves, out of child care homes and out of use. A portion of the CPSIA requires that cribs that don't meet the new standard can't be sold -- new or used, used in child care, be given to hotel guests or used in other public accommodations. This measure alone will go far in removing unsafe cribs from use. This does not apply to already purchased cribs being used in private homes, except for barring their resale. CPSC staff is recommending that child care facilities have one year from the approval of the new rule to replace any non-compliant cribs. CPSC has indicated that cribs currently being manufactured and tested that meet the new standard can continue to be used, even though their sale took place prior to the new rule being official.

At the briefing on Wednesday, most of the questions were centered around that provision -- that older cribs that don't meet the current standard not be used in child care. While the commissioners all want to see safe cribs in child care and all settings, there was concern expressed over the cost and timeline.

That provision in the CPSIA was first proposed by the Danny Foundation as a way to remove cribs from use that were unsafe. The Danny Foundation (now closed, but supporters went on to start Keeping Babies Safe) was founded by the parents of Danny Lineweaver who strangled when his clothing was caught on a crib cornerpost. The Foundation and its executive director Jack Walsh worked tirelessly to add safety provisions to the voluntary crib standard -- many of which are now in this proposed mandatory standard.

So for now, the vote is scheduled for next Wednesday, December 15 at 10AM EST. However, commissioners have the prerogative to postpone the vote by a week, so we'll keep you posted!

Senate sub-committee holds hearing on CPSC -- product safety in the holiday season

2010-12-02T15:23:00.002-06:00

Today Rachel Weintraub, Director of Product Safety and Senior Counsel with the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) testified on the progress the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has made in making products safer, as well as the challenges faced by the agency.

The Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, headed by Senator Mark Pryor

(D‐AR), held the hearing to address Product Safety in the Holiday Season, as part of their oversight responsibilities of the CPSC.

Ms. Weintraub testified on behalf of CFA, as well as Consumers Union, Kids In Danger and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. Representatives from industry, small manufacturers and the American Academy of Pediatrics also spoke, following a panel of the CPSC Chairman, Inez Tenenbaum and Commissioner Anne Northup.

“Whenever we make a purchase for our family and friends, most people assume that the product they are considering is safe.,” stated Weintraub. “While consumers do need to think about how the child interacts with the product, if there are other children in the house who may play with the product, or whether the product has been previously recalled, there are some issues that no amount of thought or planning can detect. It is the realm of hidden hazards that the CPSIA and CPSC have sought to detect and prevent.”

Her testimony outlined successes that CPSC has had since implementing the CPSIA. These include a strong mandatory crib standard, a comprehensive consumer incident database, online toy warnings, product registration, and mandatory toy standards.

Ms. Weintraub also discussed the challenges facing the agency involving implementation of the CPSIA and concerns raised by stakeholders as well as the problem of cadmium in children’s products.

Ms. Weintraub rejected attempts to "open a series of gaping loopholes in the CPSIA that would allow more lead into a host children’s products,” that have been proposed by various stakeholders. “Allowing more lead in children’s products and carving out products from the scope of the CPSIA is not what children are asking for this holiday season.”

You can view the archived webcast and read testimony from participants as well as statements from Senators here.

Updated Playground Safety Guide released by CPSC

2010-11-30T10:50:00.006-06:00

It is estimated that in recent years, there have been more than 200,000 injuries annually on U.S. public playgrounds that required a trip to the emergency room. To reduce the risk of playground-related deaths and injuries, follow these recommended guidelines from CPSC to create a safer playground environment for all children. The handbook touches on the following public playground safety issues:

Potential of falls from, and impact with equipment
Need for impact attenuating protective surfacing under and around equipment
Openings with head entrapment potential
Scale of equipment and other design features related to user age and layout of equipment on a playground
Installation and maintenance procedures
General hazards presented by protrusions, sharp edges, and crush or shear points
Supervision and sight lines

A complete Playground Safety Checklist is included in the handbook and can be used when deciding on a public playground for your children. Ensure that the safety of each individual piece of playground equipment as well as the layout of the entire play area is considered when designing or evaluating a playground for safety.

Childcare personnel, school officials, parks and recreation personnel, equipment purchasers and installers, playground designers, and any other members of the general public concerned with public playground safety and interested in evaluating their respective playgrounds should refer to the complete handbook listing from CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook.

CPSC approves landmark public database

2010-11-24T09:08:00.005-06:00

After a sometimes raucous debate, the Consumer Product Safety Commission voted 3-2 to approve the final rules for the public database required by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008. Starting in March 2011, consumers will be able to file reports on products and other consumers and researchers will have access to that information.

Much of the discussion centered around who could report to the database. Commissioners Nord and Northup want to limit it to those with first hand knowledge only and Commissioner Adler and Chairman Tenenbaum spoke eloquently on the risk of limiting information reported -- covering up injuries.

Danny Keysar, whose parents founded KID, found his way into the discussion. Since no one was in the room when Danny died and it occurred in child care, not his parent's home, Commissioner Adler was concerned that under the more narrow definition brought by the minority, Danny's death might have gone unreported.

But in the end the broad definition prevailed. This will allow parents and caregivers to keep their own children safe and allow researchers and others to use the information to identify unsafe products and injury trends -- leading to safer products in the future.

In his closing remarks, Commissioner Adler dedicated the database to the memories of children injured by unsafe products: Danny, Ellie and Tyler.

We commend the Commission staff for their incredible hard work in putting together the rule and the Commission for moving forward.

By the way -- in the meantime, if you have an incident with a consumer product, you can report it now to the CPSC. While reports after March 2011 will be public, CPSC has always accepted such consumer input and it has led to many recalls.

CPSC educates new parents on babywearing safety

2010-11-19T11:24:00.004-06:00

After the earlier warning and recalls, some parents may have begun to worry about the safety of using slings for babywearing. CPSC has now posted educational advice for new parents to babywear safely. Currently ASTM International is developing the first standard to cover slings. Other baby carriers are already covered by a standard for soft infant carriers. In addition, the Baby Carrier Industry Group has an additional safety page that complements the info offered by CPSC.

More on the database, from a mother's perspective

2010-11-16T11:41:00.003-06:00

This letter is from Lisa Olney, whose daughter Ellie would have been 9 last week, had she not died in a portable crib just after her first birthday.

It scares to me think that the mandated database, part of the CPSIA, has organizations and individuals attempting to suppress it. This database is an essential part of keeping our children safe by making consumer experience with products accessible to all.

On December 19, 2002, my daughter Elizabeth, just 13 months old, died in a poorly designed play yard. I live my life often looking back through “what if’s” and “should have’s,” but I’ve learned to give most of that up in order to save myself from being a horribly miserable individual. Instead, I realize the importance of focusing on efforts to protect our children so that no parent has to suffer from what I have, along with too many other victims of unsafe children's products. This CPSC database is going to protect millions of children, because it provides a place to go when considering the choices parents make when purchasing products, especially those products intended to be beneficial to our children’s safety.

Since Elizabeth’s death, I gave birth to a third daughter. Having been so disappointed in the things I learned about children’s product safety since Elizabeth’s accident, it is an understatement to say I was paranoid and at a loss as to how I might raise another baby, using products whose manufacturer’s executives or legal teams were suppressing information essential to my child’s safety.

Sure, there is the CPSC recall list, but what about the complaints lying in the “inbox” of someone’s desk, waiting to be investigated? What about those products that had a few complaints but never made it to the public until it resulted in a death? It took nine months for the CPSC to release Ellie’s story and the warning that went with it. It wasn’t even a recall; Graco only had to offer new warning labels cautioning people of the possibility and danger of entrapment.

The database planned for CPSC gives parents, grandparents, families, friends, medical personnel, and even retailers, immediate and FREE information on ANY problems reported about a particular product, not just those few which rise to the surface because a child has either died or been seriously injured by the product. By that time, it’s too dangerously late. As with Ellie’s case, it could take months before the public sees this information.

Of course manufacturers might not be pleased with production of such a database because it not only means that their products could show up on the database, it also means that they will be forced to spend more money on assuring the safety of their product if they want it to sell.

A child is priceless, beyond what any definition might attach itself to that word. I don’t know whether Ellie was destined to be a ballerina or a professional race car driver. I also don’t know what she might have looked like on her 9th birthday last week or what her laughter sounds like. What I do know is that her life was ripped from her too soon.

CPSC’s database demands that manufacturers hold themselves to higher standards and give the public the chance to decide for themselves, whether a product’s small glitch or major defect is worth taking a risk on and buying for their child. I cringe at the thought that a manufacturer might put enough pressure on the CPSC to divert the creation of this database in any way.

Companies who make products for our children deserve to be held accountable for that product at every moment. I certainly can never hide from my grief, my pain, or the permanent hole in my life that once was my toddling, smiling child. Manufacturers don’t deserve the ability to hide.

Sincerely,

Lisa L. (Davis) Olney

LA Times reporter posts video about CPSC Database -- vote is tomorrow

2010-11-16T11:28:00.002-06:00

David Lazarus, a reporter with the LA Times has both written about and posted a video about the CPSC Consumer Product Safety Database. As he says, it is good for consumers. The vote at CPSC is tomorrow morning.

