In its great, revitalized mission to rid the world below our knees of potentially injurious protrusions, the CPSC has recalled more than 10 million Fisher-Price trikes, playsets, and high chairs.
The biggest news is the 7 million kids' trikes--sold from 2001 until June 2010--which have protruding plastic keys right at toddler-crotch level. Diapers are apparently not enough padding to protect kids from injury, because the CPSC has reports of at least 10 incidents of injuries from kids 2-3yo falling on the key, including several girls needing medical attention for "genital bleeding."
The CPSC says that "Consumers should immediately place the trikes out of children's reach and contact Fisher-Price for a free replacement key," which--does that mean you could just solve the problem by taking out the crotch-crushing key?
Trikes manufactured after June 16, 2010 have a newer, lower-profile key, which is just fine. [Though it does look kind of small and choke-hazardy, no?] Which also means that this recall and redesign have been in the works long enough for Fisher-Price to design a non-genital-threatening key and put it into production. So to any parents whose kids' genitals were assaulted by Fisher-Price's key in the last year or so, the Baby Industrial Complex sends their apologies sympathetic non-admissions-of-responsibility for your kid's parent-error-caused injuries.
As for the other 3 million Fisher-Price recall items: there are a 100,000 race cars with wheels that might pop off; a few hundred thousand high chairs with apparently dangerous tray hooks on the back legs; and 2.8 million infant activity mats with inflatable balls whose valves can come off and pose a choking hazard.
These vinyl beach ball-looking balls are all on infant toys produced between 2001 and 2008. 46 incidents of the valves coming off, 14 of them involving the valve in the kid's mouth, and 1 where the kid was beginning to choke, but no injuries. And the remedy involves a fix, but not discarding the balls. This all seems like the CPSC continuing to work through their incident backlog and clear potentially hazardous toys from the marketplace. Hmm, I wonder what was going on between 2001 and 2008 that they didn't do it then?
Fisher-Price Recalls Children's Trikes Due to Risk of Serious Injury [cpsc]
