The Month In Recalls: April 2007

The month of April has been a huge one for recalls of children's products by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), and the agency announced five additional child-related recalls today. Trends include the continued recalls of toys with small magnets and a ramping up in lead poisoning recalls in children's jewelry.

Recalls of the Month: Magnetix Deja Vu / Toxic Jewelry

Mega Brands has expanded its earlier recall of Magnetix magnetic building blocks to all units sold prior to March 31, 2006. This amounts to more than 4 million toys. Mega Brands claims that sets manufactured since that date, and those most likely to be on store shelves, are better at hanging onto their magnets. The chance is yours to take.

Ingesting multiple magnets, or one magnet and an additional metal object, can result in sections of the intestines being "locked" together by their action. The CPSC reports:

To date, CPSC and Mega Brands are aware of one death, one aspiration and 27 intestinal injuries. Emergency surgical intervention was needed in all but one case. At least 1,500 incidents of magnets separating from the building pieces have been reported. Although the hazard was initially thought to be a problem primarily for children younger than six, it has since been learned that at least ten injuries involved children between the ages of 6 and 11 years old.

Contact Mega Brands at 800-779-7122.

The situation with children's jewelry is getting pretty scary. April and early May has seen CPSC recalls of:

• Four million children's bracelets by A&A Industries
• 900,000 children's necklaces and charm bracelets by Baltimore's Cardinal Distributing (lots of pics)
• 132,000 more necklaces imported by the Oriental Trading Company of Omaha, Nebraska
• 200 charms again by Cardinal Distributing

That's a grand total of more than five million pieces of children's jewelry, plus more than 700,000 pieces recalled between January and March. It's amazing what a little scrutiny can force out of hiding.

If your child has any metal jewelry, check out the links to see pictures of the jewelry in question, especially if your child is around any infants or toddlers, who are at the greatest risk. If you don't see them there, you can wait for more recalls, or test the jewelry yourself at a reasonable price.

If you'd like to know more about lead poisoning and how to prevent it, downloading this Center for Disease Control (CDC) report is a good place to start.

Other recalls of note:

"Small World" Wooden Sound Puzzles: Choking Hazard. The knobs on the puzzle pieces can fall off, and 42 instances of this have been reported, with no injuries so far. Contact Small World Toys, (800) 421-4153. [Link]

Infant Bouncer Seat: Fall hazard. Oeuff LLC sold about 1,400 of these bouncer seats before a handful of reports came in that the tubing could break in the hands of zealously bouncing parents, caregivers, and siblings. No children have been injured yet, but the CPSC is hoping to keep it that way. Oeuf LLC is offering a "repair kit." For dangerous metal tubing, a "repair kit" should mean all-new tubing; otherwise, we respectfully suggest you demand a refund instead. Either way, you'll need to call them at (800)-691-8810.

Graco Activity Centers: Choking hazard. Graco has recalled the Soft Block Towers on its infant exersaucer-like "activity centers" and wants to replace yours. Forty thousand of them are being recalled after 137 reports of the plastic film that covers them breaking up and getting into infants' mouths. Call Graco at (800) 345-4109.

Target Activity Cart: Choking hazard. Target has recalled over 18,000 toddler activity carts because the plastic hubcaps can fall off the wheel nuts. This is what superglue is for, folks. How about taking this recall notice under advisement, removing and supergluing back on your activity cart's hubcaps, and going on about your business? Does that make us evil? Then take yours back!

Anima Bamboo Collection Games: Lead poisoning hazard. Target has recalled all 5,000 units, which were sold for $10 apiece. Return them to the store for a full refund.

OKK Trading "Lovely Baby" and "Happy Baby" Dolls: Choking hazard. In addition to small parts that can break or fall off and get swallowed, these little dollies sold in dollar stores nationwide have committed the hellish crime of being ugly as sin. Off with their heads! [Link]

Other child-centered recalls:

• "Life is Good" children's sweatshirts (irony sold separately)
  
• Disney Store children's footed pajamas
  
• Shrek headbands
  
• Disney Princesses Easter Basket
• Payless Shoe Source Children's Airwalk Compel Shoes
  (pictured below)