Can Shopping Carts Be Safe?

Walking through a grocery store, one of the most common things you’ll see is a young child sitting in a shopping cart’s safety seat, being guided around by a parent. While many millions of dollars have gone into designing shopping carts to be safe for children, the truth is that they can still be dangerous if not handled properly.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that there are over 16,000 cases where a child under the age of 5 falls from a shopping cart every year, and such falls are the leading cause of head injury among children. In addition, the CPSC states that up to 5% of those injuries are caused by infant carriers that were improperly stacked on top of a cart.

While many movies and TV shows will paint the idyllic picture of a shopping trip where a mother and child are able to meander through the store as they please, smiles on their faces the entire time, the truth of most shopping trips with children is much more stressful. Getting children ready to leave the house, into the car, keeping them happy in the car, unpacking them and loading them into the cart, and then securely fastening them is likely to at least double the amount of time a solo shopping trip would take. It is simply the case that many parents are in such a rush that they are more likely to take risks.

There are a few quick and simple steps you can take to ensure that your child is as safe as possible, however:

• Never put an infant carrier on top of a cart. They may look like they can fit, but they are not designed that way. Carrier manufacturers will even go out of their way sometimes to specifically warn against such usage. There are certain cart systems out there that are designed to work in such ways, but unless you are absolutely and completely 100% sure your system is designed that way, do not place the carrier on top of the cart.
• Use the buddy system. Shopping trips are much safer, easier, and less stressful when you have someone else on hand to watch for and attend to the baby. Older siblings often work just as well as adults in this capacity as well.
• ALWAYS use safety harnesses. If an accidental cart collision should happen in-store, the seatbelt is specifically designed to keep your child from falling or flying out.
• Don’t forget to take advantage of stores’ comments boxes. Retailers are continually looking for ways to improve shopping experiences, so if you let it be known that you would like to see more carts with infant carrier docks, they are infinitely more likely to make the changes. Plus, every other young parent will be singing your praises.

It goes without saying that bringing children along on shopping trips means they take more time, and much more careful attention, but with a small added effort, you can ensure that everyone who goes along is as safe as possible, and no undue injuries befall your child.

Angelcare Baby Monitors Recalled

A baby monitor, also known as a baby alarm, is a radio system used to remotely listen to sounds of an infant or child.  The monitor, which is equipped with a microphone, is placed near the child and then transmits the sounds to a receiver unit with a speaker which is placed near the parent or other person caring for the child or infant.  Monitors are used to allow a child’s caregiver to go about their daily activities and still be alerted to the child’s movements and sounds.

Although baby monitors are used to give caregivers peace of mind and a feeling of safety, there are times when a poorly designed product can actually be dangerous for the child they are trying to protect.

Last week,  a baby monitor, the Angelcare Movement and Sound Monitors with Sensor Pads, has been recalled  by the company after the death of two infants due to strangulation.  Angelcare Monitors Inc., is voluntarily recalling 600,000 monitors following the deaths of the two infants.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday that the cord attached to the monitor’s sensor pad is placed under the crib mattress and can become a hazard if the child pulls the cord into the crib.

Two children, a 13-month-old girl from San Diego in November, 2011, and an 8-month-old girl from Salem, Oregon, in August of 2004 , died by strangulation after pulling the cord into their cribs.  Two more children were injured when they became entangled with the cords, as well.

The recalled products were sold between 1999 and 2013 at a number of U.S. retailers.  Consumers are told to stop using the product immediately and contact the company for a repair kit.  The repair kit includes rigid protective cord covers through which the sensor pad cords can be threaded, a permanent warning label and revised instructions.

The CPSC was asked why so many years had lapsed between the recall and the infant’s deaths.  The Director of Communications said in a telephone interview that “the agency acted as quickly as it could.”

According to the CPSC, there have been eight reports of strangulation by baby monitor cords since 2002.

Consumer Product Safety Commission and Nap Nanny Manufacturer Settle Litigation

Baby Matters LLC, the company that manufactures Nap Nanny and Nap Nanny Chill, has agreed to recall all models of the infant recliners and covers as part of the settlement of a case filed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)  in December 2012.

CPSC had received at least ninety-two incident reports involving Nap Nanny and Nap Nanny Chill products since 2009.  The commission reported it knew of four infants who died in Nap Nanny Generation Two recliners and a fifth child who died in Nap Nanny Chill.  According to CPSC, the ninety-two incidents reported involved infants hanging or falling over the side of the products, and included some infants who were restrained in the product’s harness when the incidents occurred.

When CPSC first initiated the lawsuit, Baby Matters claimed the use of their product as directed was safe, and believe that parents created the risk for their infants by not following instructions and warnings by either placing the Nap Nanny product on a table or crib, or by failing to correctly strap in their child.