Next week: ASTM standards committee meetings on juvenile products

2010-11-05T09:24:00.004-05:00

Next week for five days, manufacturers, testing labs, regulators and a few consumer advocates will meet in suburban Philadelphia to discuss standards for juvenile products -- cribs, strollers, high chairs and many others. This is the twice-annual meeting of the ASTM International subcommittees on juvenile products. Each product type group meets to review changes to the standard, analyze incident data to look for injury trends or possible design flaws, and -- because of the CPSIA -- discuss developing each voluntary standard into a document on which CPSC can base the new mandatory standards.

This month, the group will be finalizing the first standard for sling infant carriers and holding the first meeting of a group to develop a standard for crib mattresses. KID has been participating in the ASTM process since 2000. One of only a handful of consumer representatives, we sometimes have to work to get our voice heard, but have seen progress in the decade we have worked on ASTM standards. We urge other consumer organizations or advocates to consider joining ASTM and adding your voice to the process.

The voluntary standard setting activities of ASTM will benefit greatly from the new public database launching in March 2011. Earlier access to injury data and the ability to look for patterns in injury data that can be addressed through standards will lead to stronger standards that can more nimbly react to incidents. This year's Nursery Product Report from CPSC showed a jump in emergency room visits linked to juvenile products. That information, combined with the new database will give ASTM the information they need to improve product safety.

Have a product related concern that you would like ASTM to consider? Email KID and we'll bring that along with us next week.

New data from CPSC suggests increase in injuries from juvenile products

2010-11-01T16:42:00.002-05:00

Today CPSC released its 2010 Nursery Product Report. The report looks at injuries and deaths in nursery products from 2009. The report cites 77,300 injuries involving nursery products that required a trip to the emergency room. This is an increase of around 21% from last year. The rate does fluctuate year to year, but this is a particularly high increase. Injuries in cribs rose by about 27% from 11,500 to 14,600. CPSC says the increase could be due to technical issues, but their staff (and KID!) will be carefully reviewing the data to determine if there are product related issues leading to the increase. Infant carriers and car seats (outside of their use in cars), cribs and strollers were the top three categories, accounting for most of the injuries.

CPSC gets death data from different sources, and only provides averages over a three year period. The data also lags behind injury data, so the average number of deaths from 2005-2007 was 88 a year, with 60 of those in sleep environments such as cribs (36), bassinets (14) and play yards (10).

CPSC notes that the deaths and injuries, while involving a product, may not always be caused by product defects, but by other factors such as extra bedding. Check out KID's safe sleep tips or CPSC's new video for more information on creating a safe sleep environment.

The new database that launches in March 2011 will provide additional injury data to study along with this emergency room data.

CPSC database coming closer to a reality

2010-10-28T09:27:00.004-05:00

In 2007 and 2008, during the discussions of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act as the bill was named in the end, consumer advocates repeatedly raised the issue of secrecy at CPSC, pointing to the human cost of keeping injury data secret from consumers using the products. While advocates had hoped to remove Section 6(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act -- which is an effective gag order on much safety information -- what happened in the end was a public database -- the ability of consumers to report injuries and incidents with products to CPSC which would then be available to other consumers making choices about those products.

According to the dedicated website at CPSC, the database will be a reality in 134 days (March 2011). The Commission was briefed by staff in a three hour session on October 20 and the final vote is expected in mid-November. CPSC staff have done yeoman's work in creating a process that encourages use of the database as well as the accuracy of the information. Consumers, business, academic researchers and CPSC staff will be able to access crucial safety information, in many cases before a recall or serious injury or death. You can view a Q&A about the database here.

That doesn't mean there hasn't been push back from companies who have gotten used to dealing with their safety problems in a more secretive way. But as Rachel Weintraub of Consumer Federation of America (pictured above at a CPSC workshop on the database with Consumer Union's Ami Gadhia) points out in an excellent article in this week's Product Safety Forum, consumers will be the winners in the long run.

A hot button issue: battery ingestion

2010-10-22T16:34:00.008-05:00

According to Children's Memorial Hospital, each year 3,500 people (mostly young children and the elderly) in the U.S. swallow “disc” or “button" batteries, and many of these incidents result in serious health complications.

As part of their Battery Ingestion Advocacy Project, Children's Memorial Hospital recently released a helpful new flier on the dangers, preventions and treatments of disc or button battery ingestion for young children. While not widely publicized, this is a serious health issue for kids, as batteries can get stuck in children's throats and can lead to poisoning, chemical burns and other serious complications.

If you are concerned that your child has ingested a battery or for more information, contact the Battery Hotline at 202.625.3333 or Poison Control 1.800.222.1222.

CPSC Launches "Safe Sleep for Babies" video on heels of latest crib recalls

2010-10-22T10:05:00.009-05:00

Today, on the heels of the latest in a seemingly never-ending flurry of crib recalls, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), along with three New York-based partner organizations, launched its new video "Safe Sleep for Babies." This video is the newest tool in CPSC's ongoing Safe Sleep Initiative, which works to reduce deaths and injuries associated with unsafe sleep environments.

The new video will be distributed to hospitals nationwide in an effort to reach as many health care providers and parents as possible, and to educate the public on these important safe sleep issues. The goal is to reach parents while they are still in the hospital, so that they create a safe sleeping space for babies from day one, and is an important step to make this information readily available and accessible for all parents and caregivers.

The video urges parents to:

Place infants to sleep on their backs

Use a firm, tight-fitting mattress

Never use extra padding, blankets or pillows under baby

Remove pillows or thick comforters

Do not use positioning devices – they are not necessary and can be deadly

Regularly check cribs for loose, missing or broken parts or slats

Do not try to fix a broken crib

Place cribs or playpens away from windows and window covering cords to avoid fall and strangulation hazards

Place baby monitor cords away from cribs or playpens to avoid strangulation

The three new crib recalls--the Heritage Collection 3-in-1 Drop-Side Cribs, Angel Line Drop-Side Cribs, and Ethan Allen Drop-Side Cribs--affects about 40,000 cribs. As always, please check the CPSC website to make sure that your crib is not affected.

You can also download KID's safe sleep flyer or visit our product hazard page on cribs.

More on Graco Stroller Recall

2010-10-21T10:42:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, we wanted to get the word out quickly about the 2 million Graco strollers recalled. If you haven't seen the information:

here is the CPSC release
here is the Health Canada advisory (no recall)
here is the Graco website for processing repair kits
here is a great flyer for posting about the recall to alert child care providers, parents, grandparents and other caregivers -- consider posting where parents gather.

We also had some questions about the reason the products were sold 2000 to 2007; deaths were reported from 2003 to 2005 (as well as one in Canada in 2006); and yet the recall is just happening now in 2010.

CPSC has reported that in initiating a review of injuries and deaths in strollers, they grouped these four deaths and decided it was important to do a recall since many families were using the strollers with no awareness of the risk. Why a recall wasn't done under a previous CPSC administration and how long this process took for Graco to do the recall are matters currently sealed in CPSC compliance files. We also don't know why Graco continued to make the product with the same design for several years after the deaths.

We urge parents using these Graco strollers to stop using them and get the repair kit. In fact, given that almost 4.6 million strollers have been recalled since June 2009, everyone using a stroller should probably go to CPSC's website to check their stroller against the recall list.

In their most recent Nursery Product Report, CPSC reports 12,400 children were rushed to emergency rooms in 2008 for injuries related to strollers and an average of three children a year die in strollers. CPSC's recent stroller safety advisory or KID's stroller brochure give important tips for safety.

Here are links to articles on the recall in the New York Times, AOL WalletPop and Bloomberg/Business Week.

Graco and CPSC recall 2 million strollers for risk of strangulation

2010-10-20T07:03:00.004-05:00

Today CPSC and Graco announced the recall of 2 million Quattro and Metrolite strollers sold between 2000 and 2007. Babies can slip between the seat and stroller tray -- trapping their head and leading to strangulation. At least four babies died this way between 2003 and 2005.

If you have one of these strollers (the list of model numbers is long!), stop using it until you can get the repair kit from the company.

We have many questions about this recall. This risk has been known for years, and certainly was evident in these strollers after the first death in 2003. The voluntary standard setting committee on strollers at ASTM addressed the flaw through changes in that standard in 2008 (which means work on it started long before that). Why are the strollers only being recalled now, years later? And more importantly, why were they sold until 2007 if the first death happened in 2003?

We'll be trying to get some answers. For all parents -- use the restraint on your stroller at all times, don't rely on the tray to restrain your baby. CPSC has issued a safety alert on stroller safety.

The Illinois Attorney General's office has also posted a very eye-catching alert that can be printed out and used as a poster in childcare facilities or any other place families gather. Help spread the word of this important recall.

Even though they report a death in Canada in 2006 in this product, Health Canada has declined to recall the product there, instead giving parents safe use information.

Canada declares BPA toxic

2010-10-15T14:48:00.012-05:00

According to the Toronto Sun, Canada has declared bisphenol-A (commonly know as BPA) a toxic substance. According to U.S. PIRG, BPA, a chemical very commonly found in plastics such as water bottles, canned foods, baby bottles and toys, is used to line nearly all food and beverage containers, and is nearly impossible to avoid. This new classification, however, effectively bans the substance from all products manufactured in or entering Canada.

