Health Alerts - March 2005

Jumpking Inc., of Mesquite, Texas, is recalling one million trampolines and 296,000 FunRing enclosures because welds on the frame of the trampolines can break during use, and the mounting brackets of the enclosures have sharp edges.

Jumpking has received 47 reports of welds breaking, resulting in 21 injuries.

The recall includes 14-foot and 15-foot Jumpking trampolines and FunRing enclosures.

The trampolines and enclosures were sold at discount, department and toy stores nationwide from July 1999 through December 2003 for $350 to $450.

Consumers should stop using the trampolines and contact Jumpking at (866)302-8669 to receive a free repair kit.

Kids Station Inc. of Miami is recalling 10,500 Fun Years Music Big Drum musical sets because small parts can break off during use, posing a choking hazard to young children.

The recalled music set includes a yellow and green drum that doubles as a storage and carrying case for additional instruments. The music sets were sold at Toys “R” Us stores from August to December 2004.

Consumers should return the recalled drum sets to Toys “R” Us for a refund.

Pottery Barn Kids of San Francisco is recalling 92,000 chamois blankets because the decorative stitching on the blanket's edge can come loose, posing a strangulation hazard to young children.

Four incidents of the stitching coming loose have been reported, but no injuries have resulted.

The recalled blankets are 100% polyester and were sold in yellow, pink,blue and green. They were sold in Pottery Barn Kids' stores nationwide,through the Pottery Barn catalog and potterybarnkids.comfrom December 2002 through December 2004 for $30.

Consumers can remove the decorative stitching or contact Pottery Barn Kids at (877) 800-9720 for information on how to receive a replacement or refund.

Riviera Trading Inc. of New York is recalling 7,100 metallic costume bracelets because they contain high levels of lead.

The bracelets have heart, oval and rectangular charms with the phrases“I like sports,” “I like movies,” “I like shopping” or “I like music” printed on them.

The bracelets were sold for $6 at Belk, Bloomingdales, Carson Pirie Scott,Kohl's, Parisians and Proffitts department stores nationwide from October 2003 through November 2004.

Consumers should take these bracelets away from young children and contact the company at (800) 524-0110 or visit www.rivieratrading.com.

Leiner Health Products, of Carson, Calif., is recalling 13,000 containers of Long's Central-Vite Multivitamins because the bottles do not have child-resistant packaging. The vitamins contain iron, which can cause serious injury or death if ingested by children.

The recalled multivitamins were sold in a container of 500 tablets at Long's retail stores nationwide from March through December 2004 for $16.

Consumers should keep this product out of reach of children and return the product to a Long's retail store for a refund or replacement.

For more information, call Leiner Health Products at (800) 421-1168 or visit www.leiner.com.

Once Upon a Family, of Irvine, Calif., is recalling 1,600 memory trunks because the lid can fall on a child who is looking or reaching inside,entrapping the child at the neck and posing a risk of strangulation. Also, the lid can close and self-fasten, entrapping the child inside the trunk, which poses a suffocation hazard.

The trunks are intended to be used as storage boxes for childhood mementos.

One report has been received in which a trunk lid fell on a 2-year-old boy,but the child was not injured.

The yellow and tan memory trunks are made of fiber board and are decorated with photos of family activities and various phrases, such as “A Childhood Cherished,” “A Place in Time” and “Mementos and Memories.”

Trunks were sold by sales consultants at home events nationwide from November 2002 through October 2004 for $100.

Consumers should keep the memory trunks out of reach of children and should contact the firm to receive a free repair kit. The repair kit includes a warning sticker and a padlock to lock the trunk. Consumers also can request a free replacement lid that is not attached by hinges, which eliminates the risks of entrapment and strangulation.

For more information, call Once Upon a Family at (800) 377-6823 or visit www.onceuponafamily.net.

Dubbster and H & M, of New York, are recalling 470 girls' cardigan sweaters because the faux fur trim on the sweaters is flammable.

The recalled sweaters are black with a black faux fur trim around the wrists, neck and down the front center of the sweater. The sweaters were sold in girls' sizes 7Y through 14Y and are made of 100% acrylic.“Dubbster” and “0101255” is printed on the inside neck label of the sweaters.

The sweaters were sold at H & M stores in the northeastern United States from November through December 2004 for $20.

