Recalled Toys

If children are on your holiday gift list, beware. More than two dozen toys have been recalled this year for safety reasons. With safety in mind, the American Academy of Pediatrics has prepared a tips list.

November 2009 Recalls
December 2009 Recalls

-pick toys that suit kids' age, abilities and interest level.
-to prevent electric shocks, choose battery-operated instead of plug-in toys for kids under 10.
-keep young children away from toys with button batteries and magnets. these can cause serious and even fatal intestinal problems if swallowed.
-the academy also warns:pull toys with strings longer than 12 inches can be a strangulation hazard for babies.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Mattel sold lead toys

FROM ABC: Toy maker Mattel Inc. and its Fisher-Price subsidiary have agreed to pay a $2.3 million civil penalty for importing and selling toys with excessive levels of lead. The penalty is part of a settlement the companies reached with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which announced Friday, that the toymaker had knowingly violated a 30-year-old federal ban on lead paint in toys.

The companies deny having willfully violated the ban. The penalty stems from a series of recalls by Mattel and Fisher-Price in 2007, when the companies recalled nearly 2 million popular Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and other toys because of excessive levels of lead found in the paint on the toys.

Barbie doll accessories and "Sarge" toy cars were also part of the recalls.

The commission says the fine is the biggest for a lead paint violation involving children's toys.

Mattel and Fisher-Price were among dozens of manufacturers that yanked millions of Chinese-made toys from store shelves in the months leading up to the 2007 holiday shopping season. The recalls made parents uneasy as they shopped for gifts for small children.

The Mattel and Fisher-Price fine is the commission's first penalty resulting from those recalls.

"These highly publicized toy recalls helped spur congressional action last year to strengthen CPSC and make even stricter the ban on lead paint on toys," said the commission's acting chairman Thomas Moore. "This penalty should serve notice to toy makers that CPSC is committed to the safety of children."

"Today's settlement announcement by the U.S. CPSC resolves Mattel's outstanding issues with the agency related to certain matters that arose in 2007," Mattel said. "Mattel promptly took a series of steps after discovering compliance issues with some of our toys at that time.

"We were able to effectively minimize any potential concerns by launching a fast-track recall of the affected product in conjunction with the CPSC and other global regulatory agencies, and by taking several steps to enhance our product compliance protocols and procedures to confirm that every Mattel toy is safe for children to enjoy," Mattel said. Fisher-Price referred calls to Mattel.

Mattel, based in El Segundo, Calif., has not had any lead paint recalls since the 2007 cases, which spurred congressional action and a new law last summer — called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act — that restricts the amount of lead allowed in children's products.

Lead poisoning in children can cause neurological damage, delayed mental and physical development, learning deficiencies, and other problems.

In case you don't already know, it is solely up to the toy manufacturers to make sure there is no lead in toys before they go on store shelves. The Consumer Product Safety Commission randomly tests toys AFTER they are sold to unsuspecting parents. So be extra careful when picking up toys for kids who are teething. Several teethers have been found to have excessive amounts of lead. It's a scary thought. Obviously, these are big toy names so don't assume a name brand is safe either. I had some teethers tested with an XRF machine last year. That's really the only way to make sure there's no lead paint on the toys. The machine costs $25,000-$30,000, so it's not likely something parents will have! Yikes! I can't believe I have to go through this again with a new baby coming in September!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Dangerous Toys

Here's the latest story on dangerous toys you may have bought for the holidays. I added some helpful links.

A string of massive recalls have parents on high alert and now there are multiple lists out there warning parents about potentially hazardous toys this holiday season. If you're confused by this overload of toy safety information, you're not alone. CNN's Greg Hunter has more on the toy safety debacle.

Toys with things that pop out, powerful magnets that stick together and potentially harmful chemicals are just a few toys on store shelves that one non profit organization says parents should avoid buying.The Jack Sparrow Spinning Dagger is one.W.A.T.C.H.(World Against Toys that cause Harm) says it can cause eye injuries and the potential for blunt injuries. W.A.T.C.H. was founded by trial lawyers 35 years ago to warn parents about things like possible choking hazards.

If a toys fits through a toilet paper roll, it is too small for kids under two.

Mattel's "Go Diego Go Animal Rescue Boat" It's the only toy on W.A.T.C.H.'S 10 worst toys list to be recalled and it was done by Mattel itself after,"an extensive investigation." Five other companies on W.A.T.C.H.'s list told CNN their products "meet federal safety standards."

W.A.T.C.H. isn't the only grouping checking safety. Linda Reinsten lost her husband to an asbestos related illness and founded the non profit Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.
It recently did testing on holiday toys and found asbestos dust on the C.S.I.
Fingerprint Kit.

The manufacturer, "Planet Toys" says "these kits do not contain asbestos."

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says non government groups that put out independent warnings only confuse people. The watch dog groups insists parents need more safety information. The CPSC says it's supporting a plan by the toy association to create an independent third party certification system for toys. This plan is being considered now, but so far, there's no indication on when or if it will be implemented.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen