Parents rely on many products to help keep their children safe such as outlet covers, drawer latches and gates. But like any children’s products, these items can be recalled and may prove dangerous. One only need look as far as a few recalls last month to see this in action.
Almost 868,000 Safety 1st Toilet and Cabinet Locks were recalled last month due to lock failure. Parents thought they had taken precautions to keep children away from dangerous products and drowning hazards; but on numerous occasions, children were able to gain access to water in the toilet, posing the risk of drowning and to unsafe items stored in the cabinets. There were over 300 reports of failures and 80 times children were able to defeat the locks. Another 900,000 Safety First cabinet locks were recalled in March involving even more reports of failure.
And then there is the issue of crib tents. KID has long warned against the use of these aftermarket products – concerned that they introduced more hazards than they solved. And CPSC recently agreed, recalling Tots in Mind Crib Tents due to strangulation and entrapment hazard. Twenty seven tent failures including one fatality and one catastrophic brain injury occurred between January 1997 and April 2012. Other 25 reports involved inverted crib tents—entrapments between the tent and the crib/play yard or failures of the tent fabric and zippers. Three of these 25 reports resulted in injuries. The play yard tents had been previously recalled for repair in July 2010.
Safe sleep means a bare crib – without added bumpers, soft bedding or tents or other add-on items. And while childproofing your house is vital with a curious toddler – these recent recalls highlight the need to keep up on recalls AND regularly check your latch covers or other items for breakage.
