Health Alerts - January 2002

HandsOnToys Inc., of Wilmington, Mass., is recalling 100,000 rattles because they can break, and the noisemaker piece inside the handle can pose a choking hazard.

Eleven cases of rattles breaking have been reported to HandsOnToys, including a 9-month-old whose mother performed the Heimlich maneuver to remove the plastic noisemaker lodged in the baby’s throat.

The Wiggly Giggler rattles can be shaken, stacked and rolled. They have a 3-inch tube with mushroom caps on each end and a noisemaker inside. They were sold in three color combinations (green with purple caps, orange with pink caps and purple with orange caps) in specialty toy stores nationwide from May 2000 to September 2001 for $2 to $3.

Stop using these toys and contact HandsOnToys at (888) 442-6376 for a replacement.

Rattles with “3” imprinted on the base of the mushroom cap and in the center of the four sound holes are not being recalled.

Polaris Industries Inc., of Medina, Minn., is recalling 12,000 all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) because the screws in the manual transmission can loosen. This could cause the rear wheels to lock and the driver to lose control and crash.

Seven cases of screws loosening have been reported to Polaris Industries. Three incidents resulted in multiple broken bones, internal injuries and scrapes.

The ATVs being recalled are the 2000, 2001 and 2002 models of “Xpedition 425” with five-speed manual transmissions. They are red or tan metallic.

Polaris dealers sold these ATVs nationwide from February 1999 to October 2001 for $6,300.

To have an ATV repaired, contact a Polaris dealer at (800) 765-2747 or www.polarisindustries.com.

JA-RU Inc., of Jacksonville, Fla., is recalling 43,000 Blast Balls toys because the balls can ignite when struck together, posing the risk of a burn.

The directions instruct consumers to strike one ball against the other in their hands to create a cracking sound like a cap gun, which could be hazardous.

Six cases of injuries, including minor burns to hands and fingers, have been reported to JA-RU.

The toys are in a package labeled “Super Bang...Blast Balls” for ages 8 and up. They were sold in a pack of two in a variety of colors at convenience and novelty stores from June to October 2001 for $2.

Stop using these toys and contact JA-RU at (800) 231-3470 for a refund.

KB Gear is recalling 49,000 computer mouse sets for children because the mouse ball can separate from the mouse and pose a choking hazard.

One case of a 2-year-old whose parents found the loose ball in her mouth was reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The Cozy Coupe Computer Mouse is shaped like a toy car that is red with a yellow roof and has a license plate sticker that reads “Cool Car.” The computer mouse set also included two software packages called “Junior Net” and “Jump*Start Preschool.”

The computer mouse sets were sold nationwide by Internet retailers and toy, electronic and discount stores from September 1999 to August 2001 for $5 to $20.

Stop using the computer mouse and contact Little Tikes at (800) 321-0183 or www.littletikes.com for instructions on returning the retaining ring from the bottom of the mouse in exchange for a $10 coupon.

Manley Toy Direct, of Indianola, Iowa, is recalling 15,800 Zapper toys because the balloon tongues and cylinders holding the tongues can detach and pose a choking hazard.

One case of a 3-year-old who inhaled a balloon tongue that detached from a Zapper toy into his sinus cavity and required medical treatment was reported to the Promotional Resource Group of Companies Inc., of Topeka, Kan. The company recalled 105,000 Bug Zapper toys in June 2000. Also, eight firms recalled more than 800,000 Zapper toys in March 2001.

The Zapper toys are vinyl, 2 to 3 inches long and are shaped like various animals such as frogs, dinosaurs and snakes. The balloon tongue inflates and rolls out when the toy is squeezed.

The Zapper toys were sold in arcades, amusement parks and carnivals from January 2000 to August 2001 for $1.

Stop using these toys and return them to the place of purchase for a refund. For more information, contact Manley Toy Direct at (800) 767-9998 or www.manleytoy.com.

Stride Rite Children’s Group Inc., of Lexington, Mass., is recalling 109,000 pairs of Munchkin T-Strap girls’ shoes because the buckle can break and pose a choking hazard.

Four cases of the buckle breaking, including a child who put a broken buckle piece in her mouth and started to choke, were reported to Stride Rite Children’s Group.

The Munchkin T-Strap girls’ shoes were sold in children’s sizes 4 to 12. They have a strap that fastens with a metal buckle on the side of the shoe. Molded on the bottom of the shoe is the word “MUNCHKIN.” The recalled shoes have the following style numbers written inside the shoe: 3182011 (brown suede), 3182029 (black leather), 3182037 (red leather), 3182045 (navy leather), 3182052 (white leather) and 3182094 (black patent).

These shoes were sold nationwide in shoe, department and Stride Rite Outlet stores from January to September 2001 for $25.