Consumers should return the recalled sweaters to any H & M location to receive a refund. For more information, call H & M at (877) 439-6261 or visit www.hm.com.

Flow International Inc. of San Francisco is recalling 6,000 2004 Flow MK series snowboard bindings because the pin used to secure the rear snap-lock lever to the bindings can bend or break.

The company has received 40 reports of pins bending or breaking. No injuries have been reported.

The recall includes model numbers MK03, MK04, MK05 and MK110.

The snowboard bindings were sold at snowboard shops nationwide, including Gart Sports/TSA and REI from July through December 2004 for $150 to $170.

Consumers should stop using the bindings and return them to a Flow dealer to receive a free replacement axle pin used to secure the rear snap-lock lever. Consumers also can contact Flow at (800) 691-7611 or visit www.flow.comto receive a repair kit and instructions.

Target Corp., of Minneapolis, is recalling 1.2 million Mossimo beaded sandals because the sole can become slippery, causing the consumer to fall.

Target has received 15 reports of incidents involving falls. Nine injuries have been reported, including injuries to the back, head and wrist, broken bones and bruising.

Target stores nationwide sold the Mossimo thong sandals from January through August 2004 for $10. The sandals have beads and shells sewn onto the straps.

They came in beige or brown suede in sizes ranging from 5 to 10.

Consumers should return sandals to Target for a gift card in the amount of a refund. For more information, call Target at (800) 821-8684 or visit www.target.com.

Orbelle Trade Inc., of Brooklyn, is recalling 7,700 cribs because there is a gap between the side rail and the mattress support, posing an entrapment hazard to infants.

No incidents have been reported.

The recalled cribs are the Daniella, Leeat, Noa, Naomi, Gabriella, Amber and Series 300 models. The model name may be printed on the lower part of the headboard.

The cribs are wood and come in a variety of painted and stained finishes,including natural, cherry, blond or white wood. Some have built-in storage drawers.

The cribs were sold at juvenile furniture stores in New York and New Jersey from January 2003 through August 2004 for $135 to $335.

Consumers who own the Amber model crib should contact the firm at (800)605-8018 to schedule an in-home repair or request a replacement crib. For all other model cribs, contact the firm to receive new assembly instructions and warning labels.

First Team Inc., of Hutchinson, Kan., is recalling 7,600 First Team Attack,Force and Titan basketball hoops because the bolt attaching the arm to the vertical post can break, causing the backboard to fall and injure someone standing below it.

First Team has received one report of a backboard falling. No injuries have been reported.

The hoops have a spring-loaded E-Z Crank adjustable backboard that goes from 6-feet, 6-inches to 10-feet tall. The heavy-duty basketball hoops often are professionally installed.

The basketball hoops have been sold through the Internet, distributors and independent retailers from January 1996 through August 2004 for $1,000 to$1,800.

Consumers should stop using the basketball hoops and contact First Team Customer Service at (800) 649-3688 to receive a free repair kit.

AA Importer Inc., of Los Angeles, is recalling 5,200 Push Along Frog,Animal Organ and Rock & Roll Kids Guitars because the toys can easily break apart, exposing small parts that pose a choking hazard to young children.

No incidents have been reported.

The Push Along Frog toy has a green plastic frog attached to a red plastic handle. The Animal Organ comes in four different styles; the style number begins with 666. The electronic guitars have various colored buttons.

The toys were sold at swap meets and flea markets in the Los Angeles area from July 2003 through October 2004 for about $3.

Consumers should take the recalled toys away from young children. Call the firm at (866) 879-4667 for information on returning the toys to the importer for a refund and postage reimbursement.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to use unapproved home-use diagnostic test kits marketed on the Internet by Globus Media of Montreal, Canada.

The use of these products could give false results that could lead to significant adverse health effects.

The illegal kits include: Rapid HIV Test Kit, Rapid Syphilis Test Kit, One Step Cassette Style Cocaine Test, One Step Cassette Style Marijuana (THC)Test, One Step Cassette Style Amphetamine Test, Rapid Dengue Fever Test, One Step Midstream Style HCG Urine (Home) and Pregnancy Test.

FDA has not approved or evaluated the performance of any of Globus Media's products. In fact, no home-use test kits intended for diagnosing HIV, syphilis and dengue fever are approved for sale in the United States.

Consumers who have used one of these test kits are being advised to be retested using valid test methods. For more information, contact the FDA at(866) 463-6332.