Little Tikes Recall

[imagine]

Little Tikes has announced a recall

http://www.littletikes.com/consumers...content_id=690

[littleplum]

None of those toys are appropriate for an 11 month old. They are all clearly marked either age 2 and up or age 3 and up. So, because one irresponsible caretaker allowed an infant to play with an inappropriate toy, they are recalling toys that are 15 years old?

[Nishu]

None of those toys are appropriate for an 11 month old. They are all clearly marked either age 2 and up or age 3 and up. So, because one irresponsible caretaker allowed an infant to play with an inappropriate toy, they are recalling toys that are 15 years old?

I'd let my 13 month old play with anyone one of those things. I don't check for the age suggestions on every single toy in the room when we go to friends houses, play rooms or doctor's offices. Do you?

Safety regs generally (far as I know) require that toys meant for anything below age 3 be free of choking hazards so the 2+ toys would have qualified, making the presence of the plastic nails inappropriate.

Those nails are obviously not toys and were meant to hold the toy together. The toy that this kid was playing with may have been falling apart, otherwise I don't know how he would have been able to get a hold of it. In all likely hood, this child was probably walking around with this plastic nail in his mouth and fell forward, lodging the nail in his throat. I wouldn't go so far as to call the caretaker negligent. The plastic nail is brightly colored plastic and can look like a toy itself, so I can understand a parent overlooking it. Half a second is as long as it takes for a child to pick something up, put it in his mouth and fall forward.

This isn't a massive recall that involves mailing a ton of 15 year old toys back to the manufacturer. They're offering to replace those nails. It's no big deal.

[monkeywrangler71]

The nails are part of the toy, you pretend to nail them into the workbench with the plastic hammer. My kids have been playing with them since they were infants and I have no clue how anyone could choke on them as they are huge.

[Nishu]

Oh, my bad. I thought I saw a kitchen set in there so I figured they must be to hold something together.

[littleplum]

I'd let my 13 month old play with anyone one of those things. I don't check for the age suggestions on every single toy in the room when we go to friends houses, play rooms or doctor's offices. Do you?

Safety regs generally (far as I know) require that toys meant for anything below age 3 be free of choking hazards so the 2+ toys would have qualified, making the presence of the plastic nails inappropriate.

Those nails are obviously not toys and were meant to hold the toy together. The toy that this kid was playing with may have been falling apart, otherwise I don't know how he would have been able to get a hold of it. In all likely hood, this child was probably walking around with this plastic nail in his mouth and fell forward, lodging the nail in his throat. I wouldn't go so far as to call the caretaker negligent. The plastic nail is brightly colored plastic and can look like a toy itself, so I can understand a parent overlooking it. Half a second is as long as it takes for a child to pick something up, put it in his mouth and fall forward.

This isn't a massive recall that involves mailing a ton of 15 year old toys back to the manufacturer. They're offering to replace those nails. It's no big deal.

Those nails ARE part of the toy. And they fit through in toilet paper tube, so they are a no-no for very small toddlers/infants.


Here are some practical tips for reducing choking hazards in the home:

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/bab...ke-hazard.html

[Nishu]

Those nails ARE part of the toy. And they fit through in toilet paper tube, so they are a no-no for very small toddlers/infants.

Vertically, and by that standard so does a broomstick. And the nail got forced into his throat, which is pretty much the only way he could have choked on it. Left to their own devices, a baby can't possibly put a 3x1 plastic nail in his mouth and swallow it. I can grab a couple of toys meant for babies that could feasibly be forced down a child's throat.

Even by the standards of the list you jsut posted...

3. Keep toys designed for kids older than 3 away from younger ones and teach your older children to keep their toys away from younger siblings.

If some of those toys were for 2+, that means they wouldn't fall under the recommendation to keep away from babies.

[littleplum]

Even by the standards of the list you jsut posted...



If some of those toys were for 2+, that means they wouldn't fall under the recommendation to keep away from babies.

Right. But not a single one of those was rated for a child under a year old. And a toy targeted for 2+ is still not appropriate for a child of 11 months old.

And to address your even sillier comment - I don't think a broom is an appropriate toy for an 11 month old, either. Which is why they are locked in the closet, rather than kept in the toy box. The recall stated that the nail was lodged in his throat, not that he swallowed it or that someone held him down and shoved it in there. I've read other articles that give the impression that he had put it in his mouth and then fell.

[Nishu]

And to address your even sillier comment - I don't think a broom is an appropriate toy for an 11 month old, either. Which is why they are locked in the closet, rather than kept in the toy box. The recall stated that the nail was lodged in his throat, not that he swallowed it or that someone held him down and shoved it in there. I've read other articles that give the impression that he had put it in his mouth and then fell.

That's exactly my point. We make these regulations because children that age swallow things. If we're going to try to protect them from every single thing that might get accidentally lodged in their throat after a forward fall, then half of all the baby toys we have are going to have to be recalled.

For example:
Sofie giraffe teether:


Baby keys


Look at this octopus!



This is a "protect your own butt" recall, not a "Oh no our kids are in danger" recall.

And those age ranges you so staunchly cling to? Those are recommended ages based on the abilities and interests of the children. They are not safety guidelines. If the manufacturer had a reasonable concern that these toys posed a choking hazard, they would put the "not for 3 and under" label on them.