Mattel/Fisher Price Voluntary Recall of Little Tyke Trikes, High Chairs, Cars & Baby Play Gyms

Imagine my surprise to find out this morning that one of the world's most trusted toy manufacturers, Fisher-Price announced today that it is voluntarily recalling approximately 10 million toys because of approximately 24 reports of injuries to children. And, that I owned one of these toys.

The injuries range in severity from cutting children severely enough to need stitches, choking and even genital bleeding due to a tricycle part. In ten cases it is reported that a "child can strike, sit or fall on the protruding plastic ignition key resulting in serious injury, including genital bleeding."

The recall includes items from high chairs to tricycles and many popular baby and toddler products in between. The products recalled include:

The Baby Playzone Crawl & Cruise Playground, Baby Playzone Crawl & Slide Arcade, Baby Gymnastics Play Wall, Ocean Wonders Kick & Crawl Aquarium, 1-2-3 Tetherball, Bat & Score Goal. Approximately 2.8 million of these baby play areas with inflatable balls have been recalled due to a faulty valve on the inflatable ball. It is possible that the valve can come off of the ball and become a choking hazard. In Canada, Fisher-Price voluntarily recalled 125,000 of these toys in Canada. In the case of these baby play area recalls 46 reports where in the US and 8 incidents in Canada. This includes 14 cases in which a valve actually made it into a child's mouth and three cases of children "beginning" to choke.

The more than 7 million Fisher Price Trikes and Tough Trikes toddler tricycles being recalled over a protruding part hits closer to home. My toddler daughter owns one! This toys feature the popular Dora the Explorer or Barbie character. Reports indicate that the part had cut children. There were 10 reports of children being injured, six of which had to result in seeking medical treatment. Six injuries to 2-3 year old little girls resulted in genital bleeding.

The Healthy Care, Easy Clean and Close to Me High Chairs. Nearly a million of these types of highchairs have been sold and are being recalled due to 14 reports of children being cut, sometimes severely enough to require stitches, by faulty parts on the chair legs.
About 100,000 Little People Wheelies Stand 'n Play Rampway toys have been recalled because of at least two reported cases where wheels came off of the toys resulting in a choking hazard. "Consumers should immediately take the affected purple and the green cars away from children and contact Fisher-Price for free replacement cars," the Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

The majority of the recall involves the existence of choking hazards. The CPSC, Fisher Price (Mattel) advises consumers with affected toys to immediately discontinue use and contact Fisher-Price for replacements parts or replacements. .

For more information regarding the Fisher-Price toy recalls, call the Fisher-Price recall hotline toll-free at (800) 432-5437 or visit the website. A complete list of products being recalled, the lot numbers and where to find the lot number on your child's gear or toy are provided.

As you begin your holiday shopping remember to be aware of the notices posted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Web site (800-638-2772), which lists such voluntary recalls whether purchase new or used toys and equipment.

Sources:

Personal Experience

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10359.html

http://service.mattel.com/us/recall.asp

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39429024/ns/today-parenting