Once in quite a while

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Just a little piece of trivia today: In October 2011, there will be 5 Mondays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays. This happens only every 823 years!  Good conversation starter for your nex social gathering.

Girl's Sundress Recalled

More clothing in the news today.  A  specialty children's clothing company,  Matilda Jane Clothing, has voluntarily recalled about 1,500 girl’s “ Chelsa Dress “ due to a potential choking hazard.  The buttons, located as decorative accessories on the front bodice of the dress, can come off and present a small part.  The company received one report of a button coming off.  No known injuries were reported.

Photo:  CPSC

The dress, sold in sizes 2, 4 and 6, is a sleeveless sundress with a white /green polka dot bodice and a green/yellow floral print bottom, and finished at the hem with a dark green/lavender floral print ruffle. They were sold through in-home shows and online between February 1-25, 2011.

Consumers should stop using the recalled dress immediately and contact Matilda Jane Clothing for repair or refund.  Contact them at 260-424-3511 , recall@matildajaneclothing.com ,  or visit their website at www.matildajaneclothing.com .

View CPSC Recall Press release.

Drawstrings and Kids Fashions Don't Mix

     When you are choosing clothing for your child, be aware that fashion and safety are sometimes at odds.  Ask anyone who has tried to run in stiletto heels.  Jackets, sweatshirts and pants should not have drawstrings at the neck or waistline.  This is a hidden hazard that can be fatal.   CPSC is cracking down quite hard on this clothing no-no, in an attempt to decrease the number of injuries and deaths caused by  drawstrings in youth clothing.  The latest slap on the hand was delivered to Ms. Bubbles, Inc., a Los Angeles-based clothing manufacturer.  Not only did the company have to recall over 55,000 jackets in 2009, but they now are fined for not reporting the issue to CPSC earlier.

     CPSC announced that Ms. Bubbles, Inc. agreed to pay $40,000 as a civil penalty to settle CPSC claims that the firm “knowingly failed to report the strangulation hazard on a girls’ denim jacket sold through T.J. Maxx, J.C. Penney, and Forman Mills stores across the US from August 2006 through December 2007. 

Photo:  CPSC

     The jacket hood had a drawstring that was in violation of CPSC drawstring guidelines for clothing sized 2T-16.  Drawstrings in the hoods and waistbands of children and youth jackets and sweatshirts have been blamed for the strangulation death of over 20 children since 1985 when they became tangled in playground equipment, cribs or doors.

     United States federal law requires manufacturers, distributors and retailers or report, within 24 hours, products that contain a significant product hazard, or knowingly violates an established CPSC safety regulation. Ms. Bubbles, Inc. denies that they knowingly violated the law.

Toy Stethoscopes Present Safety Hazard

     Two dress-up costumes, sized for toddlers, were recalled by Fun World, a division of Easter Unlimited Inc..  The Little Pet Vet and Dr. Littles costumes each sold for about $15 and included a toy stethoscope.  The plastic earpieces attached to the ends of the stethoscope can pull off, creating a potential choking hazard for children. 

     Fun World is not aware of any incidents or injuries, but is recalling about 18,000 of the costumes that were sold in costume, party and novelty stores throughout the U.S.A. from August through October 2010.

photo:  CPSC

The costumes, shown here, consist of a white lab coat, the stethoscope, scrubs and a cap.  The scrubs and cap come in pink, turquoise and light blue.

In accordance with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, the affected costumes have a mandatory tracking label sewn into the neck of the scrub shirt or lab coat.  Check the label for the tracking code 10060DG101 and the production dates of Jan-Mar 2010, or Apr-Jun 2010.

Fun World asks that you take the stethoscopes away from your child immediately and contact them at (800) 247-5314 or via email at  support@fun-world.net .

Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head to the Gym

Mr. Potato Head is flying high at the
2005 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

A slimmer, healthier celebrity spud couple walked the red carpet in February at the International Toy Fair in New York City.  Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head showed off their newly narrowed waistlines and continued their campaign that potatoes are not just a “fattening worthless starch with empty calories.” 

