CPSC releases new number on toy injuries and deaths

Today, CPSC released their latest available statistics on deaths and injuries associated with toys. This report briefly provides updated summary information on toy-related fatalities for the years of 2006 and 2007, as well as gives detailed information on toy related fatalities for 2008.

In 2008, there were an estimated 235,300 toy-related injuries among children younger than 15 years of age treated in hospital emergency rooms. Children under five were rushed to the emergency room for toy-related injuries 82,300 times. There were 19 deaths reported. Thirteen of the deaths were to children under age 5. Riding toys, rubber balls, and balloons were the items most often involved in deaths. Riding toys, including tricycles, non-motorized scooters, were actually the leading cause of deaths and injuries (26%).

An estimated 47% of emergency department treated injuries were classified as lacerations, contusions, or abrasion; while 45% of all injuries treated occurred to the head and face area. Most deaths were from drowning, motor vehicle involvement, or airway obstruction from a small toy or a small part of a toy.

CPSC also reported on toy recalls, showing they had declined this year and attributed that to the increased funding and authority CPSC received through CPSIA and manufacturers' compliance with safety standards.

These statistics are a reminder that helmets and safety gear should be worn at all times and be sized to fit, all plastic wrappings, un-inflated and or broken balloons should be discarded immediately and kept away from children. In addition, parents should avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking, and that toys should be age appropriate. Please report all problems with toy products to the manufacturer and CPSC.

Maclaren Stroller Recall: Update

On Monday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recall of 1 million Maclaren strollers sold in the last decade. The recall includes all single and double umbrella strollers, which pose a risk of fingertip laceration and amputation for children. The CPSC has received 15 incident reports, including 12 instances of child fingertip amputations. The hazard results from children getting their fingers pinched in the hinge while parents open or close the stroller. News of the recall first appeared in the Baby Bargains Blog over the weekend.

Maclaren has responded by offering a free repair kit with hinge covers to all owners of these strollers. However, consumers have reported difficulty in accessing the repair kits. Maclaren's website and phone lines were overloaded on Monday, preventing some consumers from ordering the repair kits. Maclaren has also posted a YouTube video with directions on how to install the hinge covers.

Hinge hazards are common to all folding strollers and the CPSC is looking into the need for further recalls or regulations for stroller hinges. Parents should stop using any Maclaren stroller included in the recall until the hinge covers are installed. As with any recall, CPSC is still interested in reports of injuries or incidents with the product.

Update: On Thursday The New York Post reported that Maclaren knew about the risk of finger amputation in their umbrella strollers at least five years ago and failed to report the hazard to the CPSC. In July 2004 a 23-month-old lost his pinky finger, resulting in a settlement between his family and Maclaren. In 2007, an engineer and former compliance officer with the CPSC testified that Maclaren folding strollers have a design defect in comparison to other strollers for children and that the design violates federal regulations intended to prevent a "scissoring effect." The CPSC is still investigating the case.

Update: Maclaren has responded to many of the concerns about the online form and repair kit process and made it easier to get the needed hinge covers.

Latest CPSC Report on Nursery Product Related Injuries & Deaths

Recently, the CPSC released their latest available statistics on injuries and deaths related to nursery products. This report details the nursery product related injury estimates from 2008 in which an estimated 63,700 injuries among children under the age of five were treated in hospital emergency rooms.

The items most frequently involved in these incidents were carriages/strollers, infant carriers and car seat carriers (used outside of cars), cribs/mattresses, and high chairs. Stroller injuries rose 33% to 12, 400 from 9,300. The leading cause of injuries were falls in which the head was the most frequently injured body part -- 48% (which is up 4% from last year's report of 44%) of the reported injuries involved the head.

The most recent numbers CPSC is releasing on deaths are from 2004 through 2006 in which 247 deaths occurred. CPSC estimates an average of 82 deaths annually involving nursery products. About 31 of those deaths annually involve cribs/ mattresses, with an average of 12 deaths in baby baths/bath seats/ bathinettes and 11 deaths involving playpens/ play yards and bassinets/cradles. The causes of these deaths range from positional asphyxia and strangulation to drowning. These statistics are a reminder that before using any sleep environment for your baby, check to make sure it is properly assembled, with no missing or broken hardware; that it has not been recalled; and then, remember, bare is best. Remove all soft bedding from a crib or bassinet and use only the mattress supplied or recommended by the manufacturer. Report all problems with a nursery product to the manufacturer and CPSC. Lastly, remain vigilant to your baby and their surroundings.

Target, Toys R Us and Kmart agree to lead paint settlement

Target, Toys R Us and Kmart have agreed to pay a total of $454,000 in fines for selling toys with prohibited amounts of lead paint.

The California Attorney General's Office filed the suit in November 2007 after concluding that the quantity of lead paint violated federal and state law.

Many hope that these penalties will serve as a deterrent for future violations. "The settlement provides a remedy for past violations", said Harrison Pollack, a state deputy attorney general, "and makes it less likely that there will be future violations of lead standards."

BACK to Sleep: SIDS deaths in child care

One of the leading causes of deaths for infants up to the age of one is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). One in five SIDS deaths occur among infants who are in child care. Additional research has found a link between SIDS and babies who are placed to sleep on their stomachs. In light of this information there are several ways that parents and caregivers can help reduce SIDS risk:

• Always place babies on their backs when sleeping.
• Infants should be placed on a firm mattress or sleep surface in a safe crib. Do not place babies on or near stuffed animals, pillows, quilts or other soft surfaces.
• Check to make sure the crib is not missing any hardware and has not been recalled.
  
• Dress infants appropriately warm in light sleepwear. The room temperature should be at comfortable levels for an adult

Parents and caregivers should talk together about safe sleep. For more information and tips on safe sleep in child care, click here.