Strangulation Death of a Child Prompts Recall of Roman Blinds; Sold Exclusively at IKEA

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: IRIS and ALVINE Roman Blinds

Units: About 670,000 (an additional 4.8 million were sold outside of the United States)

Distributor: IKEA Home Furnishings, of Conshohocken, Pa.

Hazard: Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck in an exposed inner cord on the backside of the roman blinds.

Incidents/Injuries: On April 4, 2008, a 1-year-old girl in Greenwich, Conn. became entangled in the inner cord of an IKEA Roman Blind and strangled. The child was in a portable playpen that was located underneath a fully lowered roman blind. She was found partially suspended with the inner cord of the blind wrapped twice around her neck.

Description: This recall involves all sizes of IRIS and ALVINE Roman Blinds in white. The blinds have a sewn-in label at the top edge of the blind with the IKEA logotype, article name (IRIS or ALVINE), 5-digit supplier number 19799 or 21369, four digit date stamp (YYWW) and the words “Made in India”. On the bottom edge of the blind there is a sewn-in orange/white safety warning label. The blinds are made from 100% cotton.

Sold at: IKEA stores nationwide from July 2005 through June 2008 for between $7 and $30.

Manufactured in: India

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Roman Blinds and return them to any IKEA store to obtain a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact IKEA toll-free at (888) 966-4532 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.ikea-usa.com

Note: CPSC reminds consumers to examine all Roman Blinds and shades in their homes. If looped pull cords are present or exposed inner cords are found on the back of blinds or shades and children are in the home or occasionally visit your home, please consider replacing them with blinds or shades that do not have exposed pull cords or inner cords.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says there is NO SAFE LEVEL of Melamine in infant formula. A contradiction indeed, they are also telling parents not to overreact or change their baby’s diet at this time. The levels found are extremely low, however, you be the judge. The FDA has established a section of their website for Melamine information.

Yahoo! Reports from the Associated Press:

According to FDA data for tests of 77 infant formula samples, a trace concentration of melamine was detected in one product — Mead Johnson’s Infant Formula Powder, Enfamil LIPIL with Iron. An FDA spreadsheet shows two tests were conducted on the Enfamil, with readings of 0.137 and 0.14 parts per million.

Three tests of Nestle’s Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron detected an average of 0.247 parts per million of cyanuric acid, a melamine byproduct.

The FDA said last month that the toxicity of cyanuric acid is under study, but that meanwhile it is “prudent” to assume that its potency is equal to that of melamine.

And while the FDA said tests of 18 samples of formula made by Abbott Laboratories, including its Similac brand, did not detect melamine, spokesman Colin McBean said some company tests did find the chemical. He did not identify the specific product or the number of positive tests.

Questions and Answers to you questions about Melamine. What is Melamine? What do I do if I think my infant formula contains Melamine? Melamine Information? Symptoms of Melamine poisoning?

Enfamil released a statement today saying that the FDA testing was inaccurate.

RECALLED: Cobra Electronics Children’s Two-Way Radios with Rechargeable Batteries. The batteries can leak and cause chemical burns. These toys were sold at Toys R’ Us in August and September of this year for about $30. They are made in China. If you need more information, contact Cobra Electronics at (888) 252.9889 or visit www.cobra.com.

If you return this product you will get a free-replacement and a 20% off discount towards a future purchase.

RECALLED: JA-RU recalls My Little Train Classics Toy Trains because of a choking hazard. The toy contains small parts that can detach and act as a choking hazard for young children. Made in China they are imported by JA-RU located in Jacksonville, Florida. They were sold nationwide from March 2007 through October 2008 for about $2. JA-RU can be reached at (800) 231.3470.

RECALLED: The Consumer Product Safety Commission, in conjunction with CORAL has recalled Swim N’ Score Dive Sticks because they pose a risk of impalement injury. They were sold at Modell’s Sporting Goods Stores from August 1999 until October 2008. Children can fall or land on the sticks in shallow water and suffer impalement, eye and facial injuries. If you have any of these, please contact Modell’s at (800) 275.6633 or visit www.modells.com/recall

To sign up to receive regular email notices about product safety and recalls visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website at www.cpsc.gov.

If you have given this product to your child you shouldn’t worry, any problem should be temporary and resolve without treatment. You should contact your doctor or pediatrician if you suspect you gave this medication to your child.

The two lots of Infants’ MYLICON® GAS RELIEF DYE FREE drops non-staining 1 oz. bottles included in the recall are:

Product Code #	Lot #	Exp	Product
71683791111-1	SMF007	09/10	Infants’ MYLICON® Gas Relief Dye Free Non-Staining Drops 1 oz.
71683791111-1	SMF008	09/10	Infants’ MYLICON® Gas Relief Dye Free Non-Staining Drops 1 oz.

