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

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!

High Chairs -- the product now needing CPSC scrutiny?

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.

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

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.

Toy dart game recalled by retailer

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.

CPSC and Infantino recall one million slings after three deaths

Today, Infantino and CPSC announced a recall on the Infantino "SlingRider" and "Wendy Bellissimo" baby slings. Three deaths in the slings were reported in 2009. Owners of these slings should stop using it immediately and return it to Infantino for a replacement product and a very cute free infant toy. The replacement products include a different style carrier, a shopping cart cover or an activity gym.

The deaths all involved a lack of oxygen, caused by the baby's position in the carrier. CPSC announced a warning about slings earlier and gave tips for safe usage. One easy tip to remember is that you should be able to kiss your baby while using a sling -- a reminder to carry your baby high enough and with their head exposed, as well as to check their position often.

CPSC has at least 11 other reports of suffocation or positional asphyxia deaths in slings. It is not clear what other products were involved or if there will be more recalls.

CPSC also reports severe injuries, mostly involving falls and injuries to the head. KID, other consumers groups, manufacturers and CPSC are working on a standard to address safety issues with slings.

More High Chairs Recalled Due to Fall Hazard

Harmony™ High Chairs by Graco Children's Products Inc. have been recalled due to fall hazard. The screws holding the front legs of the high chair can loosen and fall out and/or the plastic bracket on the rear legs can crack causing the high chair to become unstable and tip over unexpectedly. Graco has received 464 reports of screws loosening/falling out and/or plastic brackets cracking causing the high chair to tip over unexpectedly. These tip-over's resulted in 24 reports of injuries including bumps and bruises to the head, a hairline fracture to the arm, and cuts, bumps, bruises and scratches to the body.

This report follows previous incidents of high chair recalls in 2009 including Fisher Price 3-in-1 High Chairs, Evenflo Majestic™ High Chairs, and Evenflo Envision™ High Chairs, each due to fall and choking hazards caused by hardware problems. It appears the industry needs to consider a stronger standard that addresses hardware failures in high chairs -- similar to the work currently going on to improve crib safety.

For this reason, we ask consumers to continue to learn about children product safety and to check their products for recalls at www.cpsc.gov. Consumers should immediately stop using Graco Harmony™ High Chairs and contact Graco to receive a free repair kit. In addition, if you have had similar problems with these or other high chairs, please report that to CPSC.

Deadly Generation 2, ChildESIGNS cribs recalled

CPSC announced the recall today of at least 500,000 cribs sold under the Generation 2 or ChilDesign labels. The company is now out of business, so CPSC doesn't have specific numbers of cribs, but knows of at least three deaths. The crib's hardware fails presenting both drop-side and mattress support failures and entrapments. Here is information from their release:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing the recall of all Generation 2 Worldwide and “ChildESIGNS” drop side cribs. CPSC is warning parents and caregivers who own these drop side cribs that infants and toddlers are at risk of serious injury or death due to strangulation and suffocation hazards presented by the cribs. CPSC staff urges parents and caregivers to stop using these cribs immediately and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Do not attempt to fix these cribs.

The crib’s plastic hardware can break which can cause the drop side of the crib to detach from a corner of the crib. When the drop side detaches, it creates a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped. When a child is entrapped between the drop side and the crib mattress, it creates a risk of suffocation or strangulation. In addition, the crib’s mattress support can detach from the crib frame, creating a hazardous space in which an infant or toddler could become entrapped and suffocate or strangle.

CPSC has received reports of three infants who suffocated when they became entrapped between the crib mattress and the drop side when the drop side detached. In July 2007, an eight month old child from Newark, Ohio suffocated when he became entrapped between the drop side and the crib mattress. The drop side of his crib had detached due to a broken plastic stop tab on the lower track. In October 2003, an eight month old child from Richmond, Ind. suffocated when he became entrapped between the drop side and the crib mattress. The plastic hardware on the drop side was broken and allowed the drop side to detach from the crib headboard in one corner. In September 2002, a six month old from Staunton, Va. suffocated when he became entrapped between the drop side and crib mattress. The lower drop side track was missing two screws which allowed it to pull away from the headboard post and detach.

CPSC has also received reports of 20 other drop side incidents, 12 of which involved the drop side detaching in a corner of the crib. In two of these incidents, a child became entrapped. One child suffered bruising from the entrapment. There are five reports of children falling out of the cribs due to drop side detachment. One child suffered a broken arm as a result of the fall.

In addition, CPSC has received 8 reports of mattress support detachment in these cribs. Due to the space created by the detachment, three children became entrapped between the crib frame and the sagging mattress and four children crawled out of the crib. There was one report of cuts and bruises.

The name “Generation 2 Worldwide” appears on a label affixed to the crib’s headboard or footboard. Some labels identify the place of manufacture as Dothan, Ala. Others identify China as the country of manufacture. The name “ChildESIGNS” appears on the teething rail of some of the cribs.