Return shoes to the place of purchase for a refund or replacement. For more information, contact Stride Rite at (800) 650-7708 or www.strideritecorp.com.

Aqua-Leisure Industries Inc., of Avon, Mass., is recalling 90,000 “SunSmart” baby floats because the leg holes in the seat of the float can tear, causing children to fall and possibly drown.

Twelve cases of float seats tearing and causing children to fall in the water were reported to Aqua-Leisure. Four children were submerged in water, but no injuries were reported.

The recalled floats were sold in a package labeled “SunSmart” Baby Adjustable Sunshade Boats. They are blue and white vinyl, circular tubes with a seat in the middle and a detachable sunshade. The floats are intended for children ages 6 to 18 months. Pictures of purple crabs and colored fish appear on top of the float.

The baby floats were sold nationwide in juvenile products, specialty and discount departments stores, including Target, K-Mart, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Baby Central, from August 2000 to September 2001 for $10 to $13.

Stop using these floats and contact Aqua-Leisure at (866) 807-3998 or www.aqualeisure.com for a replacement.

Raleigh America Inc., of Kent, Wash., is recalling 500 bicycles because the bottom bracket spindle can break and cause the rider to lose control and crash.

Five incidents of spindles breaking have been reported to Raleigh America, but no injuries have been reported.

The bicycles being recalled are the 2001 Diamondback XSL-Race model (white with red and black decals) and XSL-Pro Mountain model (yellow with white decals). Diamondback dealers sold these bicycles nationwide from January to August 2001 for $1,900.

Stop riding these bicycles and call a Diamondback dealer at (800) 222-5527 for a repair.

Performance Inc., of Chapel Hill, N.C., is recalling 1,150 wheel rims from Performance Road bicycles because they can crack and cause the rider to lose control or fall.

Two cases of rims failing but no injuries have been reported to Performance.

The recalled rims are from the front and rear wheels of the 2001 model bicycles (model R-101), Performance Forte/Forte SL rims and Performance Forte SL road wheels. These silver or black rims were sold in Performance stores and on the firm’s Web site from February to October 2001.

Stop using these bicycles and return the wheels to a Performance store for free rim replacements. For more information, call Performance at (800) 553-8324.

Profile-Design LLC, of Long Beach, Calif., is recalling 8,400 aero bars, which are handlebar extensions used on racing bicycles. The brackets that attach the aero bars’ forearm pads can separate and cause the rider to lose control and crash.

These aero bars either mount on the existing handlebar or are sold as complete handlebar and stem systems. They allow riders to ride in an aerodynamic crouching position.

Profile-Design received one report of a bracket on an aero bar loosening, resulting in a rider crashing and suffering a broken rib and scrapes.

The recall includes “Carbon X” and “Carbon Stryke” aero bars, which are both black. The Carbon X aero bar is a complete handlebar and stem system, while the Carbon Stryke aero bar attaches to existing handlebars.

The recalled aero bars were sold nationwide at independent bicycle stores. The Carbon X aero bars were sold from August 1999 to November 2001 for $350, and the Carbon Stryke aero bars were sold from May 1999 to November 2001 for $140.

Stop using these recalled aero bars and contact Profile-Design for replacement brackets at (888) 800-5999 or www.profile-design.com.

BikeE Corp., of Corvallis, Ore., is recalling 700 recumbent tandem bicycles because the steerer tube on the front forks can separate and cause riders to lose control or fall.

Three cases of steerer tubes separating but no injuries have been reported to BikeE Corp.

The recalled bicycles were manufactured in 2000 and 2001, have two handlebars and two seats, and feature the name BikeE on the main frame. They have the following serial numbers on the bottom of the frame: BX000000X or T00000, with X representing a letter and 0 representing a number.

Bikes were sold at BikeE dealers from March 2000 to October 2001 for $2,200.

Return bikes to a BikeE dealer for a free fork replacement. For more information, call BikeE at (800) 231-3136 or visit www.bikee.com.

Pacific Cycles LLC, of Madison, Wis., is recalling 2,500 Ally Cat tandem bicycle accessories because the hitch connecting the accessory to the bicycle can fail and be hazardous to riders.

One case of the tandem bicycle accessory failing, resulting in scrapes to a rider, has been reported to Pacific Cycles.

The Ally Cat tandem bicycle accessory contains a wheel, seat, pedals and handlebars that attach to a bicycle. The recalled accessories have the following model numbers on the top tube: AC 100, AC 200 or AC 300. Ally Cat bicycles accessories with nylon or plastic sleeves on the hitch are not included in this recall.

Bicycle accessories were sold nationwide in bicycle stores, L.L. Bean Inc. catalogs and retail stores, including Wal-Mart, from March 2000 to July 2001 for about $100.

For a free replacement hitch, call Pacific Cycles at (800) 626-2811. L.L. Bean Inc. will contact its purchasers to provide replacement parts.