Oball Baby Rattles Recalled for Choking Hazard
Oball Baby Rattles Recalled for Choking Hazard
About 680,000 baby rattles sold at large retailers nationwide were recalled for potential choking hazards. According to an NBC Bay Area news report, hundreds of thousands of Oball baby rattles made by Kids II have been recalled because of the possibility that the small beads could pose a choking hazard if part of the rattle breaks. So far, Kids II has received 42 reports of the plastic disc that contains the beads breaking in Oball rattles. Three children were reported to have gagged and two other children reportedly had the beads in their mouths.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is advising consumers take the rattles away from children and contact Oball for a full refund. The rattles were sold nationwide at Target, Walgreens and Wal-Mart as well as online at several retailers between January 2016 and February 2017. The recalled rattles are four-inch-wide pink, blue, green and orange balls with finger holes and clear plastic discs that contain beads. For more information, visit kidsii.com and click on “recalls” at the bottom of the page.
Toy-Related Injuries
About 217,000 children are treated at hospital emergency rooms for toy-related injuries every year, according to the CPSC. Riding toys such as tricycles and non-powered scooters are the leading cause of toy-related injuries followed by choking, drowning and suffocation. Children under 3 are at a greater risk of choking on toys than older children due to their tendency to put everything in their mouths. Also, the upper airways of children under age 3 are smaller than those of older children.
How Can You Prevent Choking?
Small toys are the biggest danger to young children. Even toys that meet certain safety standards could pose a choking hazard. So, it is important that parents and caregivers be extremely vigilant when choosing toys for their young children. If you are selecting toys for babies or toddlers, make sure all parts are larger than 1 ¾ inches, which is approximately the width of a toilet paper roll.
If the toy can fit inside a toilet paper roll, don’t buy it. Before buying a toy check CPSC’s recall list to make sure it’s not on it. Be especially careful when you are taking hand-me-downs or while buying used toys. If your child has been injured due to a defective toy, please contact an experienced product defect lawyer to obtain more information about your legal rights.
