choking hazard -

4,000 spoons and forks with Gingham Bunnies on the handles are being recalled because of the potential for an injury to be incurred by the children the item was designed for.  The Taunton, Massachusetts-based Reed and Barton Corporation announced the recall, which was deemed necessary once it was discovered that the bunny ears’ pink coloring is in danger of being dislodged.  A baby could then potentially choke on or swallow the item.  One instance of the coloring being removed has been reported, but that thankfully did not lead to any kind of an injury.  The items, which were available across the country from this past September to January, should be brought back to the company for a replacement spoon or fork.

For more about the recall, click here.

The Pittston, Pennsylvania-based J.P. Boden Services has announced the recall of Chunky Cord Dungarees under the Mini Boden brand.  These pants came in sizes up to four years in age and are red or light brown in color.  A total of 1,900 articles of clothing are affected, and each was available online or via catalogue directly from Boden or in Nordstrom stores around the country from this past July through March.  Detachment of the clasps and studs of the clothing is a possibility, and thus a child might swallow those components.  No such incidents have become known at this time, and to ensure future safety, Boden should be contacted for an envelope that parents can use to send the pants back for a refund.  In the meantime, the pants should not be worn.

For more about the recall, click here.

The Quebec, Canada-based Classic Characters has announced the recall of green infant socks that have a frog character stitched onto the front.  5,000 pairs or so are affected by the recall, and each would have been sold at the Cracker Barrel this past January through March.  The aforementioned frog face, as well as frog feet that are also attached to the socks, are in danger of falling off.  If the child gets ahold of the dislodged fabric, a choking hazard is posed.  No such injuries have been reported at this time.  The socks should be taken away from children and brought back to Cracker Barrel, where a refund will be issued.

For more about the recall, click here.

Yesterday we brought you word of the recall of Buckyballs and Buckycubes magnet toys because of the threat posed to a child if they were to swallow the item.  Now, a children’s product is being recalled because of a choking hazard posed if the child attempts to swallow a dislodged piece.

The recall was announced by the Torrance, California-based Small World Toys Enterprises and concerns Spin-A-Mals Farm and Safari wooden puzzles under the Ryan’s Room brand.  The puzzles are basically a series of animal shapes and cogs that can be mounted together on a wooden board.  4,000 or so toys are impacted by the recall, and each was sold around the country last May through October.

Loosening and subsequent separation of certain pegs on these toys is a possibility, and when that occurs, a kid can pick up the small pieces and potentially choke on them.  Four separation incidents have been reported at this time, but thankfully, none of those led to an injury.

Parents are being instructed not to let their kids play with these toys.  Instead, it’s advisable to get in touch with Small World to obtain a replacement item.  Once the company has been contacted, parents are being told to destroy and throw away the product.

The Atlanta, Georgia-based William Carter Company has announced the recall of one piece cotton infant clothes.  Sold in sizes up to nine months, the clothing will have a label saying either Just One You, Baby B’Gosh, or Child of Mine.  On 218,000 pieces of clothing, the available zipper is in danger of falling off, and if the child grabs it, he or she could be choked if they attempt to consume the piece.  Thankfully, no such incidents have been reported at this time.  Sold online and across the country this past December and January, the clothes should be brought to the company for a refund.  They should not be given to kids.

Click here for more about the recall.

33,000 pairs of children’s socks are being recalled because of the potential choking threat that they could pose to wearers.  The Sacramento, California-based Trumpette issued the recall, which pertains to Hearts and Aubree’s baby socks in sizes all the way up to one year of age.  The socks, which came in six-packs, have bows or flowers that can come off.  A young child might attempt to eat these detachable parts and choke.  Eight detachment reports have become known, but thankfully, none of those led to an injury.  Parents are advised to detach the bows and flowers and discard them properly or bring the socks back for a refund.  The socks were sold across the country by Trumpette, Right Start, and Buy Buy Baby.

Click here for more about the recall.

Just in time for Easter comes a recall focused on a series of egg-shaped toys.  West Music announced the recall, which pertains to Basic Beat BB201 egg shakers that act as toy instruments.  Although the toy should only be given to children three and above, the company worries that young kids could nevertheless come into contact with the product.  At issue is the fact that a small outer piece can be detached from the main body of the item, leading to a choking or asphyxiation danger to those aforementioned younger children.  Three instances of the defect have been reported at this time, but none of those led to an injury.  Consumers who own one of the estimated 6,500 products should get in touch with West Music to obtain a refund.

Click here for more about the recall.

Denim jeans meant to be worn by toddlers and infants are being recalled by the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Meijer Distribution.  The recall affects around 140,500 pairs of Falls Creek Kids-branded pants that were sold at HEB and Meijer stores between this past June and November.  These pants have a front snap that could potentially detach, thus creating a choking risk should the child wearer get ahold of it.  No incidents have been reported thus far.  Parents and guardians are being asked to take the clothing away from their children and bring the pants back to the store for a refund.

Click here to learn more about the recall.

The Kentwood, Michigan-based Sassy Inc. has announced the recall of Hug N’ Tug Puppy and Monkey toys under their own brand and Hug N’ Tug Monkey Toys under the Carter’s brand.  An estimated 45,300 units of the infant toys are being recalled, and each was sold across the country at various retailers between August 2011 and October of this year.  These toys have a clear plastic sphere containing beads, and these beads can come loose from the item and potentially be swallowed by kids, thus posing a choking risk.  No kids have reportedly become injured by the toys at this time, but there have been 12 bead-release incidents reported.  The toys should be removed from the grasp of kids.  The company can be contacted by consumers seeking a replacement item.

For more about the recall, follow this link.

With the holidays drawing near, parents with young children are likely going to be heading out to retailers in order to get their kids the latest, greatest toys.  But parents also need to understand that toy store shelves might occasionally be stacked with items not conducive to safe usage for certain age groups.  A great new report has been released by the Iowa Public Interest Research Group; in it, the organization details those hazards that ought to be avoided.  By looking at recall notices provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and heading out to various retailers in the past couple months, the agency was able to derive some interesting conclusions.

One of the things that the group is particularly concerned about is the presence of lead and phthalates in toys, as these can pose a danger to children who come into contact with the substances.  The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that lead in toys should not exceed 40 parts per million, but the CPSC currently places the limit at 100 ppm.  The IPIRG was able to uncover one item that violated this rule.  Six phthalates are also being more carefully scrutinized by various officials.

If you’ve been paying attention to recall announcements, then you’ve likely heard about the increasingly apparent danger posed by magnetic toy sets.  Over the course of three years, the CPSC figures that 1,700 instances of ingestion of these strong magnets have led an individual to check into an emergency room.  The IPIRG used a small cylinder to determine whether or not magnets in certain toys could be classified as small parts, and they discovered that these magnets were slightly larger so as to avoid that classification.  Therefore, they can be marketed to kids four and up rather than teens older than 14.

That leads to the group’s next point, which is that the test cylinder used to determine whether or not an item is too small should be bigger.  Toy foods, in particular, which are just a little bit bigger than they cylinder, might still pose a threat because they actually look like food to an unknowing child.  The agency also found that labels declaring a toy to have small parts tended to be either obscured or too small, and therefore parents might not be enlightened as to the danger.

The agency is also concerned about toys that might pose a danger to a child’s hearing.  They reportedly found a toy guitar and a toy car that, when activated, went above 85 decibels.  And a toy cellphone, which is specifically meant to be placed next to the ear, allegedly rose above 65 decibels.

Understand these risks before you purchase a toy.  Do whatever you can to verify the safety of an item by researching all toys and making sure that your child is responsible enough to handle whatever toy you give them.