Children’s product recalls can lead to devastating outcomes, P. 1

We hear about child-related product recalls every now and then, especially when they lead to a tragic outcome. If you go to websites such as kidsindanger.org, you can read through many tragic stories of products hurting or killing children. The problem is a lot more frequent than some readers may think.

In fact, kids’ products are recalled more than two times every week. That amounts to more than 100 children’s product recalls every year. The issue with these types of product recalls is that companies don’t exactly spend a lot of resources advertising the recall. They will usually send out a press release to let consumers know. That’s why it is important to keep an eye on product recall websites in order to keep track of recalled items. Chances are good that you may have a recalled product in your home at one time or another.

Just about anything can be recalled: toys, cribs, bouncers, high chairs, you name it. These recalls are usually regulated by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), although this agency can’t really force a company to recall an item. The hope is that the company makes that decision after learning of any defects or issues related to a product in order to protect consumers.

We will continue our discussion on defective children’s products in future posts, looking at some of the more serious cases. While some products may only lead to minor injuries, other seemingly innocent products can be deadly. For parents who lose a child as a result of a product they purchased, the reality is truly devastating.