“Troublesome Trucks”—A holiday roundup of recalled toys and hazardous infant sleep products

December 13, 2023

For parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, there’s nothing quite as heartwarming as the joy on the faces of the little ones you love when they open their holiday toys. And for expectant parents or those with newborns or infants in their lives, cozy nursery products make exciting gifts.

No one wants to have to spend their holidays worrying about unsafe presents. Unfortunately, an accident or injury can instantly take the joy out of your celebrations.

Infancy Deaths According to Consumer Products Safety Commission

Recent statistics from the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) indicate that in 2022, there were 209,500 toy-related injuries requiring an emergency room visit, and close to 40% of those injuries occurred in children younger than four years old. There were 11 toy-related fatalities reported last year as well.

Unfortunately, snug-looking infant sleep products can also pose a serious hazard. In September, CPSC released its annual Injuries and Deaths Associated with Nursery Products Among Children Younger Than Age Five report, which showed that “Risks associated with nursery products remain high with more than 160 nursery product-related deaths annually. Many deaths occur in unsafe sleep environments.”

Most infant deaths during sleep are “associated with the presence of extra bedding, such as pillows, blankets and/or comforters” in the sleep environment. However, the sleep space and surface themselves matter immensely as well.

According to the CPSC, soft, plush sleep surfaces pose a suffocation hazard. Further, sleepers that incline more than 10 degrees may allow the baby to fall asleep in a chin-to-chest position which can restrict breathing. Infants can also topple out of inclined products and become trapped beneath them.

The CPSC urges parents and caregivers to put babies to sleep only in products that are safe and intended specifically for sleep—such as bassinets, cribs, and play yards—and, critically, to use products that meet federal requirements.

Notably, some products on the market that are intended for sleep (including mattresses and inclined loungers)—and which consumers would naturally trust to be safe—are currently recalled because they do NOT meet federal safety standards.

Below, we highlight a sampling of products aimed at babies, toddlers, and young children—for play and sleep—that are currently recalled for failure to meet federal safety guidelines.

Watch for these recalled early childhood products—especially from online retailers

Gift-givers beware! These four toys have been recalled because they present a choking hazard for young children:

• Fisher Price issued a recall of Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway Troublesome Truck & Paint toys (model #HBJ90, gray with yellow paint splatter) and Troublesome Truck & Crates toys (model number HBJ89, gray and black) after reports that a plastic part became loose and fell off, posing a choking hazard.
• Nearly 2000 units of Bubba Bull Plush Toy by Mary Meyer have been recalled because the stuffed toy’s hard plastic eyes can break off.
• Target has recalled over 1800 units of Hearth & Hand™ with Magnolia Toy Mushroom Peg Sorters with the model number 324-06-3185. The simple, wholesome-looking pegboard toy has been recalled due to multiple reports of the mushroom steps detaching from the caps.
• Baby rattles by Primark, including the “Wooden Music Shaker” and “DTR M&M Maracas,” have been recalled because the bottom portion can become detached, posing a risk of choking or ingestion.

Dangerous Infant Sleep Products

Numerous infant sleep products available online have faced recent recalls. At least three different “pack and play”-type mattresses sold on Amazon.com have been determined to pose a suffocation hazard for infants. The products violated Federal Safety Regulations for crib mattresses in all three cases, including mattress thickness and missing warning labels.

• Moonsea Pack and Play Mattresses sold by Moonseasleep, about 11,000 units recalled
• Pack and Play Mattresses sold by DODO Baby House, approximately 1,650 recalled
• Vibe Bear Playyard Mattresses sold by Vibe Bear, 2000 units recalled

Additionally, over 4000 units of Yoocaa Baby Loungers, also sold exclusively on Amazon, by Yoocaa Direct, have been recalled for suffocation risk and fall/entrapment hazards. According to the CPSC, “The recalled loungers fail to meet the safety requirements of CPSC’s Infant Sleep Products Rule, creating an unsafe sleeping environment for infants.” The product poses a risk of suffocation as well as fall and entrapment. It fails federal standards by multiple measures: it lacks a stand, does not meet minimum requirements for side height, and the mattress exceeds thickness limits.

Additionally, Momaid infant loungers sold on Amazon under the name Baby Lounger Portable Infant Co Sleeping Bassinet Newborn Cocoon Snuggle Reversible Bed Nest Travel Crib, have been recalled for similar reasons and for lacking proper instructional literature and proper package labeling. Unfortunately, according to the CPSC, Momaid’s seller, “Zhejiang Juster Trading LLC, of China, is not cooperating with the CPSC on a recall of this product and is not offering a remedy to consumers.”

Compassionate Product Liability Lawyers For Hazardous Toys

Consumers should immediately stop using any recalled products, take them away from children, and follow the manufacturer and/or retailer’s recall instructions.

The skilled and caring product liability attorneys at Aitken*Aitken*Cohn understand the stress and suffering families endure when a child is seriously injured. Most recently, AAC successfully secured a nearly $9 million settlement on behalf of a 13-year-old plaintiff who suffered severe burn injuries, covering 45% of his body, in a Polaris RZR (“Razor”) 1000 that caught fire due to a fuel system malfunction. The plaintiff survived the incident thanks to the heroic efforts of trained fire responders in their traveling group.

In the unfortunate event that a child you love has been harmed by a defective product, contact the renowned personal injury attorneys for a free and confidential case evaluation.

The team at Aitken*Aitken*Cohn wishes you and your family a season of joyful, safe holiday fun and peaceful slumber.

Written on behalf of Aitken* Aitken* Cohn