Standard Homeopathic Company, in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is voluntarily recalling its Hyland’s Teething Tablets. The company is initiating this recall in an abundance of caution due to an FDA investigation of its manufacturing facility. Hyland’s Teething Tablets are manufactured in the United States and distributed throughout North America.

The Hyland’s Teething Tablets UPC codes included in the recall are:

1. Hyland’s Teething Tablets, 125 tablets, UPC # 3 54973 75041
2. Hyland’s Teething Tablets, 250 tablets, UPC # 3 54973 75042
3. Hyland’s Teething Tablets, 125 tablets, UPC # 3 54973 75066
4. Hyland’s Teething Tablets, 50 tablets, UPC # 3 54973 75044
5. Hyland’s Teething Tablets, 145 tablets, UPC # 3 54973 75121
6. Hyland’s Teething Tablets, Clip Strip 6x125 tablets, UPC # 3 54973 35109

Adverse events have been reported but the FDA has said that a conclusive link has NOT been determined. The company, in working with the FDA, has identified manufacturing processes of Teething Tablets that can be improved to ensure uniformity in dosage. As a homeopathic product, Hyland’s Teething Tablets have a wide margin of safety that protects consumers from harm.

After in-depth analysis, a comprehensive review of the company’s adverse event report log, and more than 85 years of safe usage, the company is confident that Hyland’s Teething Tablets are safe for infants and toddlers.

In addition to the product recall, Standard Homeopathic Company is refining its production, packaging and testing protocols. Throughout the process, Standard Homeopathic Company will continue to closely monitor and evaluate the situation and consult with FDA.

Consumers that are concerned about the safety of the product may contact Standard Homeopathic Company for instructions on a refund or replacement product. For these instructions or information regarding how to return or dispose of the product, consumers should log on to www.hylandsteething.com/recall or call 1-877-496-5044 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time, and Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time).

Evenflo Co. is recalling nearly 14,000 of its Maestro combination child booster seats because of a crack that developed in laboratory tests.

The company said Friday it has received no reports of the crack occurring in field and no injuries have been reported.

The voluntary recall affects seats with model numbers starting with 310. They were built from Nov. 24, 2009 to April 9 of this year. Another 4,479 seats are being recalled in Canada. They were made through April 26 of this year.

The company says it will send notices to registered owners of the seats. Evenflo plans to distribute an easily installed reinforcing bracket that will fix the problem.

Consumer Reports magazine said the recall came after its tests showed the seat can crack and fail in a simulated 30 mph frontal collision.

Children weighing under 40 pounds should not use the seat without the repair bracket, Evenflo said in a statement. Those over 40 pounds can still use it as a seat belt-positioning booster until the repair kit arrives, the company said.

Evenflo said it will remove all the affected seats from store shelves.

7 Million Trikes Pose Genital Injury Hazard; Different Risks in Other Toys

Fisher-Price has recalled more than 11 million toys for various reasons, including 7 million tricycles with a protruding key that has caused genital injuries to young girls.

There have been 10 reports of injuries from the tricycles, including six incidents requiring medical attention after 2- and 3-year-old girls fell on the disc- or D-shaped keys. Some of these injuries resulted in genital bleeding.

At the same time, Fisher-Price is announcing recalls of several other toys with parts that pose a choking hazard and recalls of high chairs with pegs on the rear legs that have cut or otherwise injured children.

Details on each of the recalls are below.

Abbott is initiating a proactive, voluntary recall of certain Similac-brand, powder infant formulas in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam and some countries in the Caribbean.

Abbott is recalling these products following an internal quality review, which detected the remote possibility of the presence of a small common beetle in the product produced in one production area in a single manufacturing facility. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that while the formula containing these beetles poses no immediate health risk, there is a possibility that infants who consume formula containing the beetles or their larvae, could experience symptoms of gastrointestinal discomfort and refusal to eat as a result of small insect parts irritating the GI tract. If these symptoms persist for more than a few days, a physician should be consulted.

