The Safety Mom Chronicles

It's Time for an FDA for Toys

Over the past week I have done several dozen news interviews about the toy recalls and how to choose safe toys for this holiday season.   As a child safety expert, reporters are hoping that I have answers for moms who are confused, frustrated and angry.   Unfortunately, there are no easy answers.   It started with lead paint and then progressed to chemicals in arts and crafts toys.   Most recently, it's a recall on the slipcovers of nursing pillows due to excessive levels of lead.   Yes, we can take precautions and make some smart choices when shopping.  But ultimately how can we really know if a product is safe?  It's virtually impossible to look at a product and know.    Until now, we assumed that manufacturers and our government were safeguarding our children against dangerous toys. 

Just like we wouldn't expect someone to look at a piece of meat and know whether it's contaminated with E-Coli or salmonella, it's now unrealistic to assume moms can look at a toy and know whether it's going to injure or kill their child.  Sure, we can check for removeable parts, sharp objects or magnets, but it's the hidden dangers that have us worried.  And it's specifically these dangers that we expect and demand that the government and manufacturers protect us from.  What we need is the FDA equivalent for children's products.  The Consumer Products Safety Commission's mission is too broad.  We need a government agency that is exclusively overseeing children's products and holding manufacturers to task.  Right now, until we have that reassurance, we are saying no to products made in China and no to retailers and manufacturers who are not protecting our children.  It's time for moms to take a stand and send a message that we will not allow our children's safety to be compromised.

Will Moms Be Buying Toys This Year?

This past week, moms across the country have reached out to me asking for some advice on shopping for safe toys this holiday season.  I've also heard many of them say that they're just not going to buy toys this year, that they're afraid that if something hasn't been recalled it will be in a few weeks.   I can't say I blame them.  I went shopping for my daughter's birthday present this week and found myself scrutinizing every toy I picked up.    If you are planning on buying toys this season, here are few things to keep in mind:

• Get Smart About Safety - It's important to sign up for product recall notices from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (www.cpsc.gov). They will be e-mailed on a daily basis. I also post all recalls on www.thesafetymom.com. Regardless of whether a toy has been recalled, if it appears to be dangerous, stay away from it!  Toys with sharp objects, loose parts, rubber bands and small pieces are extremely dangerous.
• Read the Labels - Adhere to the age guidelines on a product.  Even if you feel your child is more mature, the possibility of a choking or strangulation hazard is too great.
• Act Locally - Right now, the smaller independent toy stores are doing a bustling business. The majority of these stores stock higher-end items that are not carried in the mass merchandise stores. Very few of their items have been recalled and many are made in America.
• Stay off-line - This year, stay away from online shopping.  Make sure to test out the toy and play with it to ensure it’s durable.   
• Don’t Buy Into The Hype -- It doesn’t matter if it's the hottest toy this season or the must-have among your playgroup set, if you have doubts or concerns, err on the side of caution and don't buy it.
• Consider Going Back To Basics -- Books, CDs and even computer games are great gifts.  And what young girl wouldn't  like a Hannah Montana poster?

Are We Risking Our Children's Lives Buying Toys This Holiday Season?

As the Safety Mom, I get e-mails from concerned parents daily, asking me questions about child safety as well as letting me know about products recalls.  Last night my in-box was flooded with the news of the latest recall, Aqua Dots, distributed by SpinMaster Ltd. here in the U.S.   In case you're not familiar with the product or have missed the news, this arts-and-crafts toy consists of colorful beads that, when sprayed with water will stick together to form colorful designs.  The problem is that if these beads are ingested, the body metabolizes the adhesive into a compound similar to a date rape drug, potentially triggering seizures and even coma.  As of this morning, two children in the U.S. were known to have slipped into comas and three in Australia have been hospitalized.  Yet again, this was a toy manufactured in China.  It was discovered that the manufacturing plant, in order to cut costs, substituted a toxic chemical for a safe glue.  Apparently this is common in Chinese manufacturing plants.  They will substitute cheaper products to save money, thereby leaving our families vulnerable to tragedies.

