Green Treehouse

March 24, 2009: The Consumer Product Safety Commission (”CPSC”) has announced a voluntary recall of about 24,000 Fisher-Price 3-in-1 High Chairs (”3-in-1 High Chair to Booster”). The recall involves product number (P5369), which is printed on the side of the seat, on a label on the seat pad, and on the product’s packaging. The high chairs were sold exclusively at Target from December 2008 through March 2009.

According to CPSC, “The seat can fall backwards from high chair frame if the booster seat release is unlatched while the child is in the product. Also, the seat back can detach if not fully snapped in place, posing a fall hazard and risk of serious injury to young children.”

At least one serious injury has been reported. Consumers are advised to discontinue use immediately.

For more information about this recall or to determine whether your high chair is involved in this recall, click here.

Feb. 4, 2009: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (”CPSC”) has announced a voluntary recall of approximately 100,000 Safety 1st SmartLight Stair Gates (model number 42111 and manufactured before December 31, 2007).

According to CPSC, the gates are voluntarily recalled because “The hinges that hold the stair gate in place can break, posing a fall hazard to children if the gate is placed at the top of the stairs.”

Consumers are advised to stop using the gate and contact the manufacturer.

To learn more about the recall or to determine whether your gate is affected by the recall (and to see an image of the gate), click here.

January 30, 2009: The Consumer Product Safety Commission (”CPSC”) has announced a voluntary recall of approximately 3,000 136-piece Mega Construction Play sets manufactured by DDI Inc. The recall involves play sets “packaged in a black and yellow box with the word ‘Builder’ printed in the upper left hand corner of the package,” and “includes various construction equipment, vehicles, buildings and roads.” The sets were sold from October 2008 through December 2008 at various hardware and farm stores.

According to CPSC, the toy play sets are voluntary recalled because “Surface paint on the play sets can contain lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.”

No injuries have been reported.

To determine whether your toy may be affected by the recall, to view an image of the recalled toy, or to read the news release click here.

January 15, 2009: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (”CPSC”) has announced a voluntary recall of Infantino Lion and Lamb Grabby Rattles. The recall affects approximately 131,000 rattles, though CPSC states that, “Rattles without tails on the animals and products with production codes of 0108 and 0508 are not affected by this recall.” The rattles were sold at major retailers and other specialty stores from May 2007 through September 2008.

According to CPSC, “The tail-piece on the rattles can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.” Parents and caregivers are advised to discontinue use of the rattles immediately.

To read more about the recall or to determine whether your Infantino Infant Rattle is affected by the recall, click here.

January 15, 2009: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (”CPSC”) has announced a voluntary recall of Fisher-Price Rainforest Portable Play Yards, manufactured by Simplicity Inc. and SFCA Inc. The recall affects approximately 200,000 play yards.

The recalled play yards are portable and were sold with a bassinet, changing table, and mobile features. The products have a Rainforest™ patterned fabric, Rainforest themed artwork and bear the “Fisher-Price” logo. The Simplicity Inc. model numbers are 5310 RNF, 5310RNFC, and 5310RNFW. The model number is located on a sticker on one of the legs underneath the play yard.

According to CPSC, the danger is that “One or more rails can collapse unexpectedly, posing a fall or entrapment hazard to young children.” There have been numerous reports of injuries to children caused by collapsed railings. Consumers are advised to stop using the portable play cribs immediately.

To read the recall notice or to learn whether your play crib is affected by the recall, click here.

New parents have one more thing to worry about this morning: the safety of U.S. infant formula. Traces of the chemical melamine have been found in recent samples of popular U.S. infant formula brands. According to the Director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, “The levels that we are detecting are extremely low,” and [parents and caregivers] “should not be changing the diet. If they’ve been feeding a particular product, they should continue to feed that product. That’s in the best interest of the baby.”

Earlier this year, melamine was found in Chinese infant formula and has been linked to at least three infant deaths. Melamine is also linked to making thousands ill. More recently, melamine was discovered in certain candy, causing parents to avoid imported Halloween candy.

Melamine ingestion can lead to kidney and bladder issues, including kidney failure. Exposure to the chemical arises when it is leaches from food packaging or from equipment used during food processing.

To read more about Melamine found in U.S. Infant Formula, click here.

November 10, 2008: Johnson & Johnson-Mercy Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co. has announced a recall of approximately 12,000 units of Mylicon gas-relief dye-free drops, sold in 1-ounce plastic bottles and distributed to stores and pharmacies after Oct. 5. The recall involves lots SMF007 and SMF008. The lots are recalled because some bottles could include pieces of metal.