Here in the U.S., BPA has been under attack for several years as the FDA considers a possible ban on the substance, but change is slow to come. Back in January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expressed concern over the health risks of BPA, which is believed to mimic estrogen in the body, and has been linked to various types of cancer. The FDA is particularly concerned about "the effects of the chemical on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children.”

Despite consumer outrage and FDA concern, progress to ban BPA from children's products is slow-going. Five U.S. states, several New York counties, and Chicago have already banned the substance from infant formula and baby bottles, but it is still widely present in products.

There are a number of good resources available to help parents identify products that may contain BPA. The National Toxicology Program website has a simple but comprehensive fact sheet for parents, as well as links to other resources, and the state of Massachusetts produced a brochure, outlining advice for parents. While pregnant or breastfeeding, mothers should eat as much fresh or frozen food as possible (as opposed to canned). And if possible, breastfeeding is best. Avoid plastic food containers and bottles, especially when heating food. Learn to identify bottles that have BPA in them--bottles that have the number 7 on the bottom, generally contain BPA. Be sure to buy and use bottles, toys and pacifiers that are labeled "BPA-free."

Much of this change needs to happen on a policy level, so as always, concerned parents should contact their legislators. But in the meantime, it's a good idea to take as many precautions as possible to keep our children safe.

International Babywearing Week

2010-10-08T11:50:00.004-05:00

In ternational Babywearing Week is drawing to a close. It drew particular attention this year, in part due to rumors of a recall of a (to judge from Twitter feeds) very popular brand of sling. But that recall is still unannounced as of today.

Babywearing is the use of soft carriers or baby slings to carry infants and toddlers. Advocates love the closeness and comfort it gives as well as the ability to carry on with other activities while engaged with your child. Many of the carriers used already fall under the ASTM International's standard on soft carriers -- giving some assurance that the product meets minimum safety standards. ASTM is currently developing a similar standard for slings -- in fact, a draft went out to ballot this week! But both these are voluntary standards -- meaning not all products in either class have been tested to these standards. We urge the CPSC to continue their work on writing mandatory standards for these and all other durable infant and toddler products as required by the CPSIA.

Earlier this year CPSC recalled three of these carriers: a soft carrier whose buckles can break; 40 ring slings made by a very small firm in Texas after one death and one million bag type sling carriers after three deaths. In addition, CPSC issued a warning about baby slings in March, identifying at least 14 deaths in this class of product. They gave concrete suggestions for avoiding injury while still using a sling.

So what should parents do with this information?

First, it should be noted that the age of most of the babies who died in slings could be measured in days or weeks rather than months. With low-birth weight babies, premature babies, those with breathing problems or newborns, consider waiting to use a sling until the baby is older -- over four months is CPSC's recommendation.

At any age, closely monitoring the baby is important -- something that a tummy to tummy upright hold, with the baby's face visible and close enough to kiss, promotes.

Some slings are simply long lengths of material -- and many are a puzzle for the uninitiated. Review and follow instructions carefully -- check for a DVD of the instructions that comes with the product or a video online. Ask at your retailer if they provide instruction or look online -- we've found many sites that give clear general safety warnings for slings as well as precise instructions for individual products.

While deaths in slings have garnered the most attention, the most common injury pattern is a fall -- either of the baby out of the product or the caregiver and the baby. You will not be able to do everything you do normally while carrying a baby in a sling. Again, check your product's instructions for carrying advice and what to avoid.

As the proponents of babywearing often point out, it is a centuries old tradition in many cultures and one that if practiced safely, can improve the quality of your bond with your baby. Then again, be sure to spend plenty of time interacting with your baby outside of any product -- holding them in your arms!

CPSC issues alert on baby monitor cords

2010-10-06T16:51:00.005-05:00

After the death of a 10-month-old baby this past March, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning about the risk of strangulation by baby monitor cords. This can occur if the monitor is placed too close to areas where children sleep. The children can reach out to the cord and became entangled in it.

CPSC has reports of at least six deaths since 2004 and three additional near-strangulations.

To avoid injuries and death CPSC recommends:

The use of wireless baby monitors to avoid strangulation or

If using a baby monitor with cords, make sure all cords are out of reach of the child.

The baby monitor cords are just one possible cord hazard in the nursery or home -- watch all other corded products and avoid window coverings with cords in homes with young children.

KID submits comments to CPSC on historic crib standards

2010-10-06T13:36:00.004-05:00

Since Kids In Danger was founded in 1998 after the death of Danny Keysar in a poorly designed, untested portable crib, KID has focused on one main point: Children's products should be independently tested to rigorous mandatory standards before they are sold, not half-heartedly recalled after they have caused injury.

And with the passage of CPSIA in 2008, containing the Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act; that vision became reality. Now, CPSC has drafted two tough mandatory standards for full-size and non-full-size cribs. Today was the last day to submit comments, which KID has done. Read our comments here. (PDF)

You can go to Regulations.gov and pull up docket number CPSC-2010-0075 to read the proposed standards as well as the many comments submitted. (You even have a few hours left to submit your own!)

KID applauds the actions CPSC has taken to take dangerous cribs and portable cribs off store shelves and homes. We believe these new standards will give parents confidence that cribs that meet the standard are the safest place for their babies to sleep. Among the changes from the old voluntary standards:

more rigorous tests for stability, hardware, slat strength and durability
elimination of the dangerous drop-side design
requirements that will reduce the likelihood of mis-assembly
Requirement that any cribs that don't meet these new standards can't be sold to unsuspecting parents or used in child care or hotels after the effective date.
and most importantly -- these aren't voluntary!

The usual effective date for new standards or rules has been six months after final publication -- which in this case would be around the middle of 2011. Because of the impact on child care facilities, KID is recommending that they have an additional six months to comply -- still leaving the effective date for manufacturers and the sale of the products at six months.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on the new crib standards. KID has always believed that parents assume when they buy a new crib or other children's product that someone, somewhere has made sure it is safe. Now we can say that will be the truth! There is still more to be done -- these standards don't apply to mesh sided portable cribs and play yards and there are other products still waiting for mandatory standards such as high chairs and strollers, but progress is being made.

Update: Here are the comments from our allies at Consumer Federation of America and you can read all the comments here.

High Chairs -- the product now needing CPSC scrutiny?

2010-09-30T06:44:00.004-05:00

It is being announced today that Fisher Price is recalling over 10 million products for various hazards. Among those are 950,000 high chairs. The high chairs have pegs on the back legs that stick out -- causing 14 incidents including stitches and tooth damage. This brings to over 3 million the number of high chairs recalled in the past two years. Other hazards were screws falling out causing the product to fall apart -- sometimes with the child in it and other parts breaking.

According to CPSC's data, high chairs cause over 10,000 emergency room visits each year. This, combined with the rash of recent recalls, suggests that CPSC needs to put the same pressure on manufacturers as they did with cribs to develop tougher standards and better products.

Wordless Wednesday: Stop using sleep positioners

2010-09-29T12:12:00.004-05:00

CPSC, FDA, AAP and KID all say -- don't use sleep positioners. They are an unnecessary risk and provide no safety protection. CPSC cited 12 deaths, including 2 this year, in issuing the warning.

CPSC, FDA issue warning on sleep positioners

2010-09-28T17:18:00.008-05:00

In January 2002, 8 week old Andy Sage died -- not from SIDS as the medical examiner thought at first, but from suffocating on a sleep positioner. Andy turned his head down toward the cushion of the positioning device and suffocated. Since that day his parents, Judy and Mark Sage, have worked tirelessly to alert others to this danger. You can read Andy's story in our Family Voices website.

Judy joined the board of Kids In Danger, joined ASTM International to talk to manufacturers and regulators directly, met with CPSC and repeated her heartbreaking story over and over to anyone who would listen.

And now, CPSC and FDA have confirmed what Judy and KID have said all along -- these products are unnecessary and dangerous. In a rare joint press release, the agencies cited 12 deaths in 13 years and the unproven medical claims that the devices prevent SIDS.

“I’m confident that Andy would be with us today smiling if I did not use the sleep positioner,” stated Judy Sage. “My son and daughter would have their brother. While I’m happy that my voice is being heard to save other babies—it is heartbreaking that it took multiple deaths to effect change. I hope today’s action will keep another family from the grief our family has suffered.”

These products are sold to parents who are worried about SIDS -- believing this product will keep their baby safe. But they are unnecessary and not supported by any SIDS organizations or medical professionals. FDA has now said they will require proof of these medical claims or demand manufacturers stop the sales of the products.

“While the safety warning falls short of a ban of the product that KID would like to see,” states Nancy Cowles, KID executive director. “We hope that it is enough to convince manufacturers to stop making this useless and dangerous product.”

KID urges retailers to stop selling the product; parents currently using the product to stop using it; and expectant parents to cross it off their registry -- these products are unnecessary and dangerous.

Sleep positioners are sold to parents who are worried about SIDS -- believing this product will keep their baby safe. But the product is unnecessary and not supported by any SIDS organizations or medical professionals for the prevention of SIDS.

