Most parents spend a lot of time getting ready for their new baby to arrive – picking out just the right color of paint for the room, making sure there are enough bottles and burp clothes and buying toys that will be safe and mentally stimulating.The problem is that it seems sometimes, manufacturers don’t spend nearly as much time on safety. We assume that when we buy items for our babies that those products have been thoroughly tested and vetted. However, our Bangor child injury lawyers know that every single month, there is some new product finding its way onto the U. . Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall list. Many times, those products are intended for or have been used by infants.
One of the most recent of those involves a Baby Einstein musical activity jumper model, of which nearly a half a million have been sold in the U. . alone. The problem with these toys is that one of the parts has the potential to spring back rather forcefully, causing impact trauma to babies and even adults whose faces are nearby.
There have so far been more than 100 reports of some type of incident involving this particular piece of the toy. Of those, there were more than 60 injuries. A lot of those were cuts and bruises, but there was at least one instance in which a young infant suffered a skull fracture. In another instance, an adult suffered a chipped tooth.
This was a product sold over the last three years at several major retailers, including Amazon.com, Target and Toys R Us.
We wish the concerns ended there. Just this summer, the CPSC has recalled a dozen infant and child products, for reasons ranging from choking hazards to failure to meet inflammability standards.
We encourage parents to regularly check the CPSC ‘s recall lists for products that might be in your child’s nursery or play room. To make it a little easier, in addition to the activity jumper, here is a list of some of the items recalled just these past three months:
- Toysmith Toy Light-Up Frogs and Ducks, due to choking hazards. About 30,000 have been sold exclusively at World Market.
- Far East Brokers Ladybug-themed kids’ outdoor furniture, due to violations of lead paint standards. About 14,000 have been sold under the Leisure Way brand.
- Girls Autumn Run Girls Gemma II Boots, due to an exposed staple at the sole of the boot that could present a laceration hazard. About 5,000 have been sold at Academy Sports + Outdoors.
- Nan Far Woodworking Round Cribs, due to entrapment, suffocation and fall hazards. The drop-side rail has the potential to fall out of position, causing an infant or toddler to become wedged or entrapped and possibly strangled. About 4,000 have been sold at JC Penney.
- Infants’ First Impressions Varsity Jackets, due to choking hazards. The snaps off the jacket can reportedly pop off. Some 8,7000 have been sold at Macy’s.
- Thermobaby bath seats recalled by SCS due to drowning hazards. The seats fail to meet federal standards for stability. About 7,500 have been sold on Amazon.com.
- Jeep Liberty Strollers, produced by Kolcraft, due to projectile hazard. Some 96,000 have been sold in the U. .
If your child has suffered an injury in Bangor, contact us at 1-800-804-2004 or read more on our website.
Additional Resources:
Kids II Recalls Baby Einstein Activity Jumpers Due to Impact Hazard; Sun Toy Can Snap Backward, July 23, 2013, Press Release, U. . Consumer Product Safety Commission
More Blog Entries:
Maine Injury Watch: Holiday Toys Present Dangers to Kids, Nov. 29, 2012, Maine Personal Injury Lawyer Blog