What is perhaps equally disturbing is that Aqua Dots was on Walmart's Top 12 Toys of Christmas list!  Most parents would feel safe selecting a toy from this list.  Now, moms across America are throwing up their hands and saying "I give up!  What's safe anymore?"  On the Aqua Dots box it clearly says that this toy is for children 4+.  And, while many moms wouldn't consider buying this toy for their toddler, what about the older kids in the house?  The reality is that try as you might, accidents happen and toddlers get near older sibling's toys.  What's more, one of the children that was hospitalized in Australia was 10 years old!  I tell moms all the time, you can never predict what your child is going to do, no matter how old they are.  They don't necessarily act in a rationale manner.  So yes, even an older child could potentially put these beads in her mouth.  It's up to the toy manufacturers to ensure that the toys they are selling to our children are safe.  It's also up to them, as well as the U.S. government, to ensure that quality standards are being upheld in China.  Until we can be reassured that this is happening, can we risk our children's lives?  Can we be sure that the gift they're opening this year won't end up seriously hurting them or even potentially killing them?  As moms, we need to stop and consider each toy very carefully.  It's no longer just small objects that could present a choking hazard or long cords that could cause strangulation that we need to worry about.  Electronic toys, painted toys and riding toys all pose serious risk if the manufacturing is substandard - something we really have no way of knowing.

So before you venture out to the mall, consider alternatives - music, books and computer games (age appropriate please) that will be both enjoyable and safe.

Choosing Safe Video Games For Your Kids

You can already feel it in the air --- the holiday shopping frenzy is about to begin!  I know that at my house, video games are going to be on top of my son's wish list.  The problem is how to know which games are age appropriate.   The titles can be misleading and some games might start out innocent enough but then get into violent content that I don't want him viewing.   Fortunately the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has ratings printed on virtually every game and gives a description of each rating.  Ratings range from EC (Early Childhood 3+) to AO (Adults Only 18+.) Next to the rating symbol are content descriptors which will give you some idea as to why the game received this rating.  What's more, you can actually go to their site, www.esrb.org and search by game platform and rating to find all of the titles that are inappropriate based on your individual concerns.

While I was aware of the ratings on the game, what I didn't know is that the new gaming platforms actually have parental controls built in which ensure a fun and safe gaming experience for our kids.  These are available on Microsoft XBox 360, Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3.  You can learn how to set up these parental controls at the ESRB website.   So take a minute to check out their website and browse before you buy to make sure the "coolest present" is also going to be a safe one.

Does the CPSC really care about child safety?

Now that the holiday season is about to kick into full gear, we can't help but wonder, is the toy we just bought really safe?  Are we going to read that it's been recalled next week?  We rely on the government to monitor these issues and protect our kids from faulty manufacturing and unsafe levels of lead that could seriously injure or kill our children.  Yet now comes the news that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the federal agency tasked with protecting us and our children from dangerous products, is not taking its job seriously.   

Last week, the Senate approved legislation that would give the commission more power and money to monitor potentially life-threatening products.    Specifically, the bill would increase the commission's budget from about $63 million to nearly $142 million by 2015 and increase its staff by 20%.  It would raise the cap on penalties for safety violations from $1.8 million to $100 million and it would ban lead from all children's products.   It would also require that the commission make consumer complaints public almost immediately.  Currently, complaints and results of internal investigations are not revealed for weeks while a company has time to respond.   This silence could lead to a child's injury or even death.

You would think that this would be welcomed by the CPSC.  Shockingly however, Nancy Nord, the acting chairwoman of the CPSC, opposes the bill!  This is an agency that is in desperate need of an overhaul.  Their budget and staff has continued to dwindle over the years.  Perhaps most shockingly, it was revealed that there is only one inspector within the entire agency charged with testing toys to make sure they are safe for our children!    How can this be?  Perhaps the answer lies with the company Ms. Nord keeps.  On Friday, the Washington Post reported that Nord took "dozens of trips at the expense of the toy, appliance and children's furniture industries and others they regulate."

This is outrageous!  As mom's we need to send a loud message to Ms. Nord and the CPSC that we will not stand for this callous disregard for our children's safety!  Moms Rising, a grass roots organization that allows our voice to be heard,  is delivering a petition to Congress demanding their support in strengthening the agency tasked with keeping our children safe and replacing anyone who stands in the way of this vital mission.  I urge you to  sign this petition by clicking here and pass this post along to your friends, co-workers and families.  Let's make sure that this holiday season, as our children are opening gifts, we can be assured that they are safe and lead-free.