Kolcraft Enterprises of Chicago, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is recalling 754,000 infant car seats/carriers for repair. When used as carriers, the items’ handles can move unexpectedly, causing infants to fall.

There have been more than 3,000 reports of handle-related problems resulting in 42 injuries, including skull fracture, cuts, scrapes and bruises. Some children were restrained in the carrier.

The recall includes Kolcraft infant car seats/carriers with the following model names: Infant Rider, Secura, Travel-About, Plus 4, Plus 5, Kolcraft Infant Restraint, Kolcraft Infant Car Seat and Playskool Infant Car Seat, manufactured from Jan. 1, 1993, through June 30, 1999. Some car seats/carriers also were sold with strollers.

The recall affects 50 model/style numbers, which can be found on a label on the side of the seat. If the first digits of the model/style numbers match the numbers in the following list, it is recalled: 1312X, 1382X, 1383X, 1384X, 1385X, 368XX, 43XXX and 7700X.

Juvenile product, mass merchandise and major discount stores nationwide sold the car seats/carriers beginning in January 1993 for $30 to $60, or $100 to $150 with strollers.

Kolcraft will provide a free repair kit to make the handle more secure. Consumers should not carry the seat by the handle until it has been repaired but can use the product as a car seat or with the stroller. The companies remind parents and caregivers to restrain infants in the car seat/carrier according to instructions.

To receive a free repair kit or for more information, call Kolcraft at (877) 776-2609. Seats manufactured since July 1, 1999, have newly designed handle mechanisms and are not recalled, nor is the Kolcraft Rock N Ride.

Burger King Corp., in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling 25 million Pokémon balls included with Burger King kids’ meals because they can cause young children to suffocate.

Pokémon balls are the plastic containers that hold Pokémon toys in Burger King kids’ meals. Either half of the ball can become stuck on a child’s face, covering the nose and mouth.

A 13-month-old girl reportedly suffocated when half of a Pokémon ball covered her nose and mouth. An 18-month-old girl also reportedly had a container stuck over her face, causing her distress until her father removed it.

The plastic ball-shaped containers are between 2¾ and 3 inches in diameter, and pull apart to reveal one of 57 Pokémon toys. Burger King restaurants nationwide distributed the Pokémon balls inside Burger King Kids Club Meals and regular kids’ meals from early November through December 1999.

Consumers should take the balls away from children younger than age 3. Discard the ball or return both halves to a Burger King restaurant for a free small order of french fries. Consumers may continue to use the Pokémon toy that came inside the ball.

JumpSport Inc., of Saratoga, Calif., is recalling 2,300 trampoline safety net enclosures because the straps on the bottom of the net can break, causing children to fall.

JumpSport has received two reports of children falling off trampolines when straps broke, but no injuries have been reported.

The safety net enclosures, sold separately, are attached to trampolines that measure 10 to 14 feet in diameter. The net enclosure extends 6 feet above the trampoline, caging the jumpers. The safety enclosures are made of black netting, with yellow straps woven through the top of the net (with JumpSport printed in red) and red straps woven through the bottom of the net. The recalled nets have black buckles and black or red extension straps on the yellow straps.

Costco, BJ’s, Academy and Bradlees stores nationwide sold the safety nets from February to July 1999 for $150 to $230. Other JumpSport trampoline safety net enclosures are not recalled.

Consumers should stop using the safety nets and contact JumpSport at (888) 567-5867 for free replacement straps.

Safari Ltd., of Miami, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling 21,000 magnet games because paint on metal figures contains more lead than allowed by federal standards. Prolonged exposure to high lead levels can poison young children.

No injuries have been reported.

The games have a magnetic black round base, measuring 2.5 inches in diameter, with about 60 small, multicolored metal figures in the shape of butterflies, frogs or fish. Each unit is packaged in a triangle-shaped box and reads: Magnetic Butterfly Rainbow-Item 6652-16, Magnetic Frog Fantasy - Item 6653-16, and Magnetic Coral Reef Collage - Item 6654-16.

Small toy and gift stores nationwide sold the magnets from January through November 1999 for about $6.

Consumers should remove the metal figures from the magnetic base and discard them. For replacement metal figures, call Safari Ltd. at (800) 615-3111.

Kelty, of Boulder, Colo., in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling 26,000 Kelty K.I.D.S. backpack child carriers because the seat height adjustment strap can slip out of the buckle, causing a child to slide downward in the seat and fall out of the carrier.

Kelty has received two reports of children slipping inside the carriers after the height adjustment strap came loose. Neither child fell out.

The six recalled models are Expedition, Trek, Explorer, Country, Elite and Town, with the model name on the side of the carrier. The carriers are blue and have the Kelty K.I.D.S. logo on the backrest of the seat. Kelty also manufactured a carrier that L.L. Bean sold under its L.L. KIDS label. It has the Kelty logo on the black frame hinge that connects the kickstand to the main frame.

Specialty and sporting good retailers, including L.L. Bean, REI and Eastern Mountain Sports, sold the backpack carriers nationwide from March through December 1999 for $100 to $250.