There are many recommendations to lower the chance of SIDS or suffocation. First and foremost place the baby to sleep on a firm mattress with a tightly fitted sheet in a safe (read not recalled, fully functioning, no missing parts) crib -- with nothing in the crib but a baby, placed on his or her back. You can get more safe sleep tips from Kids in Danger at www.KidsInDanger.org or from Sudden Infant Death Services (SIDS) of Illinois at www.sidsillinois.org.

Update: Here is a very helpful handout from FDA on the warning.

CPSC approves new office for outreach, small business ombudsman

2010-09-24T15:10:00.003-05:00

In a 4-1 vote (with Commissioner Northup voting no on fiscal grounds) CPSC approved a new office -- The Office of Education, Global Outreach, and Small Business Ombudsman.

The new office will oversee outreach to foreign regulators and contain an ombudsman office for small business, something many stakeholders have been calling for since the passage of the CPSIA.

The agency hopes that this additional focus will help manufacturers to better build safety into their products as well as answer questions and concerns of the regulated community. The office will also helping coordinate compliance with CPSIA and other regulations by foreign entities.

CPSC foresees that most of the outreach with consumers will stay in the Office of Public Affairs.

Check your Similac: may contain 'beetles'

2010-09-23T09:36:00.005-05:00

Abbott announced yesterday that it is recalling five million cans of Similac powdered formula because "it doesn't meet our quality standards" -- meaning -- it may have bugs in it!

Abbott says the bugs won't actually hurt your baby, but might cause enough gastric distress that the baby will be hesitant to eat. Sounds like hurting to me!

You can check online or call Abbott at 800.986.8850 to check your lot number and see if it is recalled. (We had trouble getting through on the phone and online this morning.) If so, Abbott will arrange to have you send the formula back for a full refund. Even with the difficulty getting through (Abbott -- increase your capacity to respond to the recall!), KID recommends not using any Similac powdered formula that might be part of the recall until you are sure.

La Leche League anyone?

Update: If you are having trouble checking your lot number with Abbott, use this FDA site for more information.

Wordless Wednesday: Bath Seats for sale

2010-09-21T10:50:00.009-05:00

KID strongly recommends against the use of bath seats and since 1983, CPSC staff has reports of at least 174 fatal incidents related to their use. Because of that, CPSC recently finalized a mandatory standard for the product. Due to go into effect on 12/6/10, the strict new standard will eliminate most the designs that have been sold in the past. This store is apparently clearing out their old inventory. Please don't buy one!

Sorelle branded cribs recalled today -- but should have been part of an April recall of Simplicity cribs.

2010-09-14T16:32:00.003-05:00

Albee Baby announced the recall of 130 Sorelle "Prescott" cribs today. The cribs have faulty mattress supports that have led to at least one death. But that's where this story gets a little murky -- that death was in a Simplicity crib and those cribs were recalled in April. But a savvy consumer checked under the Sorelle lablel on her crib and found -- a Simplicity label! These were simply Simplicity cribs rebranded with a brand more likely to appeal to consumers.

By the time these were sold between July and December 2009, the Simplicity brand was already suspect with parents after millions of recalled cribs and a defunct company. So why would Albee Baby sell them under another name? You'd have to ask them!

KID has been concerned for years about licensing -- selling one company's product under another brand name. Danny Keysar died in a Playskool Travel-Lite Crib -- made not by Hasbro, Playskool's parent company, but by Kolcraft, a smaller and at the time, lesser known, brand. The licensing of the Graco and Fisher Price names on other Simplicity products caused confusion as well as delay in alerting consumers to product flaws.

But a formal licensing agreement is a far cry from slapping a new label on a disgraced company's products. We urge CPSC and the FTC to have a closer look -- are there other similar products out there?

Grandparents Day is Sunday

2010-09-10T11:04:00.003-05:00

September 12th is Grandparents Day, giving us all an opportunity to honor these vital family members. Many grandparents are important caregivers in their grandchildren's lives -- either for a few hours, for regular child care or even as guardians. And even more are the purchasers of many products for the new baby and nursery.

One great way to pay tribute to the grandparents in your life would be to make a donation in support of KID's programs. In 2009, KID launched The Debby Sayah Grandparent Outreach Project, named to honor the memory of KID board member Judy Sage’s mother, to help grandparents protect their grandchildren from unsafe children’s products.

Your donation will help sustain this vital program:

$10 will pay for all materials needed to conduct KID’s workshop, Don’t Learn about Recalls from your Grandchild, with grandparents at a community center
$20 will pay for monthly email alerts with safety information and semi-annual newsletters to 5 grandparents
$50 will send KID’s educational brochure, Are your grandkids SAFE?, to 500 grandparents

If you make a gift to KID, we will send a Grandparents Day email greeting for you. It’s just two steps: Visit the Support Kids In Danger cause page on Facebook and use the donation button to make your gift, then send Sarah a message on Facebook or send an email to Sarah@ KidsInDanger.org, with your personal message to your loved ones and the email address of the recipient(s). We’ll take care of the rest! If you want to support this vital program but do not wish to send an email message, just let us know. We will also mail a tribute notification to the recipient of your gift.

Illinois AG calls out JPMA on safe crib issue

2010-09-07T14:01:00.003-05:00

JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) is coming to Chicago tomorrow to kick-off their Baby Safety Month activities, focusing on safe sleep. Just one problem says Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan -- most of the millions of recalled drop-side cribs, involved in dozens of deaths, were certified as 'safe' by JPMA. Even now JPMA asserts that as long as your drop-side crib hasn't been recalled and is put together correctly, it is perfectly safe to use. This despite the banning of this design by the voluntary standards organization, ASTM International AND a probable mandatory standard that will also ban the design. Most manufacturers have stopped making cribs with drop-sides and most retailers no longer sell them.

So what are caregivers to do?

First, for more information on drop-side cribs and safety, check out our previous blog post, What's the deal with dropside cribs? It gives common sense answers to help parents decide about which crib to use for their children.

Also, along with their press release, the Illinois Attorney General's office put out a very helpful guide to drop-side crib recalls and safe sleep tips for parents. But note that this is a list of drop-side crib recalls -- many other sleep environments including non-drop-side cribs, play yards and bassinets (also almost all certified by JPMA) have been recalled. Check any children's product you use against the recall list at CPSC.

But JPMA is right on one thing --too many children die in unsafe sleeping environments -- whether that be a recalled crib, a sofa or waterbed, adult beds or any sleeping surface with too much bedding, extra padding or possibilities for entrapment. So check our safe sleep tips (and those from our friends at Sudden Infant Death Services of Illinois) and choose the safest sleeping environment for your baby -- and use it everytime.

NJ wins payment from company selling banned yo-yo balls

2010-09-01T09:28:00.003-05:00

Remember the yo-yo ball -- an inexpensive toy made of questionable materials with a long rubbery cord and a ball filled with liquid? The dangers of the toy were brought to light by parents whose children were nearly killed by the product when the cord wrapped around their neck and couldn't be easily removed. Among them was Lisa Lipin of Skokie Illinois. She, along with other concerned parents, set up a website and began tireless efforts to get the product banned. States such as New Jersey, Illinois and New York banned the product and the standard setting group ASTM International included a performance requirement in the toy standard that wouldn't allow the long dangerous cords. That standard then became a mandatory standard through the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).

Now a court in New Jersey has fined an Indiana company $67,000 for selling the product in New Jersey, despite that state's ban. Activists like Lipin hope it sends a message to anyone still selling the product -- stop!

KID co-founder talks about product safety on CBS Early Show

2010-08-31T10:00:00.002-05:00

Linda Ginzel appeared this morning on the CBS news show, The Early Show. She talked about her family's experience when her son Danny was killed in a dangerous portable crib at his licensed child care home in 1998. The segment discusses "Danny's Law" which requires product registration cards with nursery products and efforts to get recalled products out of homes and off store shelves.

ABC Chicago "For Your Family" talks about product registration and recalls with KID

2010-08-30T09:10:00.004-05:00

KID's executive director was up early this morning for a segment on ABC Chicago's early news. Judy Hsu, host of "For Your Family" talked with KID about the new product registration program for juvenile products and highlighted several recent recalls. You can see the video here.

A brochure on product registration and a list of manufacturer online registration sites put together by KID and Consumer Federation of America are available online.

Sign up to get notice of each recall at CPSC or a monthly email alert and recall list here from KID.

Toys "R" Us Launches Product Safety Program

2010-08-23T14:17:00.014-05:00

Today Toys "R" Us, Inc. announced the launch of their national Product Safety Vigilance Program. This program will encourage consumers to take important steps to become advocates for children's safety. Included in the program is the "Eight Steps to Keep Kids Safe," including a product recall list, (or use KID's here) that parents can use to keep track of gifts and purchases for their children. In the event of a recall, these tools help parents to quickly remove any dangerous products from their home.

The program is working in conjunction with the Toys R Us "Great Trade-In" event which provides saving incentives towards the purchase of new products upon turning in potentially unsafe children's products. If your crib is drop-side design or doesn't meet safe crib guidelines, consider using this opportunity to purchase a new fixed side crib.

In general, less than 30% of affected items are returned when a baby product is recalled, meaning millions of unsafe products could still be in the marketplace.

