Posts Tagged ‘ Child Safety ’

Moms: Board Books a Hazard to Babies, Still

April 8th, 2010. By AbiK

Flashback: 1994. The birth of my friend’s son, Brian. The first born in our circle of friends. Lots of cooing, awe…a Gail Sheehy Passages kind of moment.

Fast forward a few months. My friend calls me to let me know Brian nearly choked to death. She explained in detail the frantic minutes that must’ve felt like hours as she watched Brian’s skin tone fade to pale and then to a bluish tinge. She recounted the finger-sweep actions she took to try to retrieve whatever it was. The mini Heimlich maneuver as she wanted to propel the object out of Brian’s mouth without causing further harm. As I listened it was as if I was reliving the moments with her and yet I was thankful I hadn’t had to live them in the first place. My heart went out to her. (Note, years later, I had to endure the scene with my own child with a hot dog, and it was beyond anything I ever want to witness again.)

The reason? A board book. Those oh-so-sturdy, infant-proof, toddler-proof vehicles to start your child on his lifelong love of reading. And the go-to gift for everyone who wants to give baby the gift that’s always appreciated.

Except, what’s with those edges? Why, at first they seem so…durable. But after several weeks or months (maybe sooner) those edges seem to…separate. And then the reality that, hey, these are basically just cardboard—and what’s cardboard but several layers of paper smushed and glued together—hits you. Along with the reality that, gee, when the cardboard starts to get even the slightest bit wet, it starts to split apart and fray.

Brian had gotten a piece of the cardboard from the book’s corner in his mouth and could not get it out; nor could he swallow it. So he choked on it.

And just how does a board book get wet and begin to come apart in the first place? That would be because it’s in baby’s mouth—not because the bottle or sippy cup fell over.

For those of you who’ve never seen a baby, that’s what baby’s do. They put things in their mouths. Oh—you knew that—forgive me.

SO WHY DON’T THE COMPANIES THAT MAKE BABY BOARD BOOKS KNOW THAT?!?!?!

Brian is now 15. He’s taller than me and it’s hard to imagine that I used to hold him in my arms. What’s harder to imagine though is that still today—fifteen years after I first gained an awareness of the issue—a baby board book has been recalled for a choking hazard.

This time, the defective product is from a reputable company, Gund—and while it’s not due to the cardboard of the book itself, it’s due to the book bindings which use styrofoam as a fill, and one would assume to help attach the cute, little, colorful baby-eye-candy rattling handles on each book.

See, the styrofoam can detach—according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). And it can get in baby’s mouth. Really?

Gund has apparently received three reports of this happening—and thankfully, no injuries have been reported.

The books involved are:

“Animals” (item number 059174)

“Numbers” (item number 059175)

“Colors” (item number 059176)

They were also sold as a three-book set (item number 059173). The name “Gund” and the item number are located on the back of the books. The books measure 4½ inches by 7 inches and were sold in stores in the US and Canada between January 2009 and March 2010.

If you have these books, you can contact Gund for a free replacement. You can call 800-436-3726.

Though at this point, I’m not so sure I’d “Gotta Getta Gund”.

Tags: Baby, Board Books, Child Safety, Gund, Recall
Posted in Defective Products | No Comments »