Health Alerts - September 2005

Three companies are recalling child safety seats:

The Dorel Juvenile Group Inc. is recalling 190,000 Eddie Bauer, Safety 1st and Cosco brand rear-facing infant child safety seats because the harness can loosen after the child has been buckled in, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Recalled models include:

• Eddie Bauer: 22-625 AFD GB1B, 22-625 GLC GB1B, 22-625 EDG GB1B and 22-625 MAC GB1B

• Safety 1st: 22-325 CMB GB1B, 22-325 VIN GB1B, 22-325 DTA GB1B and 22-325 TST GB1B

• Cosco 22-300 JOS GB1B

Only seats manufactured between Aug. 19, 2003, and Oct. 20, 2004, are affected.

Dorel will mail a repair kit and instructions to owners who returned their registration cards. Owners who have not registered their product should call(800) 881-0570 or e-mail Dorel at [email protected].

Parents should continue to use the seat while waiting to receive and install the repair kit but should make sure the seat is properly adjusted while in use.

Britax Child Safety Seat Inc. is recalling Super Elite child safety seats because the harness adjuster tab may stick in the open position, allowing the harness to loosen. A loose harness increases the risk of serious injury in a crash.

The recall includes seats with model number E9031 made from April 2001 to August 2002.

Registered owners will be sent a repair kit with instructions. Owners who do not receive a kit or who need more information should contact Britax at(800) 683-2045 or www.britaxusa.com.

Combi USA Inc. is recalling Avatar model 8100 child safety seats because the lower attachment straps that fasten to permanent anchors in a vehicle's back seat (the LATCH system) fail to meet federal requirements. If the child seat is attached using the straps and a crash occurs, the attachment straps could detach from the vehicle's lower anchors, possibly resulting in a serious or fatal injury to the child.

The recall involves the entire production of this model from November 2003 through May 2004.

Registered owners of these child safety seats will receive a repair kit with instructions. Owners who do not receive the kit and those not registered should request the kit by calling (800) 992-6624 or visiting www.combi-intl.com.

Until the latch belt assembly is replaced, Combi USA advises owners to use the seat only with the vehicle's safety belts and not with the LATCH system.

Three firms are recalling children's folding chairs because the safety lock can fail, allowing the chair to collapse or fold unexpectedly. Children's fingers can become caught in the hinge and slot areas, posing the risk of severe lacerations and finger tip amputations.

Idea Nuova Inc., of New York, is recalling 1.1 million chairs made of metal tubing with a vinyl padded seat and seat back.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Idea Nuova are aware of three incidents involving injuries to children.

The recalled chairs came in various designs and were sold as part of a set consisting of a table and two chairs at discount department and toy stores nationwide from September 2004 through June 2005 for $15 to $25 per set.

Consumers should stop using these chairs immediately and contact Idea Nuova at (866) 772-1666 or e-mail [email protected]for instructions on how to receive a free repair kit to replace the locking pin.

Fourstar Group Inc., of Hopkinton, Mass., is recalling 522,000 kids'folding chairs.

CPSC and Fourstar Group are aware of three incidents involving injuries to children.

The recalled chairs were sold individually or as part of a set consisting of a table and two chairs at discount and grocery stores nationwide from July 2003 through July 2005 for $5 individually or $25 for a set.

Consumers should stop using the chairs immediately and contact Fourstar at(866) 290-6191 or www.fsgrecall.comfor instructions on how to receive a free repair kit to replace the locking pin.

Meco Corp., of Greeneville, Tenn., is recalling 175,000 folding chairs made of metal tubing with a vinyl padded seat and seat back..

CPSC and Meco are aware of two incidents involving injuries to children.

The recalled children's folding chairs have safety locks under the seat. They were sold in red, blue, yellow and green as a part of a set consisting of a table and four chairs. Furniture and wholesale club stores nationwide sold the sets from July 2003 through May 2005 for $25 to $40.

In 2004, Meco recalled red children's folding chairs because paint on the chair contained excessive lead levels, posing a lead poisoning hazard to young children.

Consumers should stop using the chairs immediately and contact Meco at(800) 251-7558, e-mail [email protected]or visit www.meco.netfor instructions on receiving a refund.

Radio Flyer Inc. of Chicago is recalling 38,000 Classic Walker Wagons because the tips of the clickers, which make a clicking sound when the wheels move, can break off, posing a choking or aspiration hazard to young children.

