KID Report Card: Recalls, incidents, and injuries increased in 2016

On April 3rd, KID released our annual recall report:  A KID Report Card: Children's Product Recalls . These reports track recall trends and recall effectiveness over the past year.  There were 76 children's product recalls and over 66.8 million total units of children's products recalled in 2016. In addition:

• The number of children's product recalls increased 12% from 2015.
• Incidents, injuries and deaths rose sharply with a total of 4,842 incidents, 394 injuries and seven deaths reported before recalls were issued in 2016.
• Nursery products led recalls with 32% of children's product recalls, but for the first time in a decade no cribs were recalled.
• More manufacturers are using social media to reach consumers with recall notices, but more needs to be done to improve recall effectiveness

KID recommends that parents check CPSC.gov and   SaferProducts.gov for recalls and injury reports and sign up for safety updates at KidsInDanger.org. We also encouage parents and caregivers to  report problems with a product both to the manufacturer and to CPSC at SaferProducts.gov  and urge elected representatives to make strong standards and recall effectiveness a priority.

A recent  study from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing, looked at how parents make decisions about their children's sleep environments.  They found that safety was a primary concern for parents, but other factors, such as comfort for baby and parents, ease of access to baby, and ease of breastfeeding, also impacted parents' decisions.  When it comes to creating a safe sleep environment, buying the right products is also crucial. A recent Slate article points to the dangers of trendy children's products that aren't covered by safety standards, especially when used incorrectly. Many ads and crib displays in retail stores depict unsafe sleep environments, so it's important to do your research when buying and installing products. KID's recent blogs and  Safe Sleep Tips are a good place to start.

KID has been busy! Our spring newsletter highlights all of the work we have done over the past few months and a couple upcoming events. In this newsletter, we outline ways that the new presidential adminstration could impact children's product safety and discuss KID's new outreach initiatives targeting Chicago's low-income communities. We are also looking forward to the 2017 Best Friend Award Night on June 1, 2017 at Galleria Marchetti, where we are honoring four University programs for their support to KID throughout the years. For more information about this event and ticket sales or sponsorships, visit the KID website.

About 45 people came out to Revolution Brewing in Logan Square on March 20 for #KickBackWithKID, an event hosted by the Young Professional Board. Everyone enjoyed the great food, drinks, and raffle prizes. Thanks to all who supported KID and helped us raise over $1,000! 

A  new study  from the  Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital found that in the U.S., a child three or younger is treated in an emergency room for an injury related to nursery products every 8 minutes . This amounts to 66,000 infants and toddlers treated in emergency rooms for nursery product-related injuries each year. Most injuries were caused by baby carriers (20%), cribs/mattresses (19%), and strollers/carriages (17%). Almost all (88%) of the injuries occurred at home, and 81% of injuries were to the head, face, or neck, which is particularly dangerous for children under three. 

Check out KID's blog post for more information.