Your January Product Safety Alert |
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Water Beads Victory
Amazon Bounces Unsafe Mattresses
SUID Prevention through Education
Groove and Give at Jasmine's 40th Birthday Bash
Save the Date: Best Friends Award
Happy New Year to all our Supporters!
Children's Product Recalls
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In a big victory for child safety and families nationwide, major e-commerce and big box retailers Amazon, Walmart, and Target announced that they will ban the sale of water beads that are marketed to children. Etsy and AliExpress stated they will prohibit the sale of water beads entirely.
Water beads are small super-absorbent polymer crystals that can grow up to 1,500 times their size when placed in liquid. If ingested, inhaled, or inserted in ear canals, water beads absorb bodily fluids and can lead to potentially life-threatening injuries, such as intestinal or bowel obstruction, or lung or ear damage.
KID has been working closely with That Water Bead Lady Ashley Haugen and other consumer groups to ban water beads. U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ-6) recently introduced a bill cosponsored by Reps. Robin Kelly (IL-2) and Brittany Pettersen (CO-7) that would ban the sale of water beads marketed as toys. Call your Congressperson and ask them to cosponsor the Ban Water Beads Act (H.R. 6468). Find your U.S. House Rep.’s contact information here.
Read more about this win in our new blog and share our infographic to spread the word about the dangers of water beads.
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Amazon Bounces Unsafe Mattresses |
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Amazon has removed over 150 illegal sellers of play yard mattresses from sale on its website. The CPSC is aware of at least 494 incidents between 2010 and 2021 related to crib mattresses, including 139 deaths and 355 nonfatal incidents related to crib mattresses. In 2022, CPSC approved a new safety standard for crib mattresses, as well as after-market mattresses used in play yards and cribs. The new safety requirements address hazards including excessively soft mattresses and lacerations from coil springs. For more information about this news, read our press release.
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SUID Prevention through Education |
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Last month, Rush University released their second annual report on the Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) Case Registry for Cook County. The report found that from 2020-2021, 99 infants died suddenly and unexpectedly. Of these, 96 were sleep-related. The report also found that 99 percent of the sleep-related deaths involved an unsafe sleep situation. A large racial disparity was found with African-American infants dying at rates 14 times higher than white infants. With such high numbers or SUID cases, we need to continue to raise awareness of safe infant sleep practices to prevent them. Parents and caregivers should follow the ABCs of safe sleep: 1) Baby is Alone and has their own separate sleep space; 2) Baby is placed to sleep on their Back; and 3) Baby sleeps in a Crib, play yard or bassinet that meets the federal safety standard. The sleep surface should be firm to the touch, flat and not inclined. Other products such as crib bumper pads, pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, or toys should not be in the sleep environment.
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Groove and Give at Jasmine's 40th Birthday Bash |
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Wednesday, January 10, 2024 | 7:30 - 11:00 PM
Jazz Showcase | 806 South Plymouth Court Chicago, IL 60605
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This 40th birthday celebration hosted by longtime KID friend Jasmine Kwong is not just about candles and cake—it's about making a difference. Join us for an an amazing Jazz Concert and KID Fundraiser! With every jazz riff, you'll help support KID's life-saving mission. Come for the music, stay for the cause! Music will be created by Chicago All Stars: Miguel de la Cerna (piano), Ernie Adams (drums), Junius Paul (bass), Ari Brown (saxophone), and special guest: Dee Alexander (vocals). We will have Sugar Bliss cupcakes and raffle prizes from other great local businesses and organizations. The Jazz Showcase is the oldest and best jazz club in Chicago, founded in 1947. Purchase tickets and sponsorships here.
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Save the Date:
KID Best Friend Award Night April 25
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KID will hold our annual Best Friend Award (BFA) Night on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at the Gleacher Center in Chicago. The BFA Night marks our progress, honors the memory of Danny and other victims of unsafe children’s products, and celebrates champions of children’s safety. The BFA Night is KID’s primary annual fundraising event and the proceeds support our lifesaving programs year-round. KID is proud to honor Trista Hamsmith of Reese's Purpose for her advocacy in preventing battery ingestion. Stay tuned for more information. If you'd like to be a sponsor of the event, learn about our sponsorship options here.
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The CPSC released warnings about 12 other dangerous products this month. View our Digest to see these additional products.
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Suffocation/Entrapment/
Laceration
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Strangulation/Entanglement |
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