The recalled wooden Walker Wagon has a push handle and removable wooden stake sides. It is intended for children 1 to 4 years old. Walker Wagons with clear plastic clickers are not included in this recall.

The items were sold at toy, department and discount stores, in catalogs,and by Web retailers from August 2003 through May 2005 for $80.

Consumers should take the recalled Walker Wagons away from young children. For free replacement clickers, contact Radio Flyer at (800) 621-7613, www.radioflyer.comor e-mail [email protected].

Target Corp., of Minneapolis, is recalling 17,400 So Hot Way Cool Free Wheel Trucks because small parts could break off the toys, posing a choking hazard to young children.

The recall includes four-piece truck sets that include a combination of fire trucks, oil trucks, vegetable trucks, sanitation trucks, tow trucks and box trucks. Target Stores nationwide sold the sets from April through May 2005 for $5.

Consumers should take the toy trucks away from children and return them to the nearest Target store for a gift card in the amount of a full refund.

For more information, call (800) 440-0680 or visit www.target.com.

Pokémon USA Inc., of New York, is recalling 9,200 Pokémon plush toys because the stuffing may contain sewing needle tips, which could pose a puncture hazard.

The recall involves 10 Pokédoll plush toy characters, including Pikachu, Minun, Plusle, Skitty, Evee, Munchlax, Mew, Ho-Oh and Lugia. Pikachu comes in a 12-inch and a 6-inch version. All other characters are about 6 inches tall.

The Pokédoll plush toys were sold at Nintendo World in New York City and on the firm's Web site from April through June 2005 for $8 to $20. The toys also were given away as promotions by Nintendo of America Inc. at the E3 Conference in Los Angeles in May.

Parents should take these toys away from children and contact Pokémon USA (800) 930-6613 or www.pokemoncenter.com/recall.aspto receive a free replacement toy.

NBTY Inc., of Bohemia, N.Y., is recalling 12,000 bottles of N a t u r e's Bounty and N a t u r a l Wealth brand multivitamins because they contain iron but do not have child-resistant packaging. They could cause serious injury or death if ingested by a child.

The Nature's Bounty Multi-Day Multivitamin Plus Iron and Natural Wealth Daily Vitamin Plus Iron have lot number 60835-06 written on the label. The recalled vitamins were sold in containers of 100 caplets at drug and grocery stores and independent distributors nationwide from July 2004 through March 2005 for $4.

Consumers should keep this product out of the reach of children and return it to the store where purchased for a refund or replacement. For more information, call (800) 433-2990 or visit www.naturalwealth.com.

Sycamore Kids Inc., of Fort Collins, Colo., is recalling 2,200 Mountain Buggy Urban Single and Urban Double jogging strollers because the handlebar can crack or break and may detach while in use, posing a risk of injury to young children.

The recalled strollers have a metal frame and a cloth seat with a sun canopy. The strollers were sold in a variety of colors, including navy, red,black, silver and orange. The single strollers have item number U1204-002 and serial numbers between 000000 and 0003342. The double strollers have item number U2204-002 and serial numbers between 000000 and 006957.

Baby furniture and baby product stores nationwide and Web retailers sold the strollers from December 2004 through July 2005 for $400 to $600.

Consumers should call Sycamore Kids at (866) 524-8805 or e-mail [email protected]to find an authorized repair center to receive a free replacement handlebar ratchet. For more information, visit www.mountainbuggyusa.com.

Perrigo Co. is recalling all lots of several concentrated infant drops that are packaged with a dosing syringe bearing only a “1.6 mL” mark containing 1) acetaminophen, 2) acetaminophen, dextromethorphan HBr and pseudoephedrine HCl or 3) dextromethorphan HBr and pseudoephedrine HCl.

The dosing syringe may be confusing in determining the proper dose for infants under 2 years of age and could lead to overdosing. The following products are being recalled:

• Cherry Flavor Infant Pain Reliever 160 mg Acetaminophen (0.5 ounce and 1 ounce)

• Grape Flavor Infant Pain Reliever 160 mg Acetaminophen (0.5 ounce and 1 ounce)

• Cherry Flavor Cough and Cold Infant Drops (0.5 ounce)

• Cherry Flavor Decongestant and Cough Infant Drops (0.5 ounce)

For more information, visit www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/perrigo07_05.html.