The recall of these powder infant formulas includes:

• Certain Similac powder product lines offered in plastic containers.
•  
• Certain Similac powder product lines offered in sizes such as 8-ounce, 12.4-ounce and 12.9-ounce cans.

To immediately find out if the product in your possession is included in this recall, parents and caregivers should visit http://similac.com/recall/lookup.aspx, and type in their lot number to determine if their product is affected, or call (800) 986-8850.

Fisher-Price, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and Health Canada on Thursday announced a voluntary recall of approximately 96,000 Little People Play-n-Go Campsites in the U.S. (14,000 in Canada) because of a choking hazard, according to an Aug. 5 CPSC press release.

The recalled seven-piece plastic play set contains a character named Sonya Lee (see a photo of the character to the right), who can break at her waist and expose small parts that could pose a choking hazard to children.

No injuries have been reported, but Fisher-Price, a division of Mattel based in East Aurora, N.Y., said it has received eight reports of the Sonya Lee figure breaking.

"Only Sonya Lee figures that bend at the waist, have a green sweater and purple camera around the neck are included in this recall," according to the CPSC. "No other Sonya Lee figure is affected. The remaining pieces of the Little People Play 'n Go Campsite are not affected."

Consumers should immediately take the recalled play set away from children and contact Fisher-Price by calling 800-432-5437 to arrange a return of the Sonya Lee figure to receive a free replacement figure.

The recalled play sets were manufactured in China and were sold at "major retailers including mass merchandisers, discount stores, department stores and toy stores nationwide and in Puerto Rico, and by online retailers from Oct. 2009 through Aug. 2010 for about $15," according to the CPSC.

For more information, visit Mattel's Web site regarding the Fisher-Price recall here.

Always use the Nap Nanny on the floor away from any other products.

Another warning today about crib safety -- this time about NOT using certain sleepers inside the cribs.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is recalling 30,000 Nap Nanny portable baby recliners after the death of a 4-month-old girl from Royal Oak, Michigan who died in a Nap Nanny that was being used in a crib.

According to preliminary reports, the infant was in her harness and found hanging over the side of the product, caught between the Nap Nanny and the crib bumper like in the reenactment image below made by the CPSC to demonstrate the possibility.

There was another incident in which an infant became entrapped when the Nap Nanny was used in a crib, contrary to the product instructions. In that incident, the infant fell over the side of the Nap Nanny, despite being harnessed in, and was caught between the baby recliner and the side of the crib. In that case, the infant cut her forehead but suffered no major injury. There have been about two dozen additional reports of infants under 5 months falling over the Nap Nanny's side in a similar fashion when not in a crib. The CPSC says infants can partially hang over the side of the Nap Nanny even while the harness is in use.

"This situation can be worse if the Velcro straps, located inside the Nap Nanny cover are not properly attached to the "D"-rings located on the foam, or if consumers are using the first generation model Nap Nanny® that was sold without "D"-rings," says the CPSC.

According to the CPSC, the Nap Nanny should only be used on the floor -- never on a table or in a crib, which the directions say -- because of the danger of a child wiggling over the side despite being harnasses in.

Details of the recall from the CPSC:

Crib recall involves some 2 million cribs from seven manufacturers because of suffocation and fall-out hazards.

A massive crib recall was announced Thursday, which includes some 2 million cribs manufactured by seven companies, including Simmons Juvenile Products, Million Dollar Baby, LaJobi, Jardine, Evenflo, Delta Enterprise, and Child Craft Industries.

Eight crib models are included in the voluntarily recall. All but one have drop sides that can “malfunction, detach or otherwise fail, causing part of the drop side to fall out of position, and creating a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped, which can lead to strangulation or suffocation,” according to a statement released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The exception – the Child Craft brand "Crib ‘N' Double Bed" – is a stationary-side crib, but it poses a similar hazard, according to the CPSC. It comes with side panels that can be assembled upside-down but appear correctly constructed, leaving a dangerous five-inch gap at the top of the crib where toddlers can become ensnarled.