Consumers should stop using the backpack carriers and contact Kelty for a free repair kit at (800) 423-2320 or www.kelty.com.

Kelty and L.L. KIDS carriers purchased before March 1999 are not included in this recall.

Käthe Kruse Doll Co., of Troy, N.Y., in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling 2,400 Selecta wooden toys because children can choke on small balls included with the toys.

No injuries have been reported.

Recalled toys include the Quatrino wooden shape sorter, Sorting Box shape sorter, Favola shape sorter and Kugelbahn ball chute.

The Quatrino has eight sides and shapes cut out of the top for inserting wooden-shaped pieces, including two small balls. The Sorting Box has four sides and shapes cut out of the top for inserting wooden-shaped pieces, including two small balls.

The Favola resembles a medieval castle with four sides and four cylindrical turrets. Wooden pieces, including two small balls, can be inserted into shape cutouts. The Kugelbahn has four chutes attached to each other in an angled position to allow two small balls to descend and sound bells attached to the chutes. It also has a wooden painted clown attached to the top chute.

Toy stores and Web sites sold the toys from January 1997 through November 1999 for $30 to $80.

Consumers should take these toys away from young children and return the items to the store where purchased for a refund. If toys were purchased through a Web site, visit the site to arrange for a refund. For more information, call Käthe Kruse Doll Co. at (800) 932-7141.

Gap Inc., of San Francisco, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling 231,000 children’s pajamas sold at Gap and Old Navy stores because they do not meet flammability standards.

No injuries have been reported.

The six styles of pajamas are made with 100 percent polyester and have the following style numbers on labels sewn into the side seams or collars of the garments: 353558, 353554, 733002, 733032, 466291 and 674060.

Pajama 353558 is a two-piece, front-button flannel set with long sleeves and long pants, in yellow with a penguin print or in navy blue with a bear print (sizes 2 through 14).

Pajama 353554 is a two-piece, front-button fleece item with long sleeves and long pants, in white, blue and pink with a snowflake print (sizes 2 through 14).

Pajama 733002 is a one-piece fleece item, footed, with zipper-front style and long sleeves, in blue with a white snowflake print (in infant and toddler sizes XS through 4XL).

Pajama 733032 is a one-piece fleece, footed, zipper-front style with long sleeves, in black and white pony print and a cheetah print (in infant and toddler sizes XS through 4XL).

Pajama 466291 is a one-piece fleece, footed, zipper-front style with long sleeves, in navy with a white star print (in infant and toddler sizes XS through 3XL).

Pajama 674060 is a two-piece garment with a front-button top with long sleeves and long pants, in lavender or blue (in infant sizes 6 to12 months through toddler sizes 2T to 3T).

GapKids, babyGap, Gap Outlet and Old Navy stores nationwide sold the pajamas from August through December 1999 for $20 to $39.

Parents and caregivers should not allow children to wear these pajamas and should return them to any Gap or Old Navy location for a refund and a $10 gift certificate. For more information, call Gap Inc. at (800) GAPSTYLE or (800) OLD NAVY, or visit the Web site at gapinc.com/performance/news_releases/dec2_99_other.htm.

Southern Exchange Co. Inc. (Texsport), of Houston, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), is recalling 146,000 mess kits used for cooking over an open fire. The kit’s sauce pan handle does not lock into place and the kit’s fry pan handle can bend during use, spilling hot foods or liquids onto campers.

CPSC and Texsport received a report of a 10-year-old boy who received second-degree burns to his ankle when boiling water spilled from the sauce pan he was using.

The five-piece mess kit was sold under the Texsport label. It includes a 5-inch aluminum sauce pan and cover, a 6.5-inch aluminum plate, a 7-inch aluminum fry pan and a 4-ounce blue plastic cup.

Camping, mass merchandise and army surplus stores nationwide and in Puerto Rico sold the mess kits from May 1994 through September 1999 for about $3.

Consumers should stop using the mess kits and return them to the store where purchased for a refund or replacement. For more information, call Texsport at (800) 231-1402 or visit www.texsport.com.

Northern Bedroom’s Inc., of Oxford, Maine, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), is recalling 2,800 wooden bunk beds because the top bunk does not have guardrails on both sides, and a child could fall or become trapped between the wall and the mattress.

No injuries involving these beds have been reported, but since 1990, CPSC has received reports of seven children who died after becoming trapped between the bed and the wall in upper bunks of other bunk beds without guardrails.

The American Society for Testing and Materials voluntary standard requires that bunk beds have guardrails on both sides of the top bunk. A new CPSC mandatory standard will go into effect in July.

The recalled wooden bunk beds are made of northern white ash and have natural, cherry, honey or golden finishes. They were sold under the model names Prestige, Spindle and Cottage at furniture and specialty bedroom stores throughout the New England states from May 1995 through February 1998. There is no identifying information on the beds, which cost $300 to $550.

Consumers should stop using the beds and call the company at (888) 800-7708 to receive free guardrails for the top bunk.

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