Are some potentially dangerous children’s products remaining on store shelves too long before being recalled? NBC 5’s Chris Coffey reports.
Are some potentially dangerous children’s products remaining on store shelves too long before being recalled? A new report card from a Chicago-based children’s safety advocacy group gives barely passing grades to current recall efforts.
Kids in Danger released a report card that shows children’s product recalls and related injuries have recently increased. While the group acknowledged companies are effectively using social media to spread the word about product recalls, the report points to some companies that wait until there are numerous reported incidents or injuries before announcing a recall.
“Despite improvements in standards and social media use, some recalls are still happening too slowly and too little is being done to get the product out of homes,” said Nancy Cowles of Kids in Danger.
A Tommee Tippee sippy cup mold scare in 2016 resulted in more than 3,000 reported incidents, dozens of sick kids and a social media storm before the maker pulled the products off store shelves. According to the company, the health risk was low.
The Kids in Danger report used government data. The group said it is also difficult to measure the effectiveness of the recalls.
“Once that information is out there, the companies would work harder to make sure it's good information and so we'd see a quicker response,” Cowles said.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is urging parents to be informed of the latest recall developments.
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“Please sign up to get information about recalls on children’s products because you do not have to live with the guilt and the pain that will result if your child is injured or dies from a preventable injury,” Madigan said.
You can learn more about recalls by signing up for updates at recalls.gov, checking the Kids in Danger website or contacting the Illinois Attorney General Recall Hotline at 1-888-414-7678.
Kids in Danger's full report can be found here.
