Are you constantly worried about product recalls on your child’s toys and other things your child uses on a daily basis? Parents.com has recently launched a Toy and Product Recall Finder that allows you to enter a product name, brand or model number of any of your child’s items to ensure that it hasn’t been recalled. This is a great resource for parents and child caregivers and a very easy way to make sure your child is always safe.
Another child safety recall this month, this time regarding the Evenflo Majestic High Chair. Forbes.com reports on the recall:
Almost 100,000 Evenflo Majestic High Chairs are being recalled because plastic caps and metal screws on both sides of the chairs can fall off, causing the back of the seat to collapse, the government and the product maker said Thursday.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Evenflo Co. Inc. announced the recall of about 95,000 high chairs sold at juvenile product stores and mass merchants nationwide, including Toys "R" Us, Babies "R" Us, Burlington Coat Factory and other stores.
Evenflo said it had received more than 1,000 reports of plastic caps and screws falling off of the high chairs and 140 reports of the seatbacks reclining or detaching.
The malfunctioning seats resulted in 47 reports of bumps and bruises, 2 reports of broken bones and at least 45 reports of other injuries, Evenflo said.
If you happen to have one of these chairs, contact Evenflo for a free repair kit.
As we rush around this holiday season trying to get everything done, do you consider toys that you are purchasing and how safe they are for your child? While a child might make a wishlist for you that includes toys they really want, it is very important to check the age appropriate levels on the toy to make sure that the toy is 100% safe for your child.
While you shop for toys to stick under the Christmas tree, child safety advocates suggest following this set of rules. First, read the label. Check the age recommendation manufacturers put on the bright colored packaging.
"Even though it may be something they think that a child might like, there is some reason that the manufacturer feels that that toy needs to be in the hands of an older child," said Michael Hughes, Executive Director of Safe Kids Mississippi.
Small parts that can be easily ingested by little children. Tiny button batteries often found in electronics are particularly dangerous.
Hughes said, "You got a two fold problem in that there is a blockage of the gastro intestinal tract. They will also discharge their electrical current into the tissue causing an electrical burn."
The saga of Bisphenol A, or BPA, continues on this week as the Food and Drug Administration admits it was too early to declare BPA safe for children. The chemical used to make plastic has widely be criticized for leeching toxic chemicals into liquids that children ingest.
On Wednesday, a panel of toxicology experts said the FDA hadn’t properly assessed the potential health risks posed by the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), which some studies have linked to cancer, diabetes, heart disease and developmental delays in children. The toxicologists said the FDA had relied too heavily on studies funded by the chemical industry to make its decision, and had failed to consider other studies that questioned the safety of BPA.
The panel of toxicologists had been convened by the FDA after the agency ruled that BPA was safe at current exposure levels — a stance that prompted criticism from some lawmakers and consumer groups. On Friday, the FDA’s Science Board, which consists of scientists from academia, government and industry and advises the FDA commissioner, seconded the toxicologists’ concerns about the FDA’s August ruling. The issue will now go to FDA Commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach. It’s unclear how the FDA might respond, the Washington Post reported.
Much has been made lately about what plastic containers are safe for your child’s bottles, sippy cups, etc. Researchers from University of Illinois at Chicago are testing different plastic materials regarding their Bisphenol A (commonly known as BPA) research to see what plastic substances are truly safe for your children.
"The quickest way to get an idea about BPA content is to look for the number 7 in the triangle on the plastic container," said Gail Prins, head researcher on the project. "Although 7 includes other types of plastics, the container has BPA in it, the 7 mark will (or should) be there."
All items manufactured from plastic print a number on the bottom, 1-7. The number symbolized the particular type of plastic used to make it. A simple check of the bottom of a bottle or cup for your child could save them from ingesting any materials that may be harmful to their health.