Infant car seats
Century Products, of Macedonia, Ohio, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling 4 million infant car seats/carriers because the handle may break when used as a carrier.
Century has received more than 2,700 reports of handle-related problems and more than 200 reports of injuries, including concussions, skull fractures, cuts, broken bones, bruises and scratches.
Century rear-facing infant car seats/carriers with one-piece handles manufactured from January 1991 through July 1997 are being recalled. Juvenile product, mass merchandise and major discount stores nationwide sold the car seats/carriers individually for $40 and with a stroller for $130.
To receive a replacement handle, call Century at (800) 865-1419 or visit www.centuryproducts.com.
Toy xylophones
Dolgencorp Inc., of Goodlettsville, Tenn., in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling 113,000 toy xylophones because the mallet may get lodged in children’s throats, posing a choking hazard.
No injuries have been reported.
The toy xylophone has a green handle and red, yellow, green and blue bars. The xylophone comes with a red mallet with two round balls at both ends. Dollar General stores nationwide sold the toys from July 1998 through October 2000 for $3.
Return the toy to a Dollar General store for a refund. For more information, call Dollar General at (800) 678-9258.
Hockey face guards
I-Tech Sport Products Inc., of Montreal, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling 1,000 hockey face guards because they can dislodge from the helmet, leaving the player’s face exposed.
There has been one report of a dislodged face guard but no reports of injuries.
Sporting good stores nationwide sold the face guards, model number FX.50, from July through August 2000 for $100.
Return face guards to the store where purchased or call I-Tech at (800) 361-5595 for a free replacement.
Crib mobiles
The Betesh Group, of New York City, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling 47,000 John Lennon crib mobiles because the screws connecting the mobile’s arm assembly to the crib clamp can loosen when overtightened, resulting in detached arms.
There are seven reports of infants being bumped or scratched after mobiles fell on them.
The mobiles hang from white wooden dowels and play the song “Imagine.” Department and specialty stores sold the mobiles from June 1999 through August 2000 for $39.
For a free replacement mobile or for more information, call The Betesh Group at (877) 810-4264.
Bicycle forks
RockShox Inc., of Colorado Springs, Colo., in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling 220,000 front suspension bicycle forks because the compression rods can break, causing riders to lose control of the bike.
There are two reports of injuries, which resulted in a concussion, sprained wrist, scrapes and bruises. RockShox also has received 23 reports of broken compression rods. The 2001 models of Judy TT, Judy TT Special, Jett and Metro are recalled. The serial numbers begin with “01.” Forks were sold individually and with bicycles from July through October 2000. Bicycles with forks sold for $399 to $1,300, and individual forks sold for $89 to $149.
Return forks to the dealer where purchased for an inspection and, if needed, repair. For more information, call RockShox at (866) 888-6192 or visit its Web site at www.rockshox.com/nonflash/recall/rockshox_recall_information.htm.
Bunk beds
Pottery Barn Kids Inc., of San Francisco, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling 200 Stinson Bunk Beds because the side rails and guardrails can break, causing the beds to collapse.
Two 3-year-old girls suffered minor scrapes and bruises in separate instances of beds collapsing.
Stinson bunk beds are made of pine and come in white or honey. Recalled bunk beds have model number 3443082 or 344090. The beds were sold through Pottery Barn Furniture Outlets in Leesburg, Va.; Memphis, Tenn.; Dawsonville, Ga.; Jeffersonville, Ohio, and the Pottery Barn Kids catalog from September 1999 to July 2000 for $1,100.
Pottery Barn Kids will refund the purchase price, including shipping, and provide a $200 gift certificate. To schedule a home pick-up or for more information, call Pottery Barn Kids at (800) 671-8312.
Baby hammocks
Hamacas, of Yelm, Wash., in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling 53 baby hammocks because they lack the spreader bars that hold mini-hammock beds open, which could result in strangulation or suffocation.
No injuries have been reported.
The 6-foot mini-hammocks are woven from thin cotton strings and have a nylon end string. The $20 hammocks, model number HA005, were sold from January through April 2000.
For a free replacement adult hammock, e-mail [email protected]/recall or call Hamacas at (360) 493-6600.
SIDS kits available
African-American infants are twice as likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than Caucasian infants, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
To reduce the number of SIDS-related infant deaths in the African-American community, a resource kit has been created by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the National Black Child Development Institute. The kit includes fact sheets, brochures and magnets.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends putting infants younger than age 1 year to sleep on their backs to reduce the incidence of SIDS. Since the Back to Sleep Campaign began in 1994, the annual number of SIDS deaths has dropped from more than 5,000 to less than 3,000. African-Americans, however, are more likely than Caucasians to place infants to sleep on their stomachs, contributing to the high mortality rate related to SIDS.
To receive the Resource Kit for Reducing the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in African-American Communities, call (800) 505-2742 or visit www.nichd.nih.gov.
Children’s sleepwear
Ill-fitting sleepwear can result in burns if caught on fire. To reduce the number of injuries, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is working with the apparel industry to enforce the following new sleepwear guidelines:
• Infant sleepwear for children younger than age 9 months can be made from flame-resistant or nonflame-resistant fabrics.
• Sleepwear in infants’ size 9 months to children’s size 14 can be either flame resistant or snug fitting. Flame-resistant sleepwear must self-extinguish, while snug-fitting sleepwear is made from nonflame-resistant, natural fibers.
• Snug-fitting sleepwear manufactured or imported after June 28, 2000 must have the following warning statement in the neck label: “Wear snug-fitting. Not flame resistant.”
• A yellow tag or label on the package should have the following warning: “For child’s safety, garment should fit snugly. This garment is not flame resistant. Loose-fitting garment is more likely to catch fire.”
For more information, contact CPSC at (800) 638-2772. Consumers also can call the American Apparel & Footwear Association at (800) 520-2262 or visit its Web site at www.apparelandfootwear.org.
Prevent CO poisoning
Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning associated with fuel-burning appliances kills more than 200 people each year and sends more than 10,000 people to hospital emergency departments for treatment, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Symptoms of CO poisoning include headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness.
CO poisoning can be avoided by annual professional inspection for leakage and blockage of chimneys, flues and vents. All fuel-burning appliances, including furnaces, stoves and clothes dryers, also should be checked. Professionals should make sure that all vents to furnaces, water heaters, boilers and other fuel-burning appliances are not loose or disconnected. Without proper installation and maintenance, these appliances produce CO.
Professionals should inspect for ventilation, which is necessary for pollutants to be carried up the chimney, stovepipe or flue.
The CPSC recommends that each home have at least one CO alarm that meets the recent requirement of the Underwriters Laboratories 2034 or International Approval Service 6-96 standard.
The CPSC also urges consumers to have their vent pipes inspected. In 1998, the furnace and boiler industry, in cooperation with CPSC, recalled 250,000 high-temperature plastic vents (HTPV) because they can crack or separate at the joints and leak CO.
Recalled vent pipes are plastic and either gray or black. For furnaces, all HTPV systems that go through the side walls of structures are subject to recall. For boilers, all HTPV systems are being recalled. “Plexvent,” “Plexvent II” or “Ultravent” is stamped on the vent pipe or printed on the stickers on pieces that join vent pipes.
Consumers can receive new, professionally installed venting systems free of charge. Those who have replaced their HTPV pipe systems may be eligible for reimbursement. For more information, call (800) 758-3688.