Prevent childhood death & injuries with three simple steps

Kids In Danger releases children’s product safety resources for families

August 24, 2011- On average, two children’s products are recalled each week for posing life-threatening hazards to children. In 2010 alone, there were 160 recalls for over 44 million individual children’s products - products that often remain undetected in homes and childcare facilities.

If you didn’t hear about all these recalls, you’re not alone; in a survey conducted by Kids In Danger (KID), 43% of Illinois families reported hearing of recalls just once a month, even though children’s products are recalled an average of twice a week. What’s more, data from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) show the problem extends far beyond products that have been recalled for known safety issues: According to CPSC, approximately 88 children under the age of 5 are killed each year in incidents associated with nursery products and an estimated 77,300 are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries.

“Millions of children are put at risk because children’s product safety information isn’t effectively reaching the public,” stated Nancy Cowles, KID’s executive director. “Safe from the Start, KID’s short educational video, provides Three Steps to Safety to help parents and caregivers protect children from preventable injuries and deaths associated with unsafe children’s products”. 

Safe from the Start is just one of many educational resources available from KID, which was founded in 1998 by parents of Danny Keysar who was killed when an unsafe portable crib collapsed around his neck, strangling him in the upper rails.

KID stresses that all caregivers should be made aware of children’s product safety issues. “It’s important not only for parents, but also that child care providers, health care providers, grandparents – anyone caring for young children – are proactively monitoring children’s products for safety,” stated Cowles. “The video is ideal for staff trainings, looping videos for patient waiting rooms or maternity centers, and educational events for parents and child care providers.”

The message is especially relevant today as many changes to our product safety oversight system are happening as a result of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, a landmark bill requiring tougher testing standards, product registration cards for durable children’s products and lower lead limits, among other improvements. A key portion of that bill is named for Danny Keysar.

The six-minute DVD (available in Spanish and English) outlines the problem of unsafe children’s products and the Three Steps to Safety parents and caregivers can take to protect children from unsafe products. KID is also offering a one-minute PSA version perfect for people on-the-go. “The most important thing parents and caregivers can do to protect children from unsafe products is to stay informed,” said Cowles. “Safe from the Start is a good way for parents and caregivers to learn how to stay up-to-date on recalls and emerging safety issues as well as learn how to become advocates of children’s product safety by working with KID and sharing information with other families.”

“If the information provided by KID and Safe from the Start had been available in 1998, Danny would be alive and celebrating his Bar Mitzvah this year”, said Danny’s mom, Linda. “If resources like Safe from the Start help save even one family from the type of needless tragedy that prematurely ended his life, then we’ve honored his memory and the memory of all victims of unsafe children’s products.”

For the latest safety news from KID, check out their blog at www.kidsindanger.org/blog/ or download safety materials for parents and caregivers here: www.kidsindanger.org/publications/.