"It’s crucial that parents have the most current information available about the products in use in their homes, so they can react quickly and appropriately in the event of a recall,” said Nancy A. Cowles, Executive Director, Kids In Danger. “By providing parents with the tools and resources needed to track important product information and heightening awareness of product recalls, the Toys“R”Us Product Safety Vigilance Program, coupled with the ‘Great Trade-In’ event, are valuable assets to parents and caregivers in their efforts to keep children safe.”

Another resource mentioned by Toys"R"US is the new requirement that manufacturers include a product registration card with new nursery products such as cribs, strollers and high chairs. You can learn more about that with KID's and Consumer Federation of America's new brochure on product registration.

While the best way to keep children safe from recalled products is to stop the flow of unsafe products into the marketplace, these steps to make recalls more effective are vital. You can sign up for KID's monthly email alert listing recalls here or get immediate recall notices from CPSC here.

Illinois adopts measure against Cadmium in children's jewelry

2010-07-30T11:26:00.002-05:00

Following several recent recalls of children's jewelry for high levels of the dangerous heavy metal cadmium, Illinois joined other states in banning the manufacture, sale or distribution of children's jewelry with cadmium levels over 75 parts per million (ppm).

The new law takes affect immediately.

Baby Matters Recalls Nap Nanny Recliners Due to Entrapment, Suffocation and Fall Hazards; One Infant Death Reported

2010-07-26T13:33:00.007-05:00

The CPSC announced a recall of the Baby Matters Nap Nanny Recliners. 30,000 units were recalled after 22 reports of injury and one infant death. CPSC is investigating a report of a 4-month-old girl from Royal Oak, Mich. who died in a Nap Nanny® that was being used in a crib. According to preliminary reports, the infant was in her harness and found hanging over the side of the product, caught between the Nap Nanny® and the crib bumper. Infants can partially fall or hang over the side of the Nap Nanny® even while the harness is in use. This situation can be worse if the Velcro™ straps, located inside the Nap Nanny® cover are not properly attached to the "D"-rings located on the foam, or if consumers are using the first generation model Nap Nanny® that was sold without "D"-rings.

The Nap Nanny® is a portable recliner designed for sleeping, resting and playing. The recliner includes a foam base with an inclined indentation for the infant to sit in and a fitted fabric cover and a three point harness. The first generation model of the Nap Nanny® can be identified by the absence of "D"-rings in the foam base. In second generation models, the harness system has "D"-rings in the foam base and Velcro™ straps inside the fitted fabric cover.

Consumers with a first generation Nap Nanny® models, without "D"-rings, should stop using the recalled baby recliners immediately and contact the firm to receive an $80 coupon towards the purchase of a new Nap Nanny® with free shipping. Consumers with a second generation Nap Nanny® model, with "D"-rings, should immediately stop using the product until they are able to visit the firm's website to obtain new product instructions and warnings. Consumers will also view an important instructional video to help consumers ensure the harness is properly fastened. Consumers who are unable to view the video or new instructions online, should contact the firm to receive free copies by mail. For more information, contact Baby Matters toll-free at (888) 240-4282 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's website at www.napnanny.com/recall.

We are concerned that Baby Matters is not providing a full refund or replacement for the first generation model that has a safety defect (the coupon is only about 60% of the cost) and are only providing a new warning and instructional video for owners of the more current model, sold for about a year. It is very important not to use this or other similar products such as bouncers in a crib, bassinet or play yard. The safest place for a baby to sleep is in a crib that meets current safety standards -- with nothing else in the crib.

New tools for recall effectiveness: CPSC Chair visits Chicago

2010-07-22T11:05:00.004-05:00

Today marks the first official visit of US CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum to Chicago. In addition to addressing the annual convention of the State Fire Marshals, Chairman Tenenbaum joined Kids In Danger, Consumer Federation of America and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan at a press event to unveil new tools for parents to learn about recalls and to honor the memory of Danny Keysar. Here's the release from the event.

New Tools to Find and Inform Consumers about Recalled Products:
US CPSC Chairman, Illinois Attorney General, Consumers and Parents urge compliance and participation in product registration program

(CHICAGO) Today, in Chicago where much of the furor over children’s product safety started; consumer advocates, parents, federal and state officials gathered to express their commitment to children’s product safety and reveal new tools in the arsenal against recalled and defective products.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety (CPSC) Chairman Inez Tenenbaum joined with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Linda Ginzel and Boaz Keysar, the founders of Kids In Danger and parents of Danny Keysar who was killed in a recalled portable crib in 1998, and Rachel Weintraub of Consumer Federation of America, to announce new product registration tools for children’s products and discuss other efforts being made to keep children safe.

“I’m here today to thank Kids in Danger and CFA for advocating for product registration cards for nursery products,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “Our research shows that when consumers are directly notified about recalls they are more likely to respond. Product registration cards are now mandatory, and I believe they will help keep children safe.”

Linda Ginzel spoke of her son Danny’s death. Danny was killed in May 1998 at his licensed childcare home, when the crib he had been napping in collapsed around his neck. No one at the facility knew the crib was recalled, not even the state inspector who visited just days before.

“If there had been a product registration card with this portable crib and if the manufacturer had used it to contact the owner, my son would be alive today,” stated Ginzel. “But more important is the fact that that deadly crib would never have been on the market at all, if it had been independently tested to strong mandatory standards. This is what is now required by law and this is Danny’s real legacy -- that products must be tested for safety before they are sold. We believe that this will help save other families from suffering a tragedy as senseless as we have endured since the death of our son.”

A key portion of the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act was named after Danny Keysar. It requires:

· New stronger mandatory standards for durable infant and toddler products – such as the new crib standard voted on by CPSC this month.

· A system of product registration – both cards and online options – to help parents register their products and manufacturers to contact them in the event of the recall.

· A requirement that cribs that don’t meet current standards can’t be sold or otherwise put in the stream of commerce – eliminating old unsafe cribs on eBay, in hotels or childcare facilities.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan – whose work helped to focus the nation’s attention on product safety issues – discussed her efforts to protect Illinois families, especially the aggressive efforts to ensure information about dangerous children’s products get directly to parents and other caregivers.

“Today we celebrate the Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, which makes it easier for busy parents to learn of recalls and requires tough new standards that will stop dangerous products from reaching store shelves in the first place,” said Attorney General Madigan. "I am pleased to partner with Chairman Tenenbaum, CPSC, Kids in Danger and Consumer Federation of America as we continue our work to protect children and families."

Rachel Weintraub, Director of Product Safety and Senior Counsel for Consumer Federation of America, spoke of the importance of companies complying with the requirements that registration cards be provided free of any marketing materials and that the information can only be used for safety. Weintraub also urged parents to fill out and submit the cards – either by sending them through the mail or filling out the forms online.

“Today we are marking a huge leap forward in product safety: children’s products are required to be tested before they are sold and product registration cards are now required for many infant and durable products,” stated Weintraub. “Product registration will only be effective if consumers fill out the new product registration cards. Consumer information will be kept private and will allow companies to contact consumers if there is a product recall. Filling out these cards can save a child’s life.”

Weintraub also unveiled new materials Kids In Danger and Consumer Federation of America are offering – a brochure explaining the product registration program and its importance as well as a list with links to most manufacturers’ registration sites. The materials can be accessed online through www.KidsInDanger.org and www.consumerfed.org.

“There have been remarkable changes in the way we regulate children’s products since the passage of the new law in 2008 and we are grateful for the leadership of Chairman Tenenbaum,” concluded Ginzel. “Together, the efforts of the CPSC, the Illinois Attorney General’s office and amazing consumer advocates like Consumer Federation and Kids In Danger will keep children safer – honoring the memory of my son Danny and all victims of dangerous children’s products.

###

Child product safety news

2010-07-16T16:24:00.001-05:00

CPSC votes unanimously on new tough crib standards.

CPSC issues recall and discusses dangers of crib and play yard tents.

CNN reports on one mother's fight for safe cribs.

Pottery Barn recalls all their dropside cribs.

Have questions about drop-side cribs? Check out KID's blog post.

Or this podcast with KID on CNN Radio.

NY approves bill to ban drop-side cribs

2010-07-01T15:04:00.007-05:00

Update: Governor Paterson signed the bill today, July 30.

The state of New York is coming closer to effectively removing drop-side cribs from stores and homes of its concerned residents. A bill banning the sale, import, manufacture, and distribution of drop-side cribs was approved by the state legislators at the end of last month. It now remains to be signed by Gov. David Paterson to go into effect.

The proposed bill reflects an understanding that the current crib industry standards are grossly inadequate, leading to at least 32 deaths in drop-side cribs. Drop-side cribs feature one movable side that can easily break or malfunction, injuring an unsuspecting child by detaching in a way that traps him/her between the mattress and the drop-side and leads to suffocation.

The numerous deadly hazards posed by drop-side cribs have prompted the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to recall over nine million cribs over the past three years. At least eight other states have already effectively banned this unsafe design through the Children's Product Safety Act or the Infant Crib Safety Act that bans the commercial use of cribs that don't meet current standards. The standards included a ban on drop-side designs the end of 2009.