The recalled cribs were sold at numerous local furniture and retail stores including Buy Buy Baby, and Kmart and Walmart stores nationwide for between $60 and $160. Consumers should contact the store from which they purchased the crib for remedy information, which will vary between a refund, replacement crib or store credit, depending on the retailer. Consumers are urged to contact CPSC and report any difficulties in obtaining a remedy from their place of purchase.

Important Message from CPSC:

CPSC would like to remind parents not to use any crib with missing, broken, or loose parts. Make sure to tighten hardware from time to time to keep the crib sturdy. When using a drop-side crib, parents should check to make sure the drop-side or any other moving part operates smoothly. Always check all sides and corners of the crib for disengagement. Any disengagement can create a gap and entrap a child. In addition, do not try to repair any side of the crib, especially with tape, wire or rope.

For more information on Crib Safety, visit CPSC's Crib Information Center.

One million Kolcraft play yards recalled

Kolcraft and CPSC announced the recall today of one million play yards. The side rail of the play yard can unexpectedly collapse, causing a fall and an entrapment hazard. The release cites 347 incidents in which the side arm failed, including 21 injuries. The recall covers many brand names including Carter's, Sesame Street, Jeep, Kolcraft and more.

The play yards recalled were sold over a nine year period, from January 2000 through January of this year. We don't know when Kolcraft began getting reports of product failures and why it took that long and over 300 incidents to announce the recall. It is also unclear what the 'repair kit' is that the company will supply on request. KID believes that sleep environment recalls should always give parents the option of a refund or replacement product.

Kolcraft has previous history with a collapsing side rail play yard -- The Playskool Travel-Lite. This is the product that collapsed and killed Danny Keysar, whose parents founded Kids In Danger. Danny was one of six children to die in the Playskool Travel Lite and one of seventeen known deaths in play yards with the same faulty design.

This latest recall comes on the heels of a string of crib recalls. It leaves parents with a real dilemma as to where their child should sleep while they await a new crib or a repair kit for their play yard/portable crib. KID has some advice for safe sleep here (PDF) and advises parents that keeping a child in a recalled product should not be done -- the risk is too great.

These recalls highlight the need for the provisions of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 that call for stronger mandatory standards for infant and toddler durable products such as cribs and play yards. CPSC has begun that process, but we believe these new recalls should encourage the agency to make sleep environment standards a top priority.

Bugaboo strollers recalled -- bad brakes

Bugaboo has recalled almost 23,000 $500+ Bee strollers because the brakes can fail, causing the stroller to roll on inclines and possibly injure the occupant or others. With 121 reports of failure, there are no reported injuries. Bugaboo will send replacement parts to anyone who registered their stroller prior to May 1 and has an online form for others to complete to get the repair kit.

Bugaboo strollers are certified through the Juvenile Products Manufacturing Association's (JPMA) certification program, meaning they meet the voluntary ASTM standard for strollers. The ASTM standard does include testing for brake integrity; it is not known how this product performed on that test. In many cases, failures that are identified through a recall can lead to stronger standards to avoid the problem in the future. Strollers are among the products specified by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 as requiring the development of a new mandatory standard and third party testing.

Yet another Simplicity recall -- more play yards this time

Back in January, when the recall of Simplicity-made, but Fisher Price branded, play yards was announced, KID warned readers that the same product was still on the market under the Simplicity brand. Now finally today, the retailers have again come forward to recall this faulty product for the defunct Simplicity for Children, Inc or SFCA, the successor company.

The side rails on these play yards can fail, leading to entrapment and fall hazards. The Travel Tender play yard was sold by various retailers through January of this year. It can be returned to the place of purchase for a refund or replacement. Retailers participating in the recall include Babies"R"Us, Burlington Coat Factory, Target and Kohl's. Kudos to Kohl's for being the first of the lot to have the recall posted on their website -- the rest should show up shortly.

Pacifiers recalled -- violate federal standard and pose choking risk

The last thing you want to worry about with a pacifier is that it will fall apart in your child's mouth and present a choking hazard. CPSC and OKK Trading announced a recall today of a pacifier which may do just that -- it failed federal testing when the nipple separated from the base. The violation of federal law was brought to the attention of CPSC by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection --- yet another example of the important role the states can play in product safety.

Old Navy recalls stuffed animals for choking hazard

Old Navy recalled 35,500 stuffed animals today due to button eyes that can fall off and pose a choking hazard. Return the toys to Old Navy for a refund AND if returned before July 2009, an additional $5 coupon. Kudos to Old Navy for giving an extra incentive to encourage returns!

Strangulation death from drawstring in sweatshirts

Wisconsin was the first to ban drawstrings in clothing for children, and CPSC has followed suit nationally, recalling millions of sweatshirts and other clothing items with drawstrings around the neck. Last year, CPSC fined seventeen companies for selling clothing with drawstrings.

Today, in heartbreaking news, the CPSC announced yet another recall -- this one because of the death of a three year old boy. The drawstring of his sweatshirt got caught in playground equipment. The recalled sweatshirts by Hill Sportswear are Kid Zipper or Kid pullover sweatshirts sold in California and Texas.

Parents and caregivers should remove(PDF) any drawstrings in their children's clothing as it can get caught on playground equipment as well as school buses or other vehicles.