In 2003, consumer’s literally stopped eating potatoes in response to the extreme media coverage of low-carb diets.  Potatoes were on everyone’s no-no list.  But in reality, a medium potato contains no fat, only about 110 calories and is packed with Potassium and Vitamin C. 

Hasbro’s tag line for the svelte new spuds will be “an extreme bake-over.”  Clever marketing, and one that seems to go right in line with First Lady Michelle Obama’s new “Let’s Move!” Campaign. Let’s Move! is an interactive, educational initiative aimed at attacking the high obesity rate among children in the USA, which has actually tripled over the last 30 years.

Mr. Potato Head and the Misses can join their friends from Sesame Street who are also delivering a new nutritional message.  Last year the fluffy blue Cookie Monster learned to control his cookie cravings by eating cookies only sometimes, instead of a main meal.  We all change over the years, and so its to be expected that our beloved toys will change as well.

Actually, Mr. Potato Head was originally created by George Learner, who knew what every parent learns eventually.  If you want your kid to eat something, make it into a toy!  Somehow even a dry turkey sandwich on wheat becomes d-e-l-i-c-ious when cut into the shape of a shark. It was no different for this rotund root.  

Learner started the fad by creating a variety of small plastic accessories packed inside cereal boxes.  The kids would use these on a real potato.  It wasn’t long before the idea was picked up by entrepreneurs Hal and Halel Hessenfeld who bought the idea and made it into a plastic toy.  It was an instant hit in 1952, and put Hassenfeld Brothers (later shortened to Hasbro) and Mr. Potato Head on the map.  This simple plastic spud become one of America’s all-time favorite toys.

The new figures will have actual legs, a slimmer silhouette and fun new accessories.  Due to make their debut in retail stores in the Fall of 2011, it's unlikely that your child will even care about the new changes. It's the parents that this campaign is geared toward.  If the parent buys into the nutritional message and slimmed-down look - the hope is that message will subtly trickle down to the kids. 

Toy Safety Requires Caregiver Diligence

Two new recalls this morning to keep an eye on:

The first is a linking toy with ball shaped rattle from Rhino Toys.  The yellow clips connecting the links to the ball broke on one (that’s what I said – O-N-E) toy in the hands of the consumer, posing a potential choking hazard.  No injuries were reported.

Sold for about $8 at Toys R Us and other small retailers from April through December 2010. Customers are being asked to take the product away from their child immediately. Contact Rhino Toys (888-250-9969) for a full refund. 

The other is a wooden floor activity center from Manhattan Group.  The small wooden pegs that hold the xylophone keys onto the side panel can fall out, creating a choking hazard for young children.  There has been one (that’s what I said – O-N-E) toy in the hands of the consumer.  No injuries were reported.

Sold for about $90 at specialty retailers and mail order catalogs from December 2010 through February 2011. Customers should stop using the product immediately. Return it to the retailer from which it was purchased, or call Manhattan Group directly (800-541-1345) full refund or replacement.           

    There must have been more going on behind the scenes to allow only one incident to create these recalls.  I say this because the method in which the small part was released was not revealed.   Did the clip break while an infant was slurping on it during normal play, or was something else at work here?  Imagine how much strength it would take for an infant to press both ends of the plastic clip in opposing directs before it would snap.  If this indeed was the case – the Incredibles’ baby is on the loose!  

     But to be serious, if you have older siblings in the home, then carefully consider any toys you give your children, particularly your infant or toddler.  They may not have the strength to break the toys, but big brother certainly might. Wooden Toys are appealing and normally very durable, but they often depend on glue alone for securing small accessories.  When small parts are attached to a toy simply by glue, there is a real damage of that glue drying out over time allowing inquisitive little fingers, to tug and pull it off.  In addition, in wooden toys we often see the “part into hole” connection poorly designed, so very little glue even reaches the end of the part it’s supposed to be holding.   Naturally, any small part that releases from a toddler toy during use goes directly into the mouth and creates a real potential for choking.

