H EALTH ALERTS

How to report unsafe ptoductsor review recallsConsumers can report an injury caused by a prod-

uct or obtain recall product information on the U.S.Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Website, www.cpsc.gov. To report an unsafe product,click on Report Unsafe Products. To review recalls bydate, product or company, click on Recalls/News. Toreport an injury, call the CPSC's toll-free hotline at(800) 638-2772. When prompted, press ext. 300 tospeak with a hotline representative.

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Stop using these cribs and contact LaJobi at (888) 266-2848 or www.bonavita-cribs.com to receive replace-ment end panels.

Children's dressersr

i _: ~~~~butno injuries have been.AX000- ~reported to Kids II.i ; ; ; ~~~~Thetoys, in bright colors

0 flWr ' ~~~with various shapes and tex-t iSV ~~~~tures, feature 12 links in a

_ ~~~~package. When snappedtogether, the links create a chain. The recalled Pop Linksare model 883 with a date code "ND1I" molded on the tipsof the links.The Pop Links were sold in mass merchandise and

juvenile specialty stores nationwide from June toNovember 2001 for $4.Take the toys awayfromyoung children and return the

items to Kids II for a replacement toy. Contact Kids II at(877) 325-7056 or www.kidsii.com.

Baby buzzerBaby Buzz'r Inter-

. . . ~~~national, ofSandy, Utah,{ * i_ ~~is recalling 8,800 Babys ' ~~~~Buzz'r toys because the* t ~~~~~red, green and blue but-

_¢ J- vtX fJ ton covers on the toycan_ ~~~~~~comeoff, posing a chok-

ing hazard to young chil-dren.

Five repor-ts ofbutton covers coming offbut no injurieshave been reported to Baby Buzz'r.These round, plastic baby toys feature a face on

the front, a red and blue "teethable ear" on each side,and a yellow circular mirror on the back. Three col-ored buttons are on the top of the product. When thebuttons are depressed, the toy vibrates, plays music

Sandberg ManufacturerCo., ofLos Angeles, is recall-

__ ~~~~~~ing8,200 childrei's dressers_l ~~~~~because they can tip over

during use._ ~~~~~~~Onereport ofadressertip-

ping over but no injurieshave been reported.

_ ~~~~~~Thefour-drawer dressers,f ~ ~ ~~~~inlight brown or off-white^ ~~~~~withheart-shaped handles,

i ~~~show the model number(#26224) and production

date (09-01 or older) on the lower half ofthe back ofthedresser.Independenthome furnishing stores nationwide sold

the items from July 1999 through November 2001 for$230.Stop children from using these dressers and call

Sandberg at (800) 498-2979 to receive repair instruc-tions.

Pop Links toysKids II Inc., of Alpharetta, Ga., is

recalling 20,000 Pop Links toysbecause the tips on the links thatsnap together can break off, posingX fta chokinghazard to young children.Eleven reports of tips breaking, ;. ;

Gel candiesBudget Promotions ofHouston andWalong Marketing

Inc., of Buena Park, Calif., along with the U.S. Food andDrug Administration (FDA), are recalling packages ofmini-cup gel candies, or mini-jelly snack cups, becauseofa choking hazard. These types ofgel candies were partof previous import alerts from the FDA.There have been reports of at least six children in the

United States and other countries who choked to deathon these candies.The FDA issued previous general warnings against

consuming mini-cup gel candies that contain the ingre-dient "konjac." Although the agency issued an importalert in October 2001, candies imported before that timestill are in the U.S. market.These candies are sold under various brand names,

distributed nationwide to retail establishments by vari-ous companies.The Budget Promotions brands are Mother's Pride and

Nata; theWalong brands are Kimbo, Asian Taste, Jin Jinand Shen Hsiang Jen Foods.These candies, in various flavors, contain the ingre-

dient "konjac" (also known as conjac, konnyaku, yamflour or glucomannan).Each jelly cup is about the size ofa single-serve coffee

creamer and is packaged in a plastic bag, jar or cup.Some ofthe candy bears warning labels, suggesting thatit not be eaten by children under age 3.Return this product to the place of purchase for a

refund. Formore information, call Budget Promotions at(281) 495-9887 orWalong Marketing at (714) 670-8899.

CribsLaJobi Industries Inc., of

-=Edison, N.J., is recalling 400"Molly" and "Betsy" stylewooden cribs because cut-outs in the end panels couldallow young children to gettheir heads entrapped, result-ing in strangulation.Although no injuries have

been reported to LaJobi, chil-dren have died in other firms'cribs with end panel cut-outs.The end panels on the

"iMolly" style cribs are madeof solid wood with openingson both sides; the end panelson the "Betsy" style cribs areconstructed with wood slats.Model numbers, found

inside the headboard at thebottom, are as follows: Molly:

0101327 02 (natural), 0101327 11 (antique green) and0101327 12 (antique white); Betsy: 0101257 02 (natu-ral),0101257 11 (antique green) andO0101257 12 (antiquewhite).The cribs were sold at juvenile specialty stores from

May 2000 through September 2001 for $650 to $700.