Mylicon drops are a popular product used to relieve gas in infants.

For more information about the recall, click here.

October 21, 2008: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (”CPSC”) has announced a major recall of drop side cribs, manufactured by Delta Enterprise Corp. The recall involves over a million drop side cribs, with date codes ranging from 1995 through December 2005 and one crib model (4624) made in 2007. It also involves Delta drop side cribs manufactured prior to 2006, but sold through 2007, that use “Crib Trigger Lock with Spring Peg” drop side hardware design.

The recall involves all Delta cribs manufactured in Taiwan or Indonesia, with the “Crib Trigger Lock with Safety Peg” drop side hardware design. These model numbers and country of origin can be located on the mattress support board label: 4320, 4340, 4500, 4520, 4530, 4532, 4540, 4542, 4550, 4551, 4580, 4600, 4620, 4624 (production dates 01/06 thru 11/07), 4640, 4660, 4720, 4735, 4742, 4750 (production dates 01/95 thru 12/00), 4760, 4770, 4780, 4790, 4820, 4840, 4850, 4860, 4880, 4890, 4892, 4900, 4910, 4920, 4925-2, 4925-6, 4930, 4940, 4943, 4944, 4947, 4948, 4949, 4950, 4958, 4963, 4968, 4969, 4980.

The recall involves all Delta drop side cribs manufactured prior to 2006 that use “Crib Trigger Lock with Spring Peg” drop side hardware design. The recalled model numbers and country of origin include: 4340, 4343, 4520, 4600, 4620, 4624, 4625, 4629, 4660, 4665, 4720, 4750, 4751, 4850, 4855, 4857, 4880, 4920, 4925-2, 4925-2B, 4925-6, 4980, and 8605. The model number, country of origin and manufacture dates are located on top of the mattress support board. The recalled cribs have Delta’s name and address on the mattress support boards and Delta’s logo on the teether rail.

Missing safety pegs are one issue. According to CPSC, “Failure to use or install safety pegs can cause an entrapment and suffocation risk to infants and toddlers.” Specifically, “When the safety pegs in the base of each leg of the crib are missing from the lower track, the crib locks can disengage and detach if lowered below the peg hole, creating a hazardous gap. This gap can lead to the entrapment and suffocation of an infant or toddler.”

Spring pegs are another safety issue. According to CPSC, “The crib’s drop side can detach when the spring peg is not engaged, which can cause an entrapment and suffocation risk to infants and toddlers.”

Consumers are advised to immediately discontinue use of cribs involved in the recall until they contact Delta and receive a free kit to fix the safety issues. To read more about the Delta drop side crib recalls, click here and here.

_______________
Green Treehouse Editor’s Note: Given the extensive span of this recall (back to 1995), parents and caregivers planning to use a secondhand or previously used crib (e.g. purchased at a garage sale or online, such as at Craigslist) should be sure to investigate whether the crib has been recalled before putting it into use.

September 17, 2008: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (”CPSC”) has announced a voluntary recall of about 600,000 Simplicity Brand Drop Side Cribs due to entrapment and suffocation hazard. Consumers are advised to immediately discontinue use, since “Due to sizing problems with the crib’s hardware, the drop side can come off the tracks. When the drop side detaches or partially detaches, it creates a hazardous gap, which can lead to infant entrapment and suffocation.” According to CPSC:

The recalled model numbers include: 8620, 8745, 8748, 8755, 8756, 8778, 8810, and 8994. The recalled drop side cribs have a date code, which can be found on a label on the headboard under the mattress support, which ends in 05DH, 05GB, 06DH, 06GB, 07DH or 07GB (examples: 1806 DH or 0507 GB). The recalled model names include: Aspen and Crib N Changer Combo, Gabrielle, Camille, Providence and Shenandoah. Only the brand name “Simplicity” can be seen on the label on the headboard.

The cribs were sold from January 2005 through August 2008 in department stores, children’s stores and mass merchandisers nationwide.

To learn more about the recall or to determine whether your crib is involved in this recall, click here.

September 11, 2008: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (”FDA”) has issued a warning that parents avoid all infant formula from China due to possible contamination. According to one news source:

The Food and Drug Administration urged U.S. consumers to avoid all infant formula from China, after several brands sold in that country came under suspicion of being contaminated with melamine, a chemical used in plastics. Officials said there have been reports from China of babies developing serious kidney problems as a result.

According to the FDA, “All U.S. brands of infant formula are safe.”

The full story is available here.