As parents, we all strive to do anything and everything possible to protect our children from the moment we find out we are expecting. We protect our children while they are in the womb and prepare our homes to protect them when they arrive. We read books, ask relatives and friends and spend countless hours deciding what to buy our little bundle of joy. Unfortunately, many of the products and toys that we purchase for our children can potentially harm them.
In 2007, 52% of all products recalled were children’s products. Just to be clear – that’s 231 separate products. That same year witnessed the biggest crib recall in history with over one million cribs being recalled. The recall happened after three children died, seven became entrapped and 56 other “incidents” were reported as a result of the defective cribs.
A recent recall of 1.5 million Graco strollers marks the largest in American history. Apparently the uncovered hinges on the canopy have caused severe injuries to children’s fingers. This latest recall follows a 2005 recall of 1.1 million strollers after 230 injuries were reported.
In 2009 alone nine different models of car seats were recalled for reasons ranging from innocuous (missing federally required label) to potentially life threatening (handle breaks causing a risk that the child will fall out or harnesses aren’t secure causing risk that the child won’t be secure in a crash).
Toys are another huge minefield to navigate for parents. The number of toys recalled each year is nothing short of staggering. In 2007, for instance, the total number of toys recalled in the United States was 25.6 million. By far, the leading cause for recalls of children’s toys is the presence of lead based paint. Children are more susceptible to the dangers of lead based paint because of their small size and the fact that they tend to put everything in their mouths. Once lead enters your bloodstream, it can affect the brain, kidneys, nervous system and red blood cells causing mental retardation, seizures, coma and even death. Choking hazards, burn hazards and strangulation hazards can also prompt a toy recall.
So what can we, as parents, do to ensure the safety of our children? As the old saying goes “knowledge is power”. Before purchasing a product intended to be used with a child, do your research. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (www.cpsc.gov) has an exhaustive list of all children’s products that have been recalled and the reason for the recall. This list is especially helpful when you have received, or bought, something second hand. While this is an excellent source of information, we can’t rely exclusively on the manufacturers to take a product off the market. First, it may take a manufacturer a significant amount of time to decide to recall a product or for the government to require a mandatory recall. Use your common sense and listen for news stories involving injuries. If a toy has small parts – don’t buy it for a small child. If you just heard about injuries to children sleeping a certain crib, maybe you should think about buying a different one. The bottom line is that we, as parents, are the first line of defense for our children. They are depending on us to protect them and we need to be vigilant and informed. If you think you, or someone you know, has suffered injuries because of a defective product designed for children, call the law offices of Ledger & Associates at 1-800-300-0001 or visit us at www.ledgerlaw.com.