For owners of the recalled drop-side cribs, the CPSC is urging parents to stop using them immediately and find a safe place for their child to sleep.

For owners of the recalled Child Craft stationary crib, the commission says parents may continue to use the crib after ensuring that it has been assembled correctly.

Below is detailed information about how to repair or replace the various recalled products. More information is available at the CPSC’s crib recall website.

While cribs, bassinets and play yards are the safest places to place your baby to sleep, nearly 9 million cribs and numerous bassinets and play yards have been recalled since 2007.

2.5 Million Step2 Toy Buggies Recalled

A problem with handles has led Step2 Co. to recall 2.5 million ride-on toys that pose a "serious risk of injury to young children," the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.

Two children needed "professional medical treatment" after the handle detached from the car-like buggies, and 26 children got scraped and scratched in other incidents, the agency said in a statement, Bloomberg reported.

A pin with a yellow head on Step2's "Push Around and Whisper Ride" buggies can come loose, enabling the buggy to roll way, the agency said.

The recall applies to buggies sold from August 1999 through March 2010 for $29 to $59, the CPSC said.

Consumers are advised to stop using the buggies and contact Step2 for a free repair kit, by calling 1-866-860-1887 or visiting the company's website, www.step2.com, the agency said.

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx.

Children's and Infants' OTC Tylenol and Motrin, and Children's Zyrtec and Bendryl are being immediately recalled by Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit.

The products in question are all liquid versions Tylenol, Motril, Zyrtec and Benadryl. The complete list of affected products is below.

"As a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children," reads a McNeil Consumer Healthcare release issued April 30.

The recall is voluntary, and not because the company has seen any "adverse medical events." Rather, the issue seems to be one of quality control. The company says that some of the products could have higher concentrations of active ingredients than specified on the packaging, contain inactive ingredients that don't meet quality control standards, or may contain tiny particles.

For additional information consumers can visit www.mcneilproductrecall.com or call 1-888-222-6036 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time, and Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time).

About 217,000 Graco cribs have been recalled, due to a malfunction that can entrap, suffocate or strangle infants and toddlers, federal safety officials announced Thursday.

The recall includes so-called "drop side" wood cribs made by manufacturer LaJobi and branded with the Graco logo.

Faulty hardware can cause the drop side to detach from the crib, creating a gap "in which infants and toddlers can become wedged or entrapped, posing a risk of suffocation and strangulation," the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a press release.

Consumers should immediately stop using the cribs and contact LaJobi's recall hotline at (888) 842-2215 to receive a free hardware retrofit kit, the company said.

"We have moved swiftly and decisively, in full cooperation with the CPSC, to take this precautionary action and recall these cribs and deliver to owners a workable, easy and permanent solution," LaJobi said in a statement.

The CPSC and LaJobi received 99 complaints about the faulty drop side. Children were trapped in two cases and later freed by their caregivers. There were six reports of children falling out of the crib due to the malfunction.

While LaJobi, as the manufacturer, is primarily handling the recall, it marks the third major recall tied to the Graco name this year. Atlanta-based Graco Children's Products, a unit of Newell Rubbermaid Inc., recalled 1.5 million strollers in January and 1.2 million highchairs in March.

The cribs were sold, starting in February 2007 at retailers throughout the country for $140 to $200.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday announced a recall of all Simplicity full-size cribs with tubular metal mattress-support frames because the mattress can collapse and pose entrapment, suffocation, strangulation, and fall hazards to infants and toddlers, according to an April 29 CPSC press release. The recall includes both fixed-side and drop-side cribs. The CPSC has received a report of one infant death associated with these cribs.