"Banning the sale, distribution and manufacturing of drop-side cribs in this state will save our children’s lives and protect our very fundamental rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in the State I am proud to call home,” says Michelle Witte, whose son Tyler was killed in a drop-side crib. If you are a NY resident, please support the bill by contacting the governor at (518) 474-8390 or filling out the online form available here.

Consumer groups mark beginning of new era in recall effectiveness

2010-06-28T15:15:00.003-05:00

Washington, D.C.— As of today, many durable infant and toddler products, including cribs, playyards, strollers and high chairs are required to contain a product registration card allowing consumers to easily register their product with the manufacturer. This will give manufacturers crucial information necessary to directly contact consumers in the event of a recall or other product safety issues.

The requirements for the product registration cards and an online registration program are contained in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). The section of the bill is called the Danny Keysar Child Safety Notification Act. Danny, whose parents founded Kids In Danger, died in 1998 when the portable crib he slept in at child care collapsed, strangling him. The crib had been recalled five years earlier, but no one at the child care, including the mom who donated the crib, had heard of the recall.

In Congressional testimony in 2004, Danny’s mother, Linda Ginzel, testified, “after Danny died, many people asked why the original owner hadn’t sent in the registration card. If she had done so, they reasoned, the company would have been able to notify her. The only problem is that there was no registration card included with this product. Why aren’t manufacturers required to include registration cards, especially for durable children’s products like cribs? If they had done so, my son would be alive today.”

Eighteen types of durable infant and toddler products are required to have product registration cards. Starting now, full-size cribs and non-full-size cribs; toddler beds; high chairs, booster chairs, and hook-on chairs; bath seats; gates and other enclosures for confining a child; play yards; stationary activity centers; infant carriers; strollers; walkers; swings; and bassinets and cradles must include the card. In six months, the compliance date for the six products the final rule added to the listed products -- children's folding chairs, changing tables, infant bouncers, infant bath tubs, bed rails and infant slings -- will begin.

“While it will take time for the product registration cards to be present in every new product as required by the law, parents can start now to register their products online with the manufacturers, stated Rachel Weintraub, Director of Product Safety & Senior Counsel at Consumer Federation of America. “The effective date of the legislation is for products manufactured after today, leaving a short window while current inventory is still sold. But most major manufacturers have already started taking registration online.”

“Registration cards for child safety seats have been required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for many years,” stated Don Mays, Senior Director Product Safety & Technical Policy at Consumers Union. “Because of this requirement, the recall response rate for child safety seats is far greater than for all other durable infant and toddler products.”

“Parents and caregivers should make certain to return these cards. It is often the only way you will hear of a recall and know that your product is affected,” says Elizabeth Hitchcock, Public Health Advocate at US PIRG. “The regulations prohibit the information from being used for any purpose other than contacting consumers in the event of a recall. It is strictly for safety notifications. The registration can also be completed online.”

“Most recalled products remain in consumers’ homes and in use for too long after the recall because consumers never heard about the recall,” said Nancy Cowles, executive director, Kids In Danger. “This new measure will allow consumers who purchased or own the product to get accurate news of a recall quickly, along with the information they need to comply with the recall.”

Consumer groups will be monitoring the implementation of this vital section of the CPSIA. If consumers have problems with registering their products, they should contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) or any of the groups listed.

Consumer Federation of America

http://consumerfed.org/

Kids In Danger

http://kidsindanger.org/

Consumers Union

http://www.consumersunion.org/

U.S. PIRG

http://www.uspirg.org/

National Research Center for Women & Children

http://www.center4research.org/

More than 2.2 million cribs recalled after dozens of injuries

2010-06-24T09:19:00.003-05:00

Please, despite the frequency, don't become indifferent to hearing about crib recalls. Each recall represents thousands of cribs currently being used in homes across America -- putting millions of babies at risk every night.

Today's announcement of 7 (!) more manufacturers whose cribs have proven unsafe is just the last in a long line of recalls -- and don't be surprised if more recalls are still to come.

Some notes on today's recalls:

The danger on these cribs isn't just drop-side failures. They also involve several with fixed side rail dangers and mattress support problems. And these are just a portion of the almost 10 million cribs recalled in the last four years, so whatever you do, check your crib against the recall list today.
While CPSC says the recalls represent 2.2 million cribs, one of the recalls just lists the number of cribs recalled as "unknown." With a major manufacturer and a ten year span, that is a substantial "unknown." This particular company was recently bought by another: perhaps poor record keeping can be blamed in part?? Another recall just notes 'all' of the companies cribs using wooden stabilizer bars are included without giving a number. So perhaps the total number is closer to 3 million.
The only bright note is that if you have a Childcraft recalled crib, you will get a rebate coupon to use toward the purchase of a new crib rather than the immobilizer given out by the other firms. KID believes in cases of sleep environment recalls, refunds or replacement products should be given, rather than a hardware repair kit -- after all in most instances, it is the hardware that failed in the first place.

So, what should parents do who have drop-side cribs? Check out this CPSC blog post and video or our earlier post on drop-side cribs for more information. In general, avoid drop-side cribs when possible and don't pass them down to family or friends.

Thankfully, things are changing in the crib world. Due to pressure from consumers and the media, a re-invigorated CPSC and intensive work by everyone involved, ASTM's new crib standard includes more stringent testing for durability and a ban on the dangerous drop-side design. By the end of 2010, CPSC vows to have a strong mandatory standard in place.

Cribs are the one product intended to be safe enough to leave a baby unattended all night (once they sleep that long anyway!). The new standard can't come soon enough.

Specific recalls links:

Childcraft Fixed Side: 4 entrapments
Childcraft Drop-side: "unknown", 7 incidents, 2 injuries
Jardine: 130,000, 47 incidents, 10 injuries
Evenflo: 750,000, 31 incidents, 12 injuries or falls
Million Dollar Baby: 156,000, 43 incidents, 11 injuries or falls
LaJobi: 306,000, 40 incidents, 1 injury
Delta: at least 747,000, 76 incidents, 6 injuries or entrapments
Simmons: 50,000, 30 incidents, 5 entrapments or injuries

2.2 million more cribs recalled

2010-06-24T08:24:00.000-05:00

More later, but for now, check your baby's crib! http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10270.html

- Posted using BlogPress

Chicago to Retailers: Tell customers where to get help with car seat installation

2010-06-15T16:35:00.003-05:00

Perhaps you've seen or heard the research that most car seats are installed incorrectly or just know from your own experience that it's not easy getting that seat installed so it is at the correct angle and doesn't move at all.

Many parents know to get help -- either through Car-Safety.org, local police or fire departments, NHTSA, or a service such as Safety Squad. But other parents either don't know they can find help or don't think they need it -- leading to that high number of incorrectly installed seats.

The Chicago City Council recently made it easier for Chicago area consumers to get that information. A recent ordinance introduced by Alderman James Balcer requires retailers to post information on installation services near the car seats in the store. This will hopefully send more people to get assistance with the task, resulting in safer children.

But we hope that manufacturers also begin to offer more information on installation in their materials as well. Or, here's an idea - let's come up with a system for installation that doesn't take a four-day training to understand!

Bayside Furnishings issues second recall on trundle beds with toy chests

2010-06-08T14:44:00.002-05:00

Bayside Furnishings is issuing a second recall on the Pirates of the Caribbean youth beds sold at Costco. These beds are designed to look like boats and have toy chests in the 'bow' of the boat, as well as the 'stern' or headboard.

Previously the beds, along with other similar ones, had been recalled after the death of a 21 month old boy when the toy chest lid came down on his neck. The company offered a repair kit with replacement lid supports.

Today's recall is for the headboard storage chest. Another preschooler was injured when his head became entrapped in that space. The new repair will permanently close that headboard storage area.

For years there have been requirements for lid supports for chests to avoid entrapment. Just last month, Target recalled a storage chest after two children were injured.

Our advice? Check your home for any storage chests. Make sure the lids stay in the position you put them when raised and do not close by themselves. Consider uncovered containers or toy boxes with very light lids that are completely removable for children's rooms. If you have a chest that closes by itself, with a heavy lid, report it to the CPSC.

CPSC approves mandatory baby walker standard

2010-06-03T14:39:00.003-05:00

When the CPSIA passed and was signed in 2008, one of the biggest changes was the section (named after KID's founders' son Danny Keysar) that required mandatory standards for durable infant and toddler products. From the time of Danny's death in 1998, his parents and KID have repeatedly said that what is needed is independent testing to strong mandatory standards before a product can be sold. Parents assume that when they go to the store to buy a nursery product, someone, somewhere has made sure it is safe. With these new standards and testing requirements in place, that is starting to be true.

So following the bath seat standard announced last month, the CPSC now has approved a new mandatory standard for baby walkers, improving the voluntary standard with additional requirements for stair testing and parking brake testing.

As they pointed out in their statement, the voluntary standard had already reduced injuries from falls in walkers significantly. Unlike other standards, CPSC had already been recalling walkers that didn't meet the voluntary standard.

But even with this standard in place and safer walkers, KID, along with the American Academy of Pediatrics and others, recommends against their use. There are developmental issues as well as lingering safety concerns. When a child can move much more quickly and reach higher than their age would indicate, they can still find danger -- reaching a hot pot on the stove, falling down stairs (still happens -- just take a look at the injury data from CPSC), or getting into other trouble. Tummy time on the floor, a stationary entertainer or other options are safer.