TOY SAFETY TIPS:

• Toys that can undergo YOUR manipulation, pulling, bending and tweaking are more likely to be safe for your child.  Test it with your child in mind our before you give it to your child to play with. 

• Also - Check the toy box often for broken toys and remove any that are damaged or look like they are about to break.  

Toy Safety Requires Caregiver Diligence

Two new recalls this morning to keep an eye on:

The first is a linking toy with ball shaped rattle from Rhino Toys.  The yellow clips connecting the links to the ball broke on one (that’s what I said – O-N-E) toy in the hands of the consumer, posing a potential choking hazard.  No injuries were reported.

Sold for about $8 at Toys R Us and other small retailers from April through December 2010. Customers are being asked to take the product away from their child immediately. Toys R Us is offering a full refund. 

The other is a wooden floor activity center from Manhattan Group.  The small wooden pegs that hold the xylophone keys onto the side panel can fall out, creating a choking hazard for young children.  There has been one (that’s what I said – O-N-E) toy in the hands of the consumer.  No injuries were reported.

Sold for about $90 at specialty retailers and mail order catalogs from December 2010 through February 2011. Customers should stop using the product immediately. Return it to the retailer from which it was purchased, or call Manhattan Group directly (800-541-1345) full refund or replacement.           

    There must have been more going on behind the scenes to allow only one incident to create these recalls.  I say this because the method in which the small part was released was not revealed.   Did the clip break while an infant was slurping on it during normal play, or was something else at work here?  Imagine how much strength it would take for an infant to press both ends of the plastic clip in opposing directs before it would snap.  If this indeed was the case – the Incredibles’ baby is on the loose!  

     But to be serious, if you have older siblings in the home, then carefully consider any toys you give your children, particularly your infant or toddler.  They may not have the strength to break the toys, but big brother certainly might. Wooden Toys are appealing and normally very durable, but they often depend on glue alone for securing small accessories.  When small parts are attached to a toy simply by glue, there is a real damage of that glue drying out over time allowing inquisitive little fingers, to tug and pull it off.  In addition, in wooden toys we often see the “part into hole” connection poorly designed, so very little glue even reaches the end of the part it’s supposed to be holding.   Naturally, any small part that releases from a toddler toy during use goes directly into the mouth and creates a real potential for choking.

    Toys that can undergo YOUR manipulation, pulling, bending and tweaking – should be safe for your child.  Test it our before you give it to your child to play with. 

    Also - Check the toy box often for broken toys and remove any that are damaged or look like they are about to break.  

Caregiver Vigilance

When considering the safety of your infant, toddler or young child under 5 years of age, you must consider caregiver vigilance.  Whether the caregiver is a parent, nanny or grandparent, one thing is true:  your child will not be observed or in plain sight 24 hours a day. 

In fact, results from an excellent 2004-2005 study conducted by Dr. Barbara Morrongiello,  Michael Corbett , MM, Megan McCourt, MM and Natalie Johnston, BA indicated that mother and child are awake and home together (supervised) only about 6.50 hours per day.  That leaves 17.5 hours per day that a child is not directly in sight. The child may be sleeping in a crib, or playing in the activity center, or simply playing with toys around the other side of the kitchen counter.  But let’s face it, there are plenty of moments we take our eyes off our kids.  It may be only a few seconds, a few minutes, or more. The gurgling and babbling can still be heard, so they’re safe, right?  This is reality. It’s impractical to think otherwise.

Naturally characteristics of both child and caregiver factor into the risk of injuries at home. Is the child a natural risk-taker, seeks attention, or not able to control their impulses particularly well.  Age of the child and natural temperament have a lot to do with the risk of in-home injury.