Between the years 2009 and 2012, approximately 165,000 Nap Nanny and Nap Nanny Chill products were sold through children’s retail stores nationwide and online, as well.  Consumers who purchased a Nap Nanny from Amazon.com, Buy Buy Baby, Diaper.com, and Toys R Us/Babies R Us, should contact the retailer for instructions on how to obtain a refund.  Unfortunately for those retailers who purchased Nap Nanny from other retailers, Baby Matters LLC is no longer in business and is not accepting returns.

Although Baby Matters disputed CPSC’s allegations that the Nap Nanny and Chill products create a substantial product hazard by having a design defect and inadequate warnings, the company agreed to the recall to end CPSC’s lawsuit against the firm.

Original story found here.

Nursery Product Injuries

When parents place their children in their cribs, or playpens they expect them to be safe. However, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says that many children are injured by defective nursery products like cribs, bassinets, and playpens.

According to the CPSC in 2011 74,100 children under the age of 5 were treated in an emergency room for injuries received as a result of defective nursery products. The leading causes of these injuries were from falls, which resulted in head injuries. Cribs and mattresses were the types of products responsible for the most injuries, resulting in 43 percent of injuries. However, a significant portion of the injuries were also caused by cradles, playpens, car seats, and baby baths.

Perhaps most shocking is that from, 2007 to 2009 341 infants were reported to be killed from these products.   The majority of these deaths were caused by extra bedding placed in the child’s sleeping area which caused suffocation or asphyxiation. Many of the other injuries were as a result of hazardous crib surroundings such as entrapments between mattresses, cushions, cords, and strings. Unfortunately many of these incidents were caused by defective assembly and repair or defective components; meaning that they could have been prevented with better warning or better manufacturing of products.

Manufacturers of consumer products have a duty to ensure that their products do not place consumers in unforeseen harm when used normally. Manufacturers, retailers, and distributors all may be liable for resulting injuries caused by defective products, including when products that do not contain sufficient warnings.

Study Shows Danger of Amusement Rides to Children

As summer quickly approaches, seasonal fairs and amusement parks increase in popularity. However, before taking your children to these rides, first educate yourself on the risks. About 4,423 children under the age of 18 are injured each year from amusement rides and more than 70% of the injuries occur from May to September. These statistics were released earlier this week from a study by the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, which reviewed the risks of amusement rides to children.

The study, released in Clinical Pediatrics, reviewed where injuries were most common. Soft tissue injuries accounted for about 29% of amusement ride injuries and 28% of injuries involved the head and neck area. Most injuries are sustained due to falls or by hitting a body part against or on a ride. One third of injuries happen on rides in fixed locations such as amusement parks but carnival type and mall rides closely followed.

Mall rides had the most predictable type of injury. Most children injured on mall rides involve falls while getting on or off of the ride sustaining head and neck injuries. One child is treated in the emergency room every day from injuries sustained in a ride located at a shopping mall, restaurant, or arcade. Many of these injuries occur because the rides are often placed over a hard floor and lack proper safety barriers.

Some pointers for improving safety when enjoying amusement rides include following posted restrictions on factors such as height and weight; and following other safety instructions. Avoiding mall rides that are not on padded surfaces or that lack restraint equipment is also a good idea.

Source: New study examines injuries to children related to amusement rides, News Medical, (May 2, 2013).

Cold Medicine Recalled for Threat to Children

In the midst of flu season it is important to remember to keep cough medication safely stored. Last month the company that manufactures Triaminic and Theraflu recalled 2.3 million bottles of cough and cold medicine after four children ingested the syrup by themselves.

The child-resistant caps on the products malfunctioned, allowing children to remove the bottle tops according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). CPSC reports that 8 children actually opened the caps of the aforementioned products, although only 4 children actually ingested the medication, of those 4 children 1 required medical attention.

In response Novartis Consumer Health Inc. recalled six kinds of Theraflu and 18 kinds of Triaminic products with defective child-resistant caps.

The threat posed by the accidental ingestion of these cold medicines is high. The syrups all contain acetaminophen, a fever reducer that can lead to liver injury and even liver failure when consumed in high enough amounts. Some of the recalled products also contained diphenhydramine, an antihistamine which can lead to cardiac arrhythmias or seizures if too much is ingested. The effects of the drugs will depend on the weight of a child.

Children are often attracted to cold medicine because of the sweet cherry and grape flavors. Most of the incidents leading to the recall occurred because parents left bottles on the counter or let children see where the medicine was stored.

Child proof caps have been standard requirements for cold and cough medicine in the U.S. market since the 1970s after the U.S. Poison Prevention Packaging Act was passed. However, child resistant caps are not perfect. According the American Association of Poison Control Centers in 2011 40,000 U.S. children under the age of 5 experienced acetaminophen poisoning.

You can learn more about the recall on Novartis’ website