Illinois Attorney General requests records from JPMA

2010-05-26T10:40:00.003-05:00

As reported in the Chicago Tribune today, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has asked the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) to provide documentation on their certification program, as it relates to drop-side cribs. Madigan had previously asked JPMA to stop certifying drop-side cribs, given their track record of recalls and deaths, ahead of the scheduled June date. "The fact that they knowingly are putting a seal of approval on a deadly product is outrageous," Madigan said in an interview. "It should be illegal, and it needs to be stopped."

Almost all of the 7 millions drop-side cribs recalled recently were certified by JPMA. That is also true of the additional 4 million fixed sided cribs, bassinets and play yards also recalled during the same time period.

Consumer groups, including KID, applaud the first new mandatory standard -- bath seats

2010-05-26T10:32:00.003-05:00

As we mentioned in our earlier post, CPSC voted 5-0 to publish the first mandatory standard required by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. Consumer groups applauded the action, while still noting the particular dangers of bath seats, in a release yesterday. Read the statement here at Consumer Federation of America's website.

US Senator Gillibrand to introduce legislative ban on drop-side cribs

2010-05-24T15:58:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, May 23, US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand gathered with parents and local officials to announce that she will be introducing legislation to ban drop-side designs of cribs. After 5 recalls this year alone -- and over 7 million drop-side cribs recalled in the past three years -- along with over 30 deaths, the Senator says it is time to protect consumers and ban the dangerous design.

This legislation, along with measures by a newly invigorated Consumer Product Safety Commission, will give parents the assurance they need that the crib they buy will keep their baby safe.

That is a goal that Michelle Witte has been working towards for 13 years, since her son Tyler died in a drop-side crib. She was joined at the press conference by the parents of Bobby Cirigliano (pictured above) who died in 2004 when his dropside crib came apart.

Through the efforts of these parents, New York has taken a lead on this issue with several counties banning drop-side cribs and a state bill pending. The Gillibrand bill will make the ban national.

Baby bath seats to get tough new standard

2010-05-20T14:31:00.001-05:00

In her book, It's No Accident: How Corporations Sell Dangerous Baby Products, Author E. Marla Felcher says of bath seats, "never use a ..baby bathseat/ring; there is no situation where using one is safe. In her chapter on the shortcomings of voluntary standards she says, "Bath seats .. illustrate just how inadequate the industry's voluntary standard setting process can be."

A quick look at retailers show very few are still selling the product -- switching instead to baby tubs which can better control the amount of water and movement of a baby. And that's a good thing. Amelia was one of the lucky ones. Her mother, who had stood for a minute to drop something in the sink, turned back to see her daughter underwater. She was able to pull her out of the water and avert a tragedy. Hundreds are not so lucky. As of November 2009, CPSC shows 179 deaths since 1983 (and most are from 1990 or so forward).

Now, 10 years later, CPSC has approved (5-0) a mandatory bath seat standard that will eliminate the product as it was designed when Felcher wrote of the dangers of the product. On Wednesday, the full commission voted to publish a new mandatory bath seat standard, the first final standard published as required by the Danny Keysar section of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

KID has always recommended against the use of bath seats and continues that recommendation -- even if a bath seat could meet the new standard (there doesn't appear to be one now that meets it). It simply makes it too likely that a baby will be left unattended in a dangerous setting, water! Whatever your bathing solution for your little one, always keep one hand on the baby and stay within arms reach of toddlers in the tub.

Toy dart game recalled by retailer

2010-05-17T09:35:00.005-05:00

The CPSC and Family Dollar Stores announced a recall today of 1.8 million toy dart games sold at the retailer. Two boys died after the small flexible suction cup dart got stuck in their throats. This follows a similar recall of another brand of darts after a death.

Henry Gordy International, the importer of the dart game, refused to recall the product. And under CPSC's rules, there isn't much CPSC can do about that. To force a recall would take substantial funding and a court case - something CPSC has been unwilling to pursue, especially in cases such as this where a third party steps forward to remove the product from the market and reimburse customers.

This isn't Henry Gordy's first dangerous product, they have recalled three other products for lead, choking and magnet hazards.

Family Dollar is offering a refund for the returned product. CPSC warns parents about the risk of these small darts or any product small enough to fit in the mouth with the round suction cup -- it is too easy to swallow and then can't be dislodged easily. Both the boys killed were with adults, but efforts to remove the dart were unsuccessful. Remind children of all ages to avoid putting this type object in their mouths.

Step 2 recalls riding toys after injuries

2010-05-12T13:06:00.002-05:00

Step 2, in conjunction with CPSC, recalled 2.5 million Push Around and Whisper Ride Buggies today. The bolt holding the handle to the buggy can come out, causing the handle to detach. CPSC reports two injuries requiring medical care and 26 other minor injuries. It appears the handle fails while on an incline and the baby and buggy roll away, causing the injuries.

Only buggies with yellow knobs are affected by this recall. Consumers should stop using the product and contact Step 2 for a free repair kit.

Company compiles poster of baby product recalls

2010-05-10T11:38:00.005-05:00

Check out the recent poster on recalls by Hugamonkey. A great visual..

CPSC issues warning about drop-side cribs

2010-05-07T12:19:00.005-05:00

After the most recent in a long run of recalls of drop-side cribs, CPSC today issued their strongest warning to date about the dangers of drop-side cribs. Citing at least 32 deaths attributed to faulty drop-side design, CPSC says they are inherently less durable that fixed side cribs. CPSC is likely to follow the lead of the voluntary standard setting body, ASTM International, and ban the design in the mandatory standard due out by the end of this year.

In the warning on their blog, On Safety, CPSC states that many of the deaths happen when hardware fails -- breaking or deforming, leaving a gap where a child can become entrapped. The incidents took place both before parents had realized the crib was broken and in some cases after parents attempted to fix the broken crib. In some cases, because of a poor design, the crib could be put together wrong - still working, but leading to earlier failure of the hardware. CPSC again warned parents against trying to fix cribs that break. Instead, contact the manufacturer for replacement parts, or perhaps a refund for the defective crib.

Many of the safety recommendations are also in our recent post on drop-side cribs. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office has also released a poster about drop-side crib hazards. Bottom line? Avoid drop-side cribs if possible and check them carefully and often both for recalls and broken hardware if you are currently using one.

C&T International/Sorelle Recalls Drop-Side Cribs

2010-05-06T11:47:00.007-05:00

CPSC, in cooperation with C&T International/ Sorelle, has recalled approximately 170,000 drop-side cribs. The cribs were also sold under the Golden Baby name. The cribs’ drop-side hardware can disengage from the tracks, causing the drop side to detach from the crib. When the drop-side partially detaches, it creates space between the drop side and the crib mattress in which infants and toddlers can become entrapped. This entrapment can pose a strangulation and/or suffocation hazard. The complete detachment of the drop sides can lead to falls from the crib. CPSC and the company have received reports of 104 incidents of drop-side and slat detachments. In several of these incidents, entrapped infants received bruises and abrasions to their bodies. Consumers should stop using the crib immediately. Contact C&T/Sorelle to receive a immobilizer and replacement parts kit, or a voucher for older cribs that no longer have replacement parts available. You can also call the company at (877)791-9398, but only between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday!!

Federal Investigation into Pampers with Dry Max

2010-05-06T10:10:00.005-05:00

Recently, the CPSC launched an investigation into parents' complaints of the latest version of Pampers diapers, Pampers with Dry Max. Parents alleged that Pampers with Dry Max are causing rashes, burns and bleeding. Parents' have expressed their growing concerns and complaints on online sites including a Facebook page, where concerns were first reported by a consumer approximately two weeks ago. Since then, the number of members of the page has doubled to more than 4,200 and the complaints continue to grow.

Procter & Gamble, the parent company, says the ingredients in the diaper should not be causing the rashes and suggests they often get increased complaints anytime a new product is introduced.

We urge all parents who have experienced any problems with Pampers with Dry Max to file a complaint with the CPSC by filling out an online form, by emailing the agency at info@cpsc.gov or calling its hotline at 800-638-2772.

Print and Post this important flyer

2010-04-30T15:18:00.003-05:00

Once again, the Illinois Attorney General's office is taking the lead on children's product safety and has put together this flyer (Spanish) on the hazards of drop-side cribs. Kids in Danger and many other child safety and health organizations have signed on.

Print this out and post at child care facilities, church or synagogue nurseries, parenting sites, schools and where ever else parents and caregivers gather.

Simplicity cribs recalled..again

2010-04-29T15:16:00.004-05:00

This is the second of two crib recalls today. Info on the LaJobi recall is here.

It is surprising there are any Simplicity products left 'unrecalled,' but apparently there are. CPSC today announced that retailers who sold Simplicity cribs with tubular metal mattress supports are recalling those cribs -- no one really knows how many since Simplicity itself is out of business. Some of these cribs have been previously recalled for other issues.

On these cribs, the metal mattress support can bend, deform, break or come unattached, creating an entrapment hazard. A one year old baby died in April 2008 after becoming entrapped. CPSC has at least 13 other reports on the products. But again, without Simplicity For Children company records the number of complaints and injuries could be much higher.

