Consuming Interests: 1.5 million Graco strollers recalled due to fingertip amputations, lacerations

Let’s start off with a quote from The Baltimore Sun report on strollers that carry the risk of your child’s fingers being amputated.

Families that own Graco Passage, Alano and Spree strollers and travel systems should stop using them until they receive a free protective cover kit from the company, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Graco issued the voluntary stroller recall after receiving seven reports of children hurting their fingers in the canopy hinge, resulting in five fingertip amputations and two lacerations, the CPSC has announced.

About 1.5 million of these strollers and travel systems have been sold at stores like Burlington Coat Factory, Babies “R” Us, Toys “R” Us, Kmart, Sears, Target, Walmart between October 2004 and December.

But not all of these models have the offending hinge — be sure to check your model number on the CPSC site and compare your canopy hinge to the photos above to determine whether yours is affected.

Cribs, strollers, bracelets, jackets – you name it – there’s probably a recall.  For parents concerned -as I’m sure you all are – about what products for children are out there that pose safety risks, we suggest you check out the list on the Consumer Product Safety Commission website.

You can also follow them on Twitter.  Just type in U.S. CPSC and then do the drop-down to follow them.

Why wait until you read it – possibly too late – in a newspaper account of some other horrible tragedy involving a child.

Did you know that 210,000 children’s jackets with drawstrings manufactured by GTM Sportswear Inc., of Manhattan, Kansas were recalled?

How about children’s greeting cards with bracelets – called Papyrus Brand Greeting Cards with bracelets?  174,000 of them were recalled because they were found to be in violation of the lead paint standard.

Did you know that just under 10,000 toy guns (called Special Forces and Police SWAT Toy Gun Sets) were recalled because the orange tips located at the end of the toy guns’ barrels, which are designed to distinguish them from real guns, can easily be removed from the barrels, posing a choking hazard to children.

You get the point no doubt.

The information on dangers to your children and recalls by the CPSC is all out there.  Even if you don’t ‘do’ Facebook or tweet, check out the CPSC website.  If you’re a blogger, check out their blog page – OnSafety.  Like RSS feeds – that’s there for you as well – just click on one of these links and make your RSS feed connection.

An informed consumer is also a safety-conscious parent.

Tags: child safety, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Nash & Associates, product recalls