New Standards and 2017 Recalls for Baby Products

November 28, 2017 / Product Injury

As parents, our highest priority is always to protect our children. They trust that we will take the very best care of them. Defective products break that trust. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), nearly 60,000 children under the age of five in 2015 suffered from emergency department-treated injuries caused by nursery products. In the latest figures available for fatalities under the age of five (from 2011 through 2013), approximately 300 children died from nursery products. Nursery products include cribs and mattresses, infant carriers, baby gyms/walkers/exercisers, baby gates, strollers, and many other commonly-used products.

We have recent recalls of infant items to inform you about, as well as information concerning new Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards for certain infant items. Baby Gym Recall: Strangulation Hazard

Certain baby gyms made by PlanToys were recalled as of October 25, 2017, because of a strangulation hazard from the side rope crossbars. These baby gyms were sold for about $50 both online and in stores nationwide by retailers such as Target (Target.com) and Diapers.com during the period of September 2016 through May 2017. The relevant manufacturing date codes run from TH 080116 through TH 082916. You can find the date code printed on the top corner joint’s connecting ball.

If you have one of the affected baby gyms, stop using it immediately; PlanToys will provide you with a free replacement. Contact them by calling 866-517-7526, by emailing Michael@plantoysinc.com, or by visiting www.plantoysusa.com. Click the Safety link at the bottom of the page.

Other 2017 Recalls of Nursery Products

You may not have heard about a number of 2017 recalls for nursery products. Such recalls include, but are not limited to, the following items:

• The Fisher-Price Infant Motion Seat (model numbers CMR35, CMR36, CMR37, and DYH22) and the Smart Connect Soothing Motions Seats (model number CMR39), due to a fire hazard. There have been 36 product overheating reports, including one fire. Stop using the product immediately and contact Mattel. Recalled October 24, 2017.
• OshKosh Baby B’gosh quilted jackets in pink and gray, because of a choking hazard from the snaps. The CPSC web site has the complete list of recalled jackets. Stop using the jackets immediately and return them for a full refund. Recalled November 8, 2017.
• The Bruin Infant Wiggle Ball (also called a giggle ball) sold by Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us, due to a choking hazard. Recalled balls have the model number 5F6342E and Toys “R” Us printed on them. Stop using the balls immediately and return them for a full refund. Recalled October 5, 2017.

Many other items have been recalled in 2017 because of choking hazards. You can search the CPSC Recalls web site any time. To locate nursery product recalls, enter “infant,” “baby,” or a similar word in the search box and click Apply.

New Nursery Product Standards

The CPSC has put new standards into place for two products during September and October of 2017:

• Infant bath tubs. New standards include performance requirements addressing tub breakage and broken locking mechanisms. Improved information about drowning hazards and how to avoid them is also provided. From 2004 to 2015, 31 infant deaths because of infant tubs were reported to the CPSC.
• Infant bouncers. New standards include performance requirements addressing stability issues and the possibility of tip-overs, as well as battery compartments because of battery leakage, corrosion, and overheating. Other new standards addressing the risk of serious head injuries were implemented. There were 12 fatalities and 54 injuries reported to the CPSC from bouncer seats between January 1, 2006, and July 6, 2016.

We hope you will check the CPSC website for recalls and return any recalled items you might have for replacement or refund.

Successfully litigating personal injury cases in Indiana since 1982.

Protecting our children should be our No. 1 priority. And when children are injured, we need to investigate the causes and make things right. Severe injuries can be caused by any number of products, even by toys or child care products that may seem harmless. If your child has been injured by a product, and you believe that negligence is involved, speak with an experienced Indiana personal injury lawyer like Mike Stephenson.

Lawyer Mike Stephenson is a Martindale-Hubbell AV-rated attorney, the highest possible attorney peer rating. You can have complete confidence in Mike because you are talking with an attorney who has more than 30 years’ experience, offering his clients compassionate and successful representation. Keep in mind that there is a statute of limitations – or a deadline – for filing personal injury claims, so it is unwise to delay. Don’t lose the opportunity to obtain the money you need to put your family’s life back on track and to make their future financially secure. Call Mike at 1-317-825-5200 or contact us for immediate help. At Stephenson Rife, we believe justice matters.