Fortunately retailers have risen to the occasion to offer consumers a replacement crib, refund or store credit. We wish more manufacturers would follow their lead instead of offering repair kits. Consumers should contact the store where they purchased the product to learn more.

This recall highlights that the problems with crib integrity and durability go beyond drop-side hardware. New standards being drafted by ASTM International include more testing for mattress support durability. It is believed the CPSC will incorporate those new requirements into mandatory crib standards to be adopted this year.

Consumers who have these cribs should stop using them immediately and arrange for an alternative safe sleeping environment for their baby. While this blog post deals with drop-side cribs, the advice on finding a place for your baby to sleep is relevant here as well.

If you have a Simplicity crib, play yard or bassinet (and remember some carried the Graco or Fisher Price name); we recommend you stop using it. Check to see if it is recalled and there is a retailer or licensed recall that might provide a replacement. If not, destroy the product to avoid having someone else find and use it.

LaJobi Cribs, sold under the Graco name, recalled today

2010-04-29T14:55:00.003-05:00

This is the first of two crib recalls today. You can find more on the other here.

LaJobi and CPSC announced the recall today of 217,000 Graco-branded drop-side cribs sold since February 2007. As with the other 7 million drop-side cribs recalled in the past several years, the hardware on these can break or become loose, allowing the railing to separate from the crib, causing an entrapment and suffocation hazard. Two children were entrapped, but freed by caregivers and six children fell when the rail detached, leading to one concussion.

These are out of 99 reports to CPSC and LaJobi. But what about to Graco? Most consumers with this crib would assume they had bought a Graco crib. But consumers tell us when they call Graco about a licensed crib, they are told Graco can't help them -- it wasn't their crib. Huh? So where are those calls recorded?

LaJobi will send out a repair kit that converts the crib to a fixed sided crib. As we have said before, we believe that in sleep environment recalls, the manufacturers owe consumers a replacement product or a refund. No one will sleep well knowing they put new hardware on a crib recalled because the old hardware failed! And note that these are not old, handed down cribs. Most are less then three years old, some sold as recently as this month!

We recommend parents avoid drop-side cribs. See our advice on what to do if you have one here.

We recommend manufacturers refund money for parents whose new crib falls apart.

And we recommend Graco consider stop selling their name to the lowest bidder! Both cribs recalled today include some with the Graco name affixed as do many other cribs and bassinets by Simplicity that have been recalled previously.

What’s the Deal with Drop-side Cribs?

2010-04-27T09:57:00.004-05:00

What is a drop-side crib?

A drop-side crib is a crib in which the side rail moves up and down on tracks to allow easier access to the child. The tracks can be in the end posts or attached to the end post with plastic or metal hardware. A drop-gate crib, where the top several inches of the crib side fold out and down is not a drop-side and not subject to the same problems.

What are the problems?

Drop-side cribs have been involved in dozens of deaths over the past 15 years. Hardware breaks or becomes loose and a dangerous gap is created where babies can become entrapped and suffocate or strangle. Sometimes the breakage happens when poor instructions or design allow the side rail to be installed upside down or backwards. Other times, parts such as safety pegs, screws, or the plastic track become loose or fall out. Sometimes, when the crib breaks, parents attempt to fix it, which can be dangerous as well. This product failure is so deadly because cribs are the one product intended to be used with the child unattended. The breakage and entrapment can happen quickly, while parents are not in the room.

As a result, and as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) learns of the deaths, millions of drop-side cribs have been recalled. These include Storkcraft (also under the Fisher Price name), Delta, Simplicity (also under the Graco name), Lajobi (under the Bonavita or Babi Italia names), Generation 2, ChilDESIGNS, Dorel Asia and Caramia. But millions more drop-side cribs, some of which have had incidents, are still in the marketplace. Both recalled and non-recalled drop-side cribs are still in wide use in homes and child care facilities.

What is being done about this danger?

In part due to the frightening aspect of millions of unsafe cribs after the first of many Simplicity recalls in 2007, Congress enacted the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act in 2008. This law, among many vital safety measures, requires that CPSC develop and implement a strong mandatory standard for cribs and other durable infant and toddler products and require third party testing to certify compliance to those standards. Already the voluntary ASTM standard has been changed to require the bottom part of all sides to be firmly fixed to the end posts – a design that disallows drop-sides -- and it is expected that the mandatory standard will also include that ban. Major retailers, including Babies”R”Us, have already stopped selling the design.

What should I do…

…If I’m about to buy a crib?

If you are getting ready to buy a crib, do not buy a drop-side crib. Cribs that are lower to the ground or have a drop-gate can help parents who feel it would be difficult to reach into a fixed side crib. When purchasing any crib, check that it meets the most current safety standards and feels sturdy in the store. Buy a mattress that fits snugly in the crib and tight fitting sheets. If considering a used or hand-me down crib, do not use a drop-side crib and only take a used crib when you know its history, have all the parts and instructions and know it can be assembled correctly. It is better, especially now when new standards are so much stronger than the standards of just a year or two ago, to buy a new crib.

…Already have a drop-side in use

First, check the list at CPSC.gov and make sure your crib hasn’t been recalled – millions have. Check the list carefully – many cribs might be known by a name other than their brand name, or made by one company and sold under another company’s name. If it doubt, get the model name and number and manufacturer name and call CPSC to confirm. If it has been recalled, follow the recall instructions to get a repair kit, replace the crib or receive a refund.

If your crib is not recalled, check all the hardware and plastic parts to make sure it is all tight and there are no broken, cracked or missing pieces. The crib should feel sturdy when you shake it and you should not be able to lower the drop-side by any means other than the manufacturer’s instructed method. If your crib shows any breakage or you can move the drop-side without following the correct method, STOP using the crib. Call the company to see if replacement parts are available and do not use the crib until new parts are correctly installed. If the crib doesn’t have replacement parts, stop using it and call both the company and CPSC to report the breakage. Never attempt to fix the crib yourself without the correct hardware and instructions from the manufacturer.

If your crib has no broken, cracked or missing parts and feels sturdy, continue to use it until the child can transition to a bed, but stop using the drop-side mechanism and check frequently – at least once a week -- for loose, broken, cracked or missing hardware or parts. However, do not use the crib for a subsequent child or hand it down since assembly and disassembly of a drop-side crib can increase the risk of failure. It may be worth the peace of mind to purchase a new crib.

My crib is recalled or unsafe – what do I do with my child?

This is the hardest thing about recalled or unsafe cribs. While with toys or other products we can recommend taking it away and waiting for the replacement; with cribs, you need a safe place for your baby to sleep – tonight! So, what are your options? First, if your baby is still young enough that he or she can’t roll over or push up on hands and knees, you can use a bassinet you might have been using earlier. Another option is a portable crib or play yard that you use while traveling – first making sure it hasn’t been recalled. Never put a baby to sleep on a couch, chair, adult bed or other surface that might be too soft or have cushions or other features that can smother or entrap a baby. If your baby is older, perhaps almost ready to transition to a youth bed or regular bed, you might try a mattress on the floor to avoid falls. The only option might be to purchase a new crib or portable crib. If a new safe crib is a financial hardship, consider contacting Keeping Babies Safe or First Candle to see if you qualify for their crib programs.

Learn more at www.KidsInDanger.org

Another SlingRider death reported

2010-04-20T08:52:00.004-05:00

When CPSC recalled the Infantino SlingRider infant sling last month, they reported 3 deaths from the product in 2009. A Brooklyn mother has now come forward to say her baby also died in the sling, a month before the recall.

While the Infantino sling was recalled, other 'bag style' slings are still on the market. KID warns against their use. Other methods of 'babywearing' are available, including soft infant carriers that are tested to a voluntary standard and wraps and slings that allow a baby to be carried in an upright position. Check our some of our earlier blog posts for more information on sling use.

As for Infantino, this wasn't their first recall or even first sling recall. The SlingRider had been recalled earlier because a plastic part could break, causing the baby to fall and the company has six other recalls for choking and lacerations hazards in toys.

Best Friend Award: Honoring Dr. Gary Smith

2010-04-15T11:18:00.004-05:00

On Wednesday, April 21, 2010, Kids In Danger will present the Best Friend Award to Dr. Gary Smith for his pioneering work in the field of childhood injury prevention.

The event reception includes exciting live and silent auctions. You can bid on 'on-the-glass' tickets to Saturday, April 24th BlackHawks play-off game, a four night stay at an Irish B&B, an autographed bat from Cubs infielder Ryan Theriot, private tours, wine tastings, baseball tickets, museum memberships and more! NBC Chicago’s very own Marion Brooks will be our Emcee. Marion did one of the first news stories on Kids In Danger and we are excited to work with her again!

Click here to learn more or purchase event tickets for $125 or to become a sponsor for $1,000! Raffle tickets are also available for purchase. Tickets are one for $5 or six for $25. This year's raffle features ten prize baskets including cash prizes of $500 and $250, fitness classes, memberships, gift certificates and more!

The Best Friend Award Night is a wonderful way to celebrate the work of Kids In Danger, salute our honoree and remember Danny Keysar and other victims of unsafe children's products. We look forward to seeing you there!