By Michelle C. Brooks
This article was previously published on June 21, 2001 in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The way great-great grandpa learned to walk might not meet today's safety standards. A baby, circa 1905, learns to walk in a baby walker. This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID cph.3b38507. This media file is in the public domain in the United States. by W.A. Pixley www.commons.wikimedia.org
They lurk in attics and basements.
Then, when notice of a product recall has long since passed, recalled children's products are passed to unsuspecting consumers through hand-me-downs, garage sales and thrift stores.
"We still see 35 deaths per year from old cribs," said Nychelle Fleming, public affairs specialist for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the agency responsible for developing safety standards and issuing recalls. "It is the leading killer among juvenile products."
Although recalls range from appliances to toys, items geared to children are particularly problematic. After a recall is announced, it's easy to get things off store shelves, Fleming said, but products stowed away in people's homes are
another story.
A pre-standard walker that could send a child tumbling down stairs could be awaiting passage to the next generation. Stored away for the next child is a cherished family crib with slats wide enough to trap a baby's head or a highchair known to collapse without warning.
Although vintage is trendy, before you head to Mom's basement for your old walker, consider baby's safety. Vintage baby walkers such as this one from the 1970's avocado-green era, may not meet current safety standards.
From 1996 to 1997 (the last date for which statistics are available) 54 children younger than 5 died from child nursery equipment and supplies, including cribs, highchairs, playpens, walkers and strollers.
From 1998 to 1999, the same category accounted for 67,740 injuries to children younger than 5. Just last month, the CPSC announced it will create safety standards for baby bath seats, which it says have been linked to the drownings of 78 infants since 1983.
A bargain hunter's delight, thrift and secondhand stores can become unsavory havens for recalled products. A recent CPSC study estimated that 69 percent of stores were selling at least one hazardous consumer product --- usually for children.
Goodwill, which sells donated goods in more than 1,700 stores in North America, notifies local store managers of CPSC recalls in an effort to end the distribution of recalled products.
"It's a tremendous job," said Ray Bishop, president of Goodwill Industries of North Georgia. "We try to catch it all. But frankly, we can put up all the announcements and posters and briefings, but for a large-scale organization like ours, it's pretty difficult to (sort it all)."
The Salvation Army also works to separate out recalled items.
"We can't say we get everything, but we try," said Kathy Burke, director of community relations for thrift stores. "Technically, it is up to the buyers to ensure the things they purchase are safe for their child."
When purchasing children's products, consumers should avoid products older than 5 years, advises the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. If it is necessary to use a hand-me-down, call the manufacturer to make sure there have been no recalls.
Ultimately, the buyer must beware; double-check before using a secondhand baby swing.
If you are considering a used crib, the CPSC states that the mattress should be firm and tight fitting, hardware should be in solid condition, crib slats should be no more than 2 3/ 8 inches apart, corner posts shouldn't be more than one-sixteenth of an inch high and the footboard and headboard should not
have cutout designs, in which kids could get stuck.
"Sometimes it pays to do your homework before you try to save a dollar," Fleming said.
--- Contributing: Anne Fawcett
Recalled Products Still On The Loose
Here's a sampling of previously recalled products that could continue to pose problems for an unwitting consumer.
Cribs:
This crib, manufactured by Simplicity, Inc., was recalled by the company and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, for drop-side hazzards. According to the CPSC recall notice: "The drop-side can detach from the crib, which can create a dangerous gap and lead to the entrapment and suffocation of infants...CPSC is aware of two deaths in Simplicity manufactured cribs with older style hardware...CPSC is also aware of seven infant entrapments and 55 incidents in these cribs." For more information: www.cpsc.gov
Freezer Chests:
About 9 million chest freezers sold before 1970, when voluntary safety standards went into effect allowing freezers to be opened from the inside.
Reason for recall: Most older chest freezers have latches that can trap a child. Some children playing hide-and-seek have found the non-working freezers a deadly place to hide. When the lid closes, children can become trapped inside and suffocate --- usually in less than 10 minutes.
What to do? Consumers can determine whether their chest freezer poses a hazard by trying to open the freezer without using the handle. If the freezer can be opened by pulling on sides of the lid, it is not a hazard. If the lid opens only by using the handle, it needs to be properly disposed of or disabled.
Consumers should properly dispose of non-working freezers immediately or disable the latch if disposal is impossible. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers has set up a toll- free number, 1- 800-267-3138 FREE, to request detailed information on identifying the affected units and how to dispose of them or disable the latch. Consumers also can receive information at www.aham.org/ freezer_safety.htm.
Cribs and Play Yards
Home & Roam and Baby Express model cribs/play yards. The Home & Roam and Baby Express cribs/play yards (pictured) were priced from $60 to $130 and were sold nationwide from 1992 to 1994.
Reason for recall: CPSC has announced the recall of several other portable cribs/play yards with foldable top rails that can collapse and entrap a child. CPSC is aware of 14 deaths to children when the top rails of play yards collapsed. A new safety standard requires that the top rails of play yards automatically lock into place when the unit is set up.
What to do? The words "Home & Roam" or "Baby Express" and "Baby Trend" appear along the top rails. Baby Trend portable cribs/play yards sold since 1994 have different side rails and are not recalled.
Call Baby Trend toll- free at 1-800-328-7363 FREE to get a free, new play yard. Recall information can also be found on Baby Trend's Web site at: www.babytrend.com/recall2.
ON THE WEB:
♦ Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association: A national trade organization representing 95 percent of the industry:
www.jpma.org.
♦ The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: An independent federal regulatory agency with jurisdiction over 15,000 consumer products: www.cpsc.gov.
♦ National Safe Kids Campaign: A national organization dedicated to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury: www.safekids.org.
♦ Kids in Danger.org: A nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children by improving product safety. From their website: "KID was founded in 1998 by the parents of sixteen-month-old Danny Keysar who died when a [recalled] portable crib collapsed around his neck." www.kidsindanger.org