"CPSC has received a report of a one-year-old child from North Attleboro, Mass. who suffocated when he became entrapped between the crib mattress and the crib frame in April 2008," according to the CPSC press release. "CPSC is aware of 13 additional incidents involving the recalled cribs collapsing due to the metal mattress- support frame bending or detaching, including one child entrapment that did not result in injury, and one child who suffered minor cuts to his head when his mattress collapsed and he fell out of the crib."

CPSC said crib owners should not attempt to fix these cribs. Immediately stop using the cribs and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for children.

Simplicity and its successor, SFCA Inc., are out of business, so the CPSC has limited information about the model numbers associated with this recall. Below is a list of the known model numbers involved in this recall, but crib owners should be aware that ALL Simplicity full-size cribs with tubular metal mattress-support frames:

More than 1 million baby slings made by Infantino were recalled Wednesday after claims linking them to three infant deaths.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said babies could suffocate in the soft fabric slings. The agency urged parents to immediately stop using the slings for babies under 4 months.

The recall involves 1 million Infantino "SlingRider" and "Wendy Bellissimo" slings in the United States and 15,000 in Canada.

Infantino President Jack Vresics said the company has been working closely with the commission on its sling concerns.

"Our top priority is the safety of infants whose parents and caregivers use our products," Vresics said in a statement. He said the company would offer a free replacement baby carrier, activity gym or shopping cart cover to any affected consumer.

The slings wrap around the chest so on-the-go parents can carry their babies or just stay close as they bond with their infants.

Earlier this month, CPSC issued a broad warning about sling-style baby carriers, saying they pose a potential suffocation risk to infants, especially babies under 4 months. Babies who had a low birth weight, were born prematurely or had breathing problems such as colds were also at risk.

At the time, the commission did not single out a specific type of sling or manufacturer. It said it had identified or was investigating at least 14 deaths in the last 20 years associated with baby slings.

The Graco high chair recall is the second major recall for the company in three months.

In September it was strollers, then strollers again in January. Now, in the third major child-safety recall in six months, consumers are being asked to stop using 1.2 million high chairs.

The Harmony High Chair, made by Graco Children's Products Inc., based in Atlanta, is not safe to use, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced Thursday.

The company is the maker of a stroller recalled in January. With 1.5 million units affected, that recall was the largest ever issued in the US.

On its company blog, Graco said the Harmony chair is the only high chair affected by the recall and that the company has “taken significant steps to assess and enhance our internal product design review processes and we are continually committed to developing safe products.”

US consumer watchdog orders a recall on half a million Generation 2 cribs.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission on Tuesday announced the recall of about 635,000 cribs after the death of a 6-month-old child and dozens of reports of safety problems.

The cribs, distributed by Barbados-based Dorel Asia, feature hardware that can fail, causing the drop-side to detach from the crib. When the drop-side detaches, it creates a space in which an infant or toddler can become trapped and suffocate or strangle, the agency said.

In addition, the cribs can pose an entrapment and strangulation hazard when a slat is damaged. This can occur when the crib is in use or in storage, when it is being put together, taken apart or reassembled, or during shipping and handling.

The safety commission said a 6-month-old from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, became trapped and died in one of the cribs after the drop-side hardware broke. The agency and Dorel Asia received 31 reports of drop-side incidents and 36 of slat breakage; a total of 10 injuries were reported.

In a separate statement, Dorel Asia said it had learned from a safety investigator that the 6-month-old's crib had been previously broken and that the parents had used duct tape to hold it together.

Wednesday's Graco stroller recall of 1.5 million units is the largest in US history. Here's how to find if you have a problem stroller.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a Graco stroller recall Wednesday that will total 1.5 million strollers. The recall concerns uncovered hinges on the canopy of the Graco Passage, Alano, and Spree strollers, which have caused seven severe injuries to toddler's fingers, according to the CPSC.

The strollers in question were sold between October 2004 and February 2008 at several dozen retailers including Target, Wal-Mart, Babies “R” Us, Toys “R” Us, Kmart, and Sears. The strollers cost between $80 and $200.