For the most part, as a mother goes through the day with her young child, she is not thinking about the potential for injuries all the time.  This would lead to a rather neurotic approach to parenting, which in itself has some risks for the child.  For example, it could be theorized that a child who is prevented from ever experiencing a fall, a bonk on the head, or the taste of fresh escargot from the garden, may have the potential to struggle later in life with poor problem solving skills, fear of decision-making, or a weak immune system.  That is a topic for a future study.

It is the attitudes about supervision that you may find fascinating. Sherrilyn Coffman, RN, Vicci Martin, RN, Noreen Prill, RN and LCSW, and Beveryly Langley, RV conducted a study of common perceptions held by parents as it relates to how they watch their kids during the day. Results from this study showed that less than 50% of the parents in the study felt that in-home injuries could be prevented.  In other words, things happen whether you are watching or not and you can’t prevent them. 

The same study found that parents tended to be more concerned with kidnapping or abuse of their child, than drowning or car-related injuries. This underlying fear may reduce a caregiver’s diligence at home. 

And here’s the kicker - Dr. Morrongiello’s 2004 study also revealed that even when a child was involved in a serious injury that required medical attention, caregivers are not likely to change their approach to how closely they  supervise that child! Amazing, eh?

In 1993, Anita & Tommy Gärling researched Mothers' Supervision and Perception of Young Children's Risk of Unintentional Injury in the Home.  Mothers of children aged from 1 to 3 years old were asked to rate  the safety risk when children were in different rooms of the house under minimal supervision. These included bedroom, bathroom, family room and kitchen. Which room would you consider the safest?  In Gärling’s study, the response showed that the bedroom and family room were considered safe for 90% of children (any age).  Now back to reality – A 1993 study of this very topic showed that two-thirds of all home injuries happened in the bedroom or family room.  Once again a caregivers perception of safety doesn’t mesh with reality.

Gärling’s study also showed that 76% of two to six year olds get out of bed in the morning before their parents do. When the parents in the study were asked to rate the risk of a child getting injured on something in the house while the child is up and parent is still sleeping, an overwhelming 95% of the parents responded that there was little to no risk of injury!!  Now that is astonishing.  Why would we feel that they need to be closely supervised during the day, but if they are up alone in the morning all is well?  Baffling, eh?  What products do you have in your home that are bright, shiny, enticing, and quite dangerous for a young child to discover when they are up alone unsupervised?

These studies are not cited to scare you straight, but they are shared here to simply make you aware that your perceptions about your child’s safety at home are influenced daily by a lot of different factors.  Nearly 40% of all child injuries (sixty-six percent of injured kids two-year-olds and under) happen in the home. Study after study shows that parents consistently overestimate the skills and cognitive development of their child.  This can lead to less direct child supervision on the part of the parents, and consequently an increase in risk of at-home injury for the child.

Here are a few tips to help guide you as you determine your supervisory limits:

1.    Know your child – If your child is an explorer, very physical and impulsive, you should design your supervision to keep more frequent direct visual contact with the child.  This may decrease with age, but again – you must be confident that your child has developed a strong understanding of cause and effect before you decrease supervision too much. Though your child may be  a true genius, he/she is still a child, and they need your help to stay safe.

2.  Wake Up! – Life with a youngster can be exhausting for sure.  But always wake up with your toddler in the morning and begin your supervision when they open their eyes.  Even if you simply turn on the TV and rest in the same room with your toddler, this is safer than lying behind closed doors in a deep sleep.  Your child deserves your full attention during those 6.5 hours you will spend with him or her that day. 

3.   Child-proof your house – You have likely already done this, but make frequent checks in each room to be sure that the safety plugs and locks you put in place are still there and properly installed.

4.   Clean up – Each night before you turn in, put away toys and/or products that could entice your child, but would be unsafe for them without direct supervision.  Anything with small parts would be a good start.  This way, if they do sneak out of their room without you hearing them, you have reduced the risk of injury. Be sure all sharp knives or utensils are not close to the edges of the kitchen counters.  Close the bathroom doors, and make sure all doors to the outside are securely locked.