90 AAP News www.aapnews.org February 2002

Pediatritians urge famil'ies to prepare for disastersBeing prepared is an important step Americans can take to help their _ |R

families and their country in the fight against terrorism, according to ||lthe American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). 1The nation's pediatricians recommend that families have a disaster 1 m = =§

plan in place to make households less vulnerable in the event of an < lattack, and to help children feel safer. Tips for enacting such a plan, 1 v ,and other information on coping with the threat of terrorism, are avail-able on the AAP Web site at www.aap.org/family/frk/frkit.htm. r m

"Families need to be adequately prepared to meet their children'sphysical, medical and psychological needs,"i says Deborah Mulligan-Smith, M.D., FAAP, a member of the AAP Committee on Pediatric \_Emergency Medicine. "Planning ahead increases the likelihood of | ;securing the safety of your family." Vv

Dr. Mulligan-Smith says parents should involve their children in dis-aster planning. She led development of the Family Readiness Kit to 1 y£help families plan for self-sufficiency in the event of a disaster. For 9

her home state of Florida, the kit has been tailored to help area res- _5idents prepare for hurricanes and other emergencies. The Academyoffers the kit, updated with specific tips to prepare for terrorism, on its Web site along with other informationabout bioterrorism.The Family Readiness Kit includes a detailed list of items to keep on hand in the home and in the car, such as

food and water, pet supplies, warm clothing, rain gear, blankets and toiletries. A battery-powered radio, flashlights,extra batteries, credit card, cash, and first aid kit are on the list, along with many other essential items. Familiesshould consult the complete list to help them prepare.

In addition, households with infants or children with chronic health conditions soould take extra steps to pro-vide for their children's basic needs. Dr. Mulligan-Smith says these might include iWfant formula, medicines and acopy of the child's medical history. For all family members, copies of medical information and identification shouldbe kept with the disaster supplies.iThe Academy advises families to establish "A rally points'?-places for family members to regroup if they are sep-

arated duning a disaster or evacuation. They should designate one meeting place at each location where they spenda significant amount of time, such as their schools, neighborhood and workplaces.These actions are a good start toward being prepared and helping children to feel more secure. But parents need

to talk to their children to put it all into perspective. They also need to be ready to help children cope with the fear,loss and insecurities that go along with a disaster. The information on the AAP Web site can help families preparefor, communicate about and cope with the possibility of disaster.

092002 American Academy of Pediatrics. This information may be freely copied and distributed with proper atbibutfon.

H EALTH ALERTS

D)on't Put Y~our Bb's 1-eal(On T]he Li*ne*

It's a thin line between having a healthy baby and a baby that's sick. D<>n't take the risk.

If you're pregnant- or even think you are - getting prenatal care early is the

most important step you can take. Call 1-800-311-2229. We'll put you in touch with

the many services available to you. The call is free and it's completely confidential.

ituti I _ _-Tatke Care of Yourself So You Can Take Care of Your Baby.

s ~~~~~~orits eyes light up.L ;;0- ; ~~The Baby Buzz'r toys

_ g - ; ~~~were sold through juve-|Ir- nile specialty stores

|2_, Internet sites from Junethrough September 2001for $13. To identify a

recalled toy, squeeze the button covers on the top ofthetoywith pliers. If the button covers can be squeezed outof shape, they are being recalled.Take the recalled Baby Buzz'r toys away from young

children. For more information, contact Baby Buzz'rInternational at (866) 222-9289 orwww.babybuzzr.com.

