By: Allison Lane

The consumer product safety commission has pulled over one million over the shoulder baby/child slings off of the market in North America.  Two Infantino carriers in particular, SlingRider and Wedny Bellissimo, are being pulled off the market completely as a threat of being deadly to children 4 months or younger.

To date, there are three infant deaths confirmed as a result of strangulation from these baby slings.  The risk with these particular products are not age specific.  Parents and caregivers are being urged to discontinue the use of the Infantino sling in general.  The Infantino sling places the baby very far down into the sling.  If the baby is turned into the mother, the baby’s airway is restricted, or the fabric may cover the baby’s nose or mouth.

Consumers are urged to discontinue use immediately and contact Infantino LLC for a free replacement product.  Infantino released a statement that the SlingRider was a “safe product”.

By: Allison Lane

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a controversial, industrial chemical that has been present in many baby bottles, plastic bottles, food and drink containers, and many other household items since the 1960s.  BPA is a plastic hardener and an ingredient in epoxy resin, commonly used in can linings.  In January 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revisited new studies and found that there were not immediate restrictions on its use.  However, in October 2009, NIH announced an approximately $30 million grant to study the health effects of BPA for the next two years, to hopefully have more defined results.

The concern is primarily focused on the effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children. BPA is believed to mimic the hormone estrogen, which may tie it to
reproductive abnormalities and increased risks of cancer and diabetes. Infants and young children appear to be the most vulnerable because their reproductive organs are not completely formed.

It appears that humans are generally exposed to unsafe levels of BPA. The FDA is taking steps to reduce human exposure to BPA by either replacing BPA or by minimizing the levels of BPA in food can linings and
baby bottles and infant feeding cups.  Pregnant women and young children are encouraged to limit the amount of drinking from hard water bottles and from eating out of cans.

By: Allison Lane

This week, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled Generation 2 Worldwide and “ChildESIGNS” Drop Side Cribs.  The warnings reveal that these drop side cribs put infants and toddlers at risk of serious injury or death due to strangulation and suffocation. 

The CPSC advises that parents and caregivers should not try to fix the cribs themselves.  They encourage parents to stop using the cribs immediately and find an alternative safe sleeping environment.

These cribs have plastic hardware that can break, causing the drop side to detach from the corner of the crib.  When the side detaches, infants can fall between the mattress and the drop side, and either fall to the floor, or become stuck and suffocate.  Injuries may be minor cuts and bruises, but they may also be as serious as broken bones or death.  Three children have died from suffocating between the mattress and the drop side. 

Depending on the retailer, consumers should immediately contact the store where the crib was purchased, and either request a refund, replacement or store credit.  These recalled cribs were sold at a number of stores, including, Buy Buy Baby, Kmart and Walmart.  If consumers have any other problems with these cribs, they are encouraged to immediately report the difficulties to the CPSC.

By: Allison Lane

Since 2006, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported five deaths and 16 near strangulations related to Roman-style shades and roll-up blinds. These blinds become hazardous when the cord is exposed to a child’s reach. There are numerous ways these cords are hazardous, but the most common dangers occur if the shade’s looped cord is not attached to the wall or floor, and then a child’s neck can become entangled in the free standing loop.

There are alternatives to roll-up blinds, such as plantation shutters, automatic blinds, and cordless window coverings. While some of the alternatives may be more expensive, it is crucial to protect the safety of the children in your home. As the number of lawsuits increase, we as consumers have to take the initiative to make changes to protect our families. Prior to an accident occurring in your home, be certain that you are making every reasonable effort to remove all items that may be harmful to children. Examine all of the blinds in your home and remove or hide any cord that can be easily reached. At the very least, move all of your furniture, cribs and children’s toys away from the windows so the cords are less accessible to children.

Multiple retailers are participating in this recall please see www.windowcoverings.org for more information. If you, a family member or friend are faced with any tragedy or near tragedy associated with these blinds, please contact Balkan & Patterson.

Kids are going back to school throughout South Florida, and the rest of the country will soon follow. Keeping our children safe is any parent’s number one priority, and the attorneys at the law firm of Balkan & Patterson work hard to keep our communities safe and our laws strong. There are a number of resources available on our website and on the Internet for parents, including safety tips and methods for helping keep your children out of danger.

One measure parents can take is to make sure they have up-to-date information on their child. This information helps greatly in the event on an emergency, and our law firm can provide you with a free child identification kit. The child identification kits assist parents in creating a private and extremely comprehensive record of their child’s personal and medical information, for use in an emergency. The kits allow parents to make fingerprint and dental records, along with a complete and accurate description of the child. In an emergency where a child is missing, the first few hours are critical to a safe recovery. These kits help police and other emergency personnel in finding lost or missing children.

To request a kit, please contact us online at www.balkanpatterson.com or call 561-750-9191.

The personal injury law firm Balkan & Patterson, LLP, is an advocate for child safety and has made a donation of child identification kits to the Lighthouse Point Police Department and the Parkland division of the Broward Sheriff’s Office to help protect local children.

The child identification kits assist parents in creating a private and extremely comprehensive record of their child’s personal and medical information, for use in an emergency. The kits allow parents to make fingerprint and dental records, along with a complete and accurate description of the child. In an emergency where a child is missing, the first few hours are critical to a safe recovery. These kits help police and other emergency personnel in finding lost or missing children.

Balkan & Patterson, LLP, works with cases involving all types of personal injuries, including child abuse. For more information or to obtain a free child identification kit, please visit www.balkanpatterson.com or call (561) 750-9191.

The main office of Florida trial attorneys Balkan & Patterson is located in Boca Raton, Fla. They represent personal injury, auto accident, defective products, and consumer fraud clients throughout South Florida, including Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Lighthouse Point, Parkland, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, and throughout the United States.

Social networking is a double edged sword - it exposes us and our families to new technologies, information and brands, but at the same time, it puts our personal information and safety at risk if it is not used intelligently and carefully. Too frequently, we hear about young children being victims of sexual offenders and predators - many times through online venues. Whether it is through a chat room, message board or MySpace, it increasingly easy for our  children to become victims.

Last week, it was released that MySpace has removed and canceled the accounts of more than 90,000 registered sex offenders. MySpace has identified these users over the past two years and has taken proactive steps in keeping these convicted offenders off the popular social networking site - a source of concern for many parents.

For more information about MySpace’s actions please visit www.pcworld.com. For information on consumer fraud, personal injury and resources for keeping your children safe online, please visit our website at www.balkanpatterson.com. The personal injury attorneys of Balkan & Patterson are experienced in cases dealing with child and sexual abuse.