5.   Make your expectations known - You may hire a babysitter for a few hours, or ask Grandma to watch your child.  Always write down and discuss your supervision expectations with the sitter.  If you want the child in direct sight at all times, be sure to tell the sitter that. The sitter likely does not know the personality or skills of your child.  They are more likely to overestimate the child's abilities.

6.   Check, Check, Check – Check on your child often during the day.  The younger the child, the more often you should have your eyes directly on them.  While a newborn won't have much risk of injury, a toddler is off and exploring their world with a vengeance!  Keep close tabs on these newly mobile exploration machines! Okay, so there is no way you’re going to have your eyes on your child every second of those 6.5 hours.  Although only you know the amount of supervision your child requires, a rough gauge might be:

a.   Birth up to 3 years – Keep child in direct sight at all times

b.   3-4 year olds – Check every 5 -10 minutes

c.    4-5 year olds – Check every 10-15 minutes

d.   Over 5 year olds – Check every 15-30 minutes

NOTE:  Always err on the side of checking more often. If you have a pool or spa or other accessory that would be immediately life-threatening to a young child, you may need to have much more direct eye contact with them.  Remember it only takes 60 seconds for a child to drown, suffocate or choke to death.  Be vigilant.

Lakeshore Sponsors Interactive Software Giveaway!

UPDATE on Lakeshore's new 2011 interactive whiteboard and computer software titles. The company announced a special contest in which you can win a download of one of these educational and innovative products. (See Lakeshore Proves That Learning Can Be Fun)  

And the best part is - it's a FREE download. Every day from now through March 30th, ten entrants will be the fortunate winners of one of the exciting new titles. You can enter once a day to increase your chances.   

What are you waiting for!?

Children's Product or Home Decor?

Sometimes I am truly amazed that I am still alive!  Growing up, I played on fallen trees in the forest behind our Pennsylvania home; I was carted around the county fair on a flimsy folding stroller; My favorite game included marbles; I drank out of plastic baby bottles probably laden with BPA; I know I chewed on the lead paint in my brothers die cast cars; and as a teenager, my bedroom door was decorated with a hippie–inspired pink and purple bead curtain.  Any one of those things alone would send CPSC, Consumer Reports and many Prop 65 prosecutors into a feeding frenzy!

Today the Consumer Product Safety Commission essentially told Target stores that they can’t market bead door curtains to children under 12 years of age. 

The strands of beads can be unintentionally manipulated during normal use to form a loop that could entangle or strangle a child.  There have been no deaths, but Target has received three customer reports of endangerment. The youngsters were 6, 9 and an unknown age, and all three suffered scratches and cuts from the beads grabbing onto their necks as they walked through the curtains.

The real problem was with how the door curtains were marketed.  The packaging demonstrated that there clearly was a known hazard.  The label reads: "Not for use in areas with children under 5 years of age. Plastic ornaments may pose strangulation or entanglement hazard. Not for use near cribs or playpens." The assembly guide also warned customers not to tie the bottom of the beaded curtains into loops.  The artwork on the packaging shows the curtains being used on a doorway that obviously was decorated like a young girl’s bedroom.

There is a lesson to be learned here.  If the beaded curtains had been clearly marketed for adults, and it was the parent who decided to put the beads over their child’s door – would a recall have been required in the event that scrapes and cuts had occurred on the children?  It was the manufacturer’s presentation of intended use in a child’s doorway that was at issue here.

Now personally I would never have considered door curtains as a children’s product, but the CPSC has been broadening their definition of what constitutes a children’s product since publishing their final interpretive rule for defining a children’s product.  These guidelines were created as a result of the total confusion caused by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). They were meant to clear the gray haze left by the CPSIA, in which a children’s product was defined broadly as “a consumer product designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger.”  In fact it created more questions than providing answers.  

What do you think?  

• When does home decor become a "children's product?'  
• What totally unsafe, but completely carefree activity did you participate in as a child, and live to tell about?