Consumers can find the lot numbers on the bottom of the box containing the product and also on the lower left side of the sticker on the product bottle.

If you have questions about this recall you can reach the company at this number, 1-800-222-9435 or online at www.mylicon.com .

SOURCE

This year’s theme for National Adoption Month is adopting teens from foster care.  If you are interested in adoption click here to learn about being a prospective adoption family.  There are many types of adoptions, domestic and international.  Laws and requirements vary by state.

451 Press has several blog sites dedicated specifically to adoption and foster parents.  Parenting The Adopted and Foster Parents Online.

You do not have to get the flu.

There is a vaccine. You have to get vaccinated every year for a new strain of flu. The virus mutates from year to year and that is why a vaccine from last year won’t protect you this flu season. The CDC recommends that all children over the age of six months get a flu vaccine.

The first time a child under the age of nine gets a flu vaccine he will need two doses of vaccine given at least 28 days apart or more. The first dose “primes the immune system and the second dose provides actual protection. My own pediatrician explained to me that young children have immature immune systems and in order to have complete immunity to the flu virus, they need two doses of vaccine.

The sooner you get vaccinated each year the better. If you find it is November or even December you can still get a vaccine. The peak of flu season isn’t until later in the winter. It’s never too late. Get the vaccine. You can get it at your doctor’s office or even more easily at a local grocery store pharmacy or local drug store flu clinic.

SOURCE

]]> http://www.parentextremis.com/flu-shots-for-children/feed/ http://www.parentextremis.com/lovey-lessons/ http://www.parentextremis.com/lovey-lessons/#comments Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:59:00 +0000 Stacy Kravitz http://www.parentextremis.com/?p=314 Does your little tot carry around a blanket, a stuffed animal or is he still constantly connected to his binky, or pacifier?

This is all very common behavior, devotion and dependency on an object for comfort.  These objects are commonly known as a lovey.  These objects of comfort provide a calm reminder when you, the parent step away and the child experiences some anxiety.  They lovey is familiar, providing smells of home or reminders of you.

Loveys are more common for toddlers and younger children but sometimes a baby will become connected to an object before their first birthday.  Security items can include pacifiers and a thumb, a blanket or cloth diaper.   You may notice that this object never leaves their hand or their sight.  Sucking has a calming affect of babies reminding them of feeding times when they were close to the parent or caregiver.  Soft blankets are soothing to the touch as well.

Parents often worry that their child will never give up their lovey and often joke that he or she will walk down the aisle dragging their nicknamed blanket or go off to college still sleeping with a pacifier or sucking their thumb but you shouldn’t worry too long.   Children will give up their objects in time and there isn’t any harm in sleeping with a certain blanket or stuffed animal into their teen years.  We all have favorite sheets or pillows, so do children, the comfort and familiarity are the same.

Thumb sucking can harm tooth development and lead to the need for braces and orthodontic devices, if you are worried about your child sucking their thumb too long, speak with your child’s dentist and pediatrician for ways to help them wean off.

The clothing that is causing this rash is associated with the Carter’s Fall 2007 line of clothing. It uses a label on the inside back of the garment that has a raised surface with a solid background. This advisory does not apply to the current product lines that use a label with a stenciled background. See the photo below for an image of the label.

If your child develops a rash stop wearing the garment and if the rash persists contact your pediatrician. Some doctors will recommend applying a little bit of anti-itch cream or a moisturizing cream like Aquaphor.

These labels are safe and are not the ones included in this advisory.

Babies and young children are also very susceptible to rashes and a variety of skin conditions including baby acne, eczema and impetigo.

Babies and children have very delicate skin and soon after birth it is common for them to get minor rashes and bumps on their skin that don’t offend them.  However, more severe rashes and allergies are also all too common and require diet modification and sometimes antibiotics.  If you aren’t sure what is appearing on your baby or child’s skin you should see your pediatrician for a diagnosis.

First, there was a recall of 2,000 Convertible Cribs by Playkids USA.  This crib can entrap and suffocate an infant, and in fact, a five-month old baby in Brooklyn died in August as a direct result of this faulty product.  The sides of these cribs are made of mesh that expands.   A gap can open up between the mattress and the side and an infant can slip between the side and mattress.   With any crib or pack n’ play be sure that the mattress is very tight fitting.  Mesh sides are designed so that a child who rolls over and cannot roll back is able to breathe through the mesh siding.  But that mesh should be very tight.

There was also a recall of about 800 Baby Walkers made by the My Way Corporation of San Juan, Puerto Rico.  These walkers were sold exclusively in Puerto Rico too.  The hazard of this walker is that it does not meet the voluntary standard size and can fit through a standard size doorway.  It is also not designed to stop at the edge of a stair as most walkers are nowadays.