If you bought a Graco stroller during that period, check the stroller's model number against the chart at the bottom of this page or check out the CPSC's news release. (You can find the stroller's model number and manufacture date on the lower inside portion of the rear frame, just above the rear wheels.)

If you have one of the problem strollers, stop using it immediately, the CPSC warns, and order a repair kit from Graco. You can find those order forms here. or by calling 800-345-4109. (Be forewarned: The Graco website was operating extremely slowly at 10 a.m. EST, probably due to the increased traffic the recall is generating.)

The company has set up a FAQ post regarding the recall on it's blog. Graco is also responding to stroller owners via Twitter.

Customers outside the United States are also eligible for the recall, according to Graco.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada today announced a recall of almost 80,000 Evenflo ExerSaucer 1-2-3 Tea for Me Activity Learning Centers.

The CPSC says, "the candle flame attached to the top of the cake toy can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children... Evenflo has received 11 reports of the toy flames detaching. Five of the incidents occurred in the United States and six in Canada. No injuries have been reported."

Here's the details about the product recall from the CPSC:

• This recall involves Evenflo ExerSaucer® 1-2-3 Tea for Me activity learning centers. The tea party themed toys have a two–tier cake that is light blue, dark pink and yellow.
   
• Models included in the recall are 6161834 and 6161920. The model numbers are printed on the packaging and on a label located on the underside of the base of the product.
   
• The recommended age for use of this product is 4 months to walking.
   

Two babies - 4 months old and 5 month old- died this summer while sleeping in their Amby Baby Motion Beds/Hammocks, prompting a recall today by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. (Read a PDF of the official recall notice by Clicking Here.)

The CPSC says consumers should stop using the recalled bassinet immediately. About 24,000 of the Amby Baby Motion Beds are a part of the recall. The CPSC says, "The side-to-side shifting or tilting of the hammock can cause the infant to roll and become entrapped or wedged against the hammock’s fabric and/or mattress pad, resulting in a suffocation hazard... Amby Baby is aware of two infant suffocation deaths in the Amby Baby hammock. In June 2009, a 4-month-old girl in Lawrenceville, Georgia died in a baby hammock and in August 2009, a 5-month-old boy from Gresham, Oregon."

Details of the recall from the CPSC:

• The Amby Baby Motion Bed consists of a steel frame and a fabric hammock which are connected by a large spring and metal crossbar. There is only one model of the hammock available which can be identified by a label sewn onto the hammock stating: “Amby – Babies Love It, Naturally.”
  
  
• Sold online at: Ambybaby.com and other Internet retailers from January 2003 through October 2009 for about $250.
  
  

Advocates say shoppers need to know risks

A consumer advocacy group is hoping holiday shoppers will cross several toys off their gift lists this year.

The U. S. Public Interest Research Group rounded up more than 30 toys it said pose choking and strangulation hazards, violate labeling regulations and exceed acceptable noise and toxin levels.

The findings are published in its annual “Trouble in Toyland” (PDF) report. Additional information was published by HealthyStuff.org.

Among the toys deemed dangerous are the MLB Soft Sport glove, bat and ball set; a Disney High School Musical argyle belt and Learning Curve’s Gordon from the Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway. They were found to exceed legal levels of lead, chlorine, cadmium, arsenic, mercury or bromine. Those toxins have been linked to hampered development, birth defects and cancer.

Pucci Pups, stuffed dogs in play pet carriers, come with long leashes that could strangle a child, the report said. The box lacks an explicit strangulation warning, and manufacturer Battat recommends it for children ages 2 and up. Similarly, a Disney Toy Story Buddy Pack contains small pieces on which kids can easily choke, the consumer group said.

These potential hazards were found despite tightened regulations put in place by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act last year. Toys are required by law to meet strict safety standards, but testing is not required to be sure those standards are met, the group said.