Surprise hazards

8 products NOT to buy for kids

 

 

 

They may be heavily advertised. Every other kid on the block may have them. Your children might be pleading for them, too. But we recommend that you avoid buying and using the following eight children's products, including playthings and baby gear, because of the injuries or potential injuries associated with them.


Playthings

1. Trampolines. A trampoline is an accident waiting to happen. In 2003, the latest year for which data are available, some 98,000 trampoline-related injuries resulted in emergency room visits, according to the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission. At least 6 deaths have been reported since 1990.

Moreover, the American Academy of Pediatrics has characterized trampoline injuries among children as an epidemic, and recommends banning trampolines entirely for home use. Studies have shown that parent education about trampoline risks has not helped reduce the number of injuries.

Other problems with this product include the fact that the rubber in trampolines can degrade when stored outdoors, trampolines are difficult to store and thus easy for children to access without supervision, and they can be particularly risky when used near trees or other objects.

2. All-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Consumers Union has long been critical of ATVs; early models, especially, were unstable, and many young people who rode them couldn't handle them. Designs have changed, though we still don't think children under 16 should ride ATVs. Of more than 450 ATV deaths in 2004, the latest year available, roughly one third involved children under 16.

Adding to the problem is the fact that helmet use does not ensure protection. One study found that nearly 1 in 5 children killed by ATVs were wearing helmets, and that more than half of ATV deaths resulted from other types of injuries.

3. Inflatable pools. We're concerned about a certain type of pool on the market: Inflatable pools that hold hundreds, sometimes thousands, of gallons of water. These pools, which start at around $50, are too big to dump the water out of every day, and too inexpensive for most people to consider installing a fence. So they sit unattended in the backyard, a drowning hazard.

If your pool is bigger than a kiddie wading pool, you need a fence. It's the best protective measure. Meanwhile, Consumers Union is working to help create stricter standards for inflatable pools. (See our June 2005 report on inflatable pool dangers.)

4. Yo-yo balls. This toy looks like fun; you might see it as a birthday party favor. But the first versions were dangerous because they could wrap around a child's neck; we judged them "Not Acceptable" in 2003. We repeated that warning in 2005 when another Yo-Yo ball model was released, this time with a small flashing light that could come loose and cause choking (see our 2005 report). At least one state and several countries have banned Yo-yo balls. The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission has received 16 complaints about victims loosing consciousness, and 400 other complaints.


Baby gear

5. Baby bath seats. These seats attach to the side of the tub, and can give parents a false sense of stability. They've been associated with roughly 120 drownings and 160 injuries since 1983. Nearly all those deaths occurred when a parent or caregiver left the baby unattended momentarily. (Note that baby bath seats are different than baby bathtubs, which have a steeply angled back that helps the parent support the baby during baths. Baby bathtubs are useful provided caretakers don't leave the child unattended.)

Consumers Union was among the first organizations to call for a ban on baby bath seats in 2000. A new design emerged in early 2005; our tests found it to be unsafe. (See our January 2005 report on baby bath seats).

6. Soft bedding. The ads in baby magazines suggest that if your crib isn't spilling over with frills and fluff, you're somehow shirking your parental duty. In fact, the safest crib is one that has a firm mattress, a snug-fitting mattress pad and crib sheet--and nothing else. No bumper guards, no stuffed animals, no pillows, no quilts. Experts have long recognized the suffocation risk inherent in such soft crib bedding.

In winter, dress your infant in a one-piece bunting. If you insist on a blanket, keep it at waist height, tucking ends firmly under the sides and bottom of the mattress. (For more information, see our November 2005 report on crib safety.)

7. Sleep positioners. These are wedge-shaped pieces of foam meant to keep infants in a secure sleeping position. But we believe they're a suffocation hazard and our medical experts don't recommend them. (See our March 2005 report and video on sleep-positioner dangers.)

8. Changing tables with only 3 side rails. Changing tables are associated with 2,000 to 3,000 injuries per year, and many of these involve changing tables that have just three side rails. A new industry standard will require changing tables to have barriers on all four sides. Seek out this type when buying a changing table.