Girls' garments. S Li;_ = Kid Cool

LLC, of NewYork, N.Y., is

~~~~~recalling 5,100# ~~~~Baby Cool and

| ~~~~~~~Kid Cool girls'.._. ___..__.. _.__ _. jackets and

vests because the zipper pulls and metal rings candetach, posing a choking hazard to young children.Kid Cool received one report of a child who removed

the zipper pull, placed it in her mouth and began tochoke on the metal ring that attaches the zipper pull tothe jacket.The recalled garments are polyester fleece hooded

jackets and sleeveless vests in pink or violet, sold ininfant sizes 9 to 24 months and toddler sizes 2T to 4T.Flowers are featured on the two pockets on the front ofthe garment.These garments were sold exclusively at Sears depart-

ment stores nationwide from September throughOctober 2001 for $16 to $19.Remove the zipper pull and the metal ring from these

garments and dispose ofthem, and return the garmentsto any Sears retail store to receive a replacement gar-ment. For more information, contact Kid Cool LLC at(800) 315-2376, ext. 183 or visit the Sears Web site atwww.sears.com.

Curious George toysen _ ~~~BRIO Corp., of Germantown,I _ S ~~~Wis., a subsidiary of BRIO AB of

l Sweden, is recalling 3, 100~~~% Curious George toys that include

0 1 ~~~fabric-filled mobile phones_ ~~~~because theypose a choking haz-

_ _ ~~~~ardto young children.~~~~~~No injuries have been reported.

: _ . ~~~These Curious George monkey_ > ~~~plush toys, dressed in a yellow

plastic space suit with matchingD ; ~~~gloves, have a detachable back-p~~~~~ack with a recdfabric-fi11Pd

mobile phone. The mobile phone is connected to a gray,mesh backpack by a string sewn into one of the back-pack's seams. The recalled toy has model number 32900on the front of the box.The recalled toys were sold by specialty toy stores,

Internet retailers and mail order catalogs nationwidefrom Julythrough November 2001 for $25.Take these toys away from children and contact BRIO

for a refund or replacement toy at (888) 274-6869 orwww,briotoy.com. Consumers also can send the toy toBRIO Corp., Safety Recall, N120Wl18485 Freistadt Road,Germantown,WI 53022.

Lobster toyLittle Tikes Co., of Hudson, Ohio, is recalling 260 lob-

ster toys attached to the activity tray ofthe Ocean FriendsStationary Entertainer because the antennae on the toycan break, posing a choking hazard to young children.

a No injuries have beenit_4n + ~~reported.4 l _ ~~The recalled Oceani _ l ~~~Friends Stationary En-| ~~~~~tertainer has model num-

X ~~~~~ber 4629 GIG underneathi _ s ~~~the green tray. The seat,

_ ~~~~~withpictures of sea ani-s~~~~~~mals, sits in the center of

the unit and swivels so thechild can play with thenine toys attached to the;<W1l4iF,,.;; ;5S ;;i;u ,0+tray. Only lobsters with

fL4,,;it.l;l;,<,;rp,H;1gy,RJg'black antennae are in-j ~~~~~~~volvedin this recall.

a - ! ~~~The stationary en-

0! ; ~~~~~tertainerwith the lobster

/0'Ss9,>> t;J0 t000storesnationwide from~~~~~~~October through Novem-

Remove the lobster toy from the entertainer and con-tact Little Tikes for a replacement toy at (888) 883-7662or www.littletikes.com.

purchased for a free replacement. For more information,contact DUI at (800) 325-8439 orwww.DUI-Online.com.

Klent InternationalInc., of Parsippany,N.J., is recalling28,000"Midget Racer" mini-bicycles because thefront fork assemblycan loosen or break,causing the rider tolose control andcrash.

N\o injuries or acci-dents have been reported.The Midget Racer mini-bicycle, about 31 inches long

and 23 inches high, is yellow with 8-inch black rubbertires, a black seat and black handgrips. All Kent mini-bicycles have black plastic caps on the tops ofthe front-wheel fork. Kent mini-bicycles with black plastic capscovering the chrome portion ofthe tops and sides ofthefront-wheel fork are not included in this recall.Discount department, bicycle, wholesale club and toy

stores sold the recalled mini-bicycles in NewJersey, NewYork, Rhode Island, Minnesota and Massachusetts fromOctober through November 2001 for $70.Return these mini-bicycles to the place ofpurchase for

a reftnd or a replacement mini-bicycle. For further infor-mation, call Kent International at (800) 451-5368.

Yolk-free noodlesAmerican Italian Pasta Co., of Kansas City, Mo., is

recalling 5,000 cases of 12-ounce packages of Mueller'sYolk Free medium and wide noodles style pasta (UPCcodes 02965123 and 02965026) because they containundeclared eggwhites not listed in the recent packagingredesign. Allergic or sensitive individuals could have anallergic reaction.The products always have contained egg whites, but

the recall is limited to the pasta packaged in stand-up,block bottom packages. The pasta was distributed ingrocery and other retail outlets in many states.Return these packages to the place of purchase for a

refund. For more information, callAmerican Italian PastaCo. at (877) 328-7278.

Scuba diving devices, E -- ;i, Diving Unlimited Inter-|__ | ~~national (DUI) Inc., of San^ 1 [ ~~Diego, Calif., is recalling 3,500

| t | ~~Overpressure Valves (OPVs)_ | ~~used with Buoyancy Control

A _ [ ~~~Systems because the valve can- _ [ ~~~stick in the open position, pos-

I~~~~~~m a igdrowning hazard to divers.l l ~~~~Twoincidents of the valves

sticking open but no injuriesS t ~~~~have been reported to DUI.X _ [ ~~These Buoyancy Control

| r W ~~~Systems come in two versions: a] _ | ~~~jacket and a wings style. All

| [ ~~~~OPVs with red pullsare included| [ ~~~~in this recall. The Buoyancy

1 _ | ~~~Control Systems were sold atDUI dealers nationwide fromNovember 1997 through Nov-ember 2001 for $590.

Stop using the OPVs and contact the DUI dealerwhere

February 2002 www.aapnews.otg AAP News 91

Mini-bicycles