NEWS: Target Recalls TWO Circo-Brand Items

Target announced a new Circo-brand recall today, add this to the Circo Booster Seat recall from June 15, this one on their Aloma Infant Girls Sandals. No injuries have been reported yet.

The sandals have decorative white plastic flowers attached to the toes and side areas. The flowers can be detached and pose a choking hazard. For a full refund, bring the shoes into any Target.

An additional 10 injuries have been reported since Target's 2009 recall of the Circo Child Booster Seats, bringing the total number of injuries to 18. The additional injuries prompted Target to expand the recall of the product from those seats sold between Dec. 2008 and June 2009, to all seats sold as far back as 2005. The constant issue is the restraint buckle or safety buckle can suddenly detach and allow the child to topple out. This could pose some serious consequences depending on the circumstances, so Target's pretty lucky there haven't been any permanent disabling or fatal injuries.

Visit the Consumer Safety Product Commission for more information on these and all recalls.

NEWS: Stronger Crib Standards May Cause SMBs Financial Loss

While I feel for the small businesses (SMBs) out there selling cribs no longer deemed safe by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, I can't argue that it is for the best.

See back in Dec. 2010, the CPSC voted to put very high safety standards on cribs sold in this country, making drop-side cribs illegal and creating overall more structurally sound cribs. The Commission put a June 28 deadline on companies, large and small, to get rid of their older, less safe cribs.

Now, some SMBs are having a hard time selling their older cribs and some are looking for an extension to the June 28 deadline. But the commission is not having it and so it looks like about 100,000 cribs may have to be trashed if they are not sold by the deadline.

I feel for those SMBs losing out on the already-hard-to-get dollars in this economy, but seriously, I can't feel too bad. The CPSC is doing a great thing by making sure more infants will be safe in their beds while they sleep (or don't). There has to be a deadline and it has to be enforced or it'll just drag on. So to the CPSC, I say kudos to you and thanks for helping all us parents rest a little easier in our own beds.

Read the CPSC Chairman's statement here.

NEWS: Musical Shaker Recall

About 9,000 of these Woodstock Percussion shakers are being recalled because they pose a choking hazard and can cut babies. No injuries were reported, however.

The handle of these shakers can detach and expose a rough edge that can cut babies/children/whomever. If detached, there are other " small steel pellets and a plastic plug" that pose a choking hazard as well.

The shakers are made in China, even though the company is a NY-based one. Contact Woodstock Percussion for a $7 refund if you own one of these and stop using the product ASAP, the company warns.

Full recall here.

NEWS: Reannouncement of Maclaren Stroller Recall (2009)

Additional fingertip amputations and cuts have caused the Maclaren company to reannounce their stroller recall from November 2009. An additional 112 injury incident reports have been filed since 2009, making the total reported injuries at 137.

About a million strollers are being recalled in total (from before 2009 and now) after a total of 17 fingertip amputations were reported and multiple laceration and finger-entrapment and bruising reports.

The strollers being recalled are the double-wide and single-wide umbrella strollers.

For many women, buying a stroller brand new is not an option. If you buy a used stroller, however, make sure there are no recalls on the item by checking online through the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website.

RECALL: Disney Princess Plastic Trikes

Kiddieland Toys Unlimited of Scituate, Mass. recalled about 9,000 U.S.-bought Disney Princess Trikes sold at one the stores all middle-class moms visit weekly--Target (among other stores like JCPenny, Meijer and H.E.B.).

The trikes either come with a castle or princess figurines on top of the handlebars. The problem is if kids suddenly stop short, they could cut themselves on the figurine(s).

From the release, it's unclear if anyone actually got injured. Hmmm....

The Consumer Product Safety Commission recall info on this product click here.

RECALL: Arm's Reach Concepts Infant Bed-Side Sleepers

Ten infants have fallen while in these co-sleeper units, reported the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Arm's Reach. The infants fell from the raised mattress of the sleeper into the bottom and some of them became trapped between the edge of the mattress and the side of the bed-side sleeper. Thankfully, none of the babies were hurt from the falls.

The CPSC warns parents to "immediately stop using the recalled bed-side sleepers and visit www.armsreach.com/instructions to view and download assembly instructions and to make sure that the product is properly configured."

For more information on this and other recalls, visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission's site.

For more on this and other recalls visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission site.