|
Child seats, cups recalled
|
 |
July 8, 1999: 10:05 a.m. ET
670,000 Cosco car seat-infant carriers, 273,000 Hasbro spillproof cups affected
|
NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Cosco and Hasbro, both makers of children's products, issued recalls Thursday in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Cosco is recalling 670,000 child safety seats that convert into infant carriers because of faulty locks on the handles, the company said Thursday.
The recall is being prompted by reports to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and a unit of Dorel Industries (DIIBF), the seat manufacturer. The reports indicate that when the seat is used as an infant carrier, the handle locks can release unexpectedly while a child is being moved, causing the seat to flip forward. When this happens, the infant can fall out and suffer injuries as a result.
To date, there have been 151 reports of the locks releasing, Cosco said. Twenty-nine children have been injured in falls from the seats, with injuries ranging from scrapes and bruises to skull fractures and a broken arm.
Cosco is offering a free repair kit for the product.
The recall applies to the Arriva and Turnabout infant car seat/carrier models manufactured between March 1, 1995 and Sept. 9, 1997. The manufacture date and model number are written on a label located on the side of the seat.
The price of the seats ranged between $29 and $59 when sold alone, and between $89 and $139 when sold with strollers, the company said.
Cosco and the safety agencies said the seats are still safe to be used in a car, but that consumers should refrain from using them as infant carriers until the handles are fixed.
"Parents should continue using these rear-facing infant car seats, but should not use the carrying handle until a repair kit has been installed," said NHTSA Administrator Dr. Ricardo Martinez.
"This is a serious problem that puts infants at risk," said Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Ann Brown. "The handle locks on these car seat carriers can release without warning. Even if you regularly buckle your child into the seat, parents who have this car seat should call for a free repair kit immediately."
To obtain a repair kit or a list of the specific model numbers affected, visit Cosco's Web site or call the company at 1-800-221-6736 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET on weekdays.
Hasbro cups may cause choking
Playskool, a division of Hasbro Inc. (HAS), said Thursday it is voluntarily recalling 273,000 spill-proof cups due to a spout that tears at the slitted opening, posing a choking hazard to children.
Playskool said it received 115 reports of the flexible spout tearing, including six reports of children who had pieces in their mouths as a result. No injuries were reported, however.
The cups, which have a twist-on lid and a yellow spout, are designed for children aged 6 months and up. The lids come in various colors and have "Playskool" written on them. Written on the bottom of the cups are the words "Made in China" and "Hasbro."
The models of the cups being recalled include the 6 oz. and 8 oz. Spillproof Cup; the 6 oz. Spillproof Trainer Cup, which comes with two handles; the 7 oz. and 10 oz. Easy Grip Spillproof Cups; and two models with Teletubby decals -- the 8 oz. Spillproof Trainer and the 6 oz. Spillproof Cup.
The cups were sold between January 1998 and July 1999 at major retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target. They came in single- and two-packs, and cost between $3 and $6.
The company and the CPSC said parents and caregivers should not allow young children to use these cups until they have obtained a free, redesigned lid.
To request a replacement lid, call Playskool at (888) 690-6166 anytime. 
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
