Infant Deaths Prompt CPSC Warning About Sling Carriers for Babies

Those popular baby sling carriers have recently made the news.  While there are many benefits of these products for moms and babies - there are also dangers for children, especially children younger than four months of age.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is advising parents and caregivers to be cautious when using infant slings for babies younger than four months of age. In researching incident reports from the past 20 years, CPSC identified and is investigating at least 14 deaths associated with sling-style infant carriers, including three in 2009. Twelve of the deaths involved babies younger than four months of age.

Slings can pose two different types of suffocation hazards to babies.

• In the first few months of life, babies cannot control their heads because of weak neck muscles. The sling's fabric can press against an infant's nose and mouth, blocking the baby's breathing and rapidly suffocating a baby within a minute or two. 
• Additionally, where a sling keeps the infant in a curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate.

Many of the babies who died in slings were either a low birth weight twin, were born prematurely, or had breathing issues such as a cold. Therefore, CPSC urges parents of preemies, twins, babies in fragile health and those with low weight to use extra care and consult their pediatricians about using slings.

Two months ago, the Commission added slings to the list of durable infant products that require a mandatory standard. Additionally, CPSC staff is actively investigating these products to determine what additional action may be appropriate. Until a mandatory standard is developed, CPSC is working with ASTM International to quickly complete an effective voluntary standard for infant sling carriers.

CPSC recommends that parents and caregivers make sure the infant's face is not covered and is visible at all times to the sling's wearer. If nursing the baby in a sling, change the baby's position after feeding so the baby's head is facing up and is clear of the sling and the mother's body. Parents and caregivers should be vigilant about frequently checking their baby in a sling.

CPSC is interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are directly related to infant slings. You can do this by visiting www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx or call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772. For more information about children's product recalls visit http://www.cpsc.gov/.

Recall Alert: Window Covering Recall

Window Covering Safety Council Recalls to Repair All Roman and Roll-Up Blinds Due to Risk of Strangulation

On December 15, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) are announced a voluntary recall to repair all Roman shades and roll-up blinds to prevent the risk of strangulation to young children. This recall involves millions of Roman and roll-up blinds. About five million Roman shades and about three million roll-up blinds are sold each year.

CPSC has received reports of five deaths and 16 near strangulations, since 2006, in Roman shades and three deaths, since 2001, in roll-up blinds. Strangulations in Roman shades can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck. Strangulations in roll-up blinds can occur if the lifting loop slides off the side of the blind and a child’s neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop or if a child places his/her neck between the lifting loop and the roll-up blind material.

“Over the past 15 years, CPSC has been investigating window covering hazards and working with the WCSC to ensure the safety of window coverings. We commend the WCSC for providing consumers with repair kits that make window coverings safer and look forward to future steps to eliminate these hazards,” said Inez Tenenbaum, CPSC Chairman.

Over the years, CPSC has been investigating deaths associated with different types of window coverings and has worked with the WCSC to address the hazards posed by them. In 1994 and in 2000, CPSC and WCSC announced recalls to repair horizontal blinds to prevent strangulation hazards posed by pull cord and inner cord loops. As a result of CPSC investigations, the industry has modified its products and provides free repair kits for existing horizontal blinds and other window coverings. In October 2009, CPSC issued a new safety alert to warn parents about the dangers associated with window coverings.

Consumers that have Roman or roll-up shades in their homes should contact the WCSC immediately at http://www.windowcoverings.org/ or by calling (800) 506-4636 anytime to receive a free repair kit.

To help prevent child strangulation in window coverings, Dayton Children's reiterates the advice of CPSC and the WCSC by urging parents and caregivers to follow these guidelines:

• Examine all shades and blinds in the home. Make sure there are no accessible cords on the front, side, or back of the product. CPSC and the WCSC recommend the use of cordless window coverings in all homes where children live or visit.
• Do not place cribs, beds, and furniture close to the windows because children can climb on them and gain access to the cords.
• Make loose cords inaccessible.
• If the window shade has looped bead chains or nylon cords, install tension devices to keep the cord taut.

2.1 Million Cribs Recalled

Infant Entrapment and Suffocation Prompts Stork Craft to Recall More Than 2.1 Million Drop-Side Cribs

On November 23, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc., of British Columbia, Canada,  announced the voluntary recall of more than 2.1 million Stork Craft drop-side cribs, including about 147,000 Stork Craft drop-side cribs with the Fisher-Price logo. The recall involves approximately 1,213,000 units distributed in the United States and 968,000 units distributed in Canada.

CPSC urges parents and caregivers to immediately stop using the recalled cribs, wait for the free repair kit, and do not attempt to fix the cribs without the kit. They should find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Consumers should contact Stork Craft to receive a free repair kit that converts the drop-side on these cribs to a fixed side.

For additional information, contact Stork Craft toll-free at (877) 274-0277 anytime to order the free repair kit, or log on to www.storkcraft.com

Important Message from CPSC:

Parents should 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.

The Dangers of Second-Hand Items

With so many people looking for ways to cut corners, the pediatric experts at Dayton Children's are concerned that some parents who are trying to save money might be buying cheaper, second-hand items that can actually be dangerous to their children.

According to the new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) resellers are now allowed to sell or offer for sale:

Products that have been recalled by CPSC.

• Toys and other articles intended for use by children, and any furniture, with paint or other surface coatings containing lead over specified amounts.
• Products primarily intended for children age 12 or younger with lead content over a specific amount.
• Certain toys or child care articles that contain any one of six prohibited chemicals known as phthalates, which are primarily used as plasticizers.
• Other products that violate CPSC’s safety standards, bans, rules or regulations or otherwise present a substantial product hazard.

For details about each of these items you can download the Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers which was created by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to help sellers of used products understand the new law and existing regulations.

Buyer Beware: Used Car Seats

There is no question that families are facing tough times and are looking for ways to save money.  One way to save is to purchase used car seats. The last thing a parent wants to do is buy a car seat to keep a child safe in a car only to find out that the car seat itself wouldn’t protect the child properly.

If you are purchasing a second-hand car seat make sure to check these items to make sure that your child will be riding as safely as possible.

1. Ask whether or not the car seat was in a crash. If you are purchasing the car seat from a second-hand store or if the seat is being given to you by a family member or friend - ask and make sure that the seat was not in a crash.  If the seat was in a crash it's best not to purchase or accept the seat.
2. Check the expiration date. The manufacture date is printed on the label of each seat.  Car seats generally expire 6 years after their manufacture date unless otherwise noted by the manufacturer. Recently, manufacturers have been stamping the expiration date or year on the seat as well to avoid confusion.
3. Check the seat for recalls.  Occasionally, car seats are recalled by the manufacturer.  Sometimes the manufacturer can send you a part to fix the recall - in other cases the seat is not suitable for use. Seats that have been recalled are not safe to use unless noted by the manufacturer. Also, remember to register the seat with the manufacturer so that you can be notified of any future recalls.
4. Review the manual and check for missing parts. Make sure the seat you purchase has it's original manual, or look online to find one.  It's important to have the manual to assist you in installation and to know if there are any parts missing.
   

For more information about car seat safety visit our website.