The timing couldn’t be worse. Just as parents, grandparents — and, most of all, manufacturers — are gearing up for the annual holiday toy-buying extravaganza, Fisher-Price has recalled more than 10 million tricycles, toys and high chairs because of concerns over safety.
The bulk of the recall involves 7 million toddler tricycles, some sporting Barbie and Dora the Explorer. Several of the product lines involved actual injuries, including 14 models of a tricycle with a protruding pretend ignition key that can cause genital bleeding if a child falls on it. Ten injuries have been reported. Seven models of infant activity centers have valves that have detached; there have been three reports of children choking. The recall also includes nearly 950,000 high chairs with pegs on the back legs that have injured seven children. (More on Time.com: Similac Recall Outrages Parents: Are Beetles Bad?)
Most of the products were sold in the U.S., but about 400,000 items are being recalled in Canada.
On its website, Fisher-Price reached out directly to consumers with a letter from general manager Kevin Curran beginning, “Dear Fisher-Price Parents & Grandparents.”
“Many of us here at Fisher-Price are parents, too — myself included — and we share your belief that nothing is more important than the well-being of our children,” says Curran. “I can reassure you that our business operates in a highly regulated environment, which means that toys are overwhelmingly safe.”
It’s been increasingly difficult to believe that. It was only a few years ago that toymakers announced massive recalls of products made in China because they didn’t meet lead standards. Every day, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission comes out with another press release detailing yet another product recall. (On Wednesday, the CPSC warned parents of babies to immediately stop using sleep positioners as they’re linked to a dozen deaths.) It’s a wonder children are making it to adulthood.
CPSC commended Fisher-Price for the way it’s handling the current recall, but it simultaneously issued a general reprimand to the manufacturing world at large: “Fisher-Price did the right thing in agreeing to provide consumers with free remedies for these products. But all companies must do better. They must give more attention to building safety into their products. They must work to ensure that they are adhering to safety standards. Meanwhile, as moms, dads and caregivers, you, too, have a role. We thank the dozens of you who reported these incidents.”
I’ve always wondered how the CPSC finds out about product-related injuries in the first place. Now I know it’s because parents — or any disgruntled customers — contact them directly. (More on Time.com: Egg Investigation Heads to Maine)
See below for a list of the Fisher-Price recalled products:
Trikes
72633 Hot Wheels Trike
72639 Barbie™ Butterfly Trike
72642 Lil’ Kawasaki® Trike
72643 Tough Trike
72644 Tough Trike
72792 Kawasaki Trike
B8775 Kawasaki® Ninja® Tough Trike
B8776 Barbie™ Tough Trike
K6672 Nick Jr./Dora the Explorer Tough Trike
K6673 Go, Diego, Go! Tough Trike
M5727 Barbie™ Tough Trike Princess Ride-On
N6021 Kawasaki Tough Trike
T6209 Thomas & Friends™ Tough Trike
V4270 Go, Diego, Go!™ Kid-Tough™ Trike
Rampway
T4261 Little People® Wheelies™ Stand ‘n Play™ Rampway
V6378 Little People® Wheelies™ Stand ‘n Play™ Rampway Gift Set
Infant toys with inflatable balls
73408 Baby Playzone™ Crawl & Cruise Playground™
B2408 Baby Playzone™ Crawl & Slide Arcade™
C3068 Ocean Wonders™ Kick & Crawl™ Aquarium
H5704 Baby Gymtastics™ Play Wall
H8094 Ocean Wonders™ Kick & Crawl™ Aquarium
J0327 1-2-3 Tetherball
K0476 Bat & Score Goal™
High Chairs
79638 Healthy Care™ High Chair
79639 Healthy Care™ High Chair
79640 Healthy Care™ High Chair
79641 Healthy Care™ High Chair
B0326 Deluxe Healthy Care™ High Chair
B2105 Deluxe Healthy Care™ High Chair
B2875 Healthy Care™ High Chair
C4630 Healthy Care™ High Chair
C4632 Link-a-doos™ Deluxe Plus Healthy Care™ High Chair
C5936 Healthy Care™ High Chair
G4406 Healthy Care™ High Chair
G8659 Aquarium Healthy Care High Chair™
H0796 Deluxe Healthy Care™ High Chair
H1152 Healthy Care™ High Chair
H4864 Aquarium Healthy Care™ High Chair
H7241 Healthy Care™ High Chair
H8906 Close to Me™ High Chair
H9178 Easy Clean™ High Chair
J4011 Easy Clean™ High Chair
J6292 Easy Clean™ High Chair
J8229 Easy Clean™ High Chair
K2927 Rainforest™ Healthy Care™ High Chair
L1912 Healthy Care™ High Chair
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