CPSC Reports “Button Battery” Injuries Increasing

Earlier this year we presented information regarding the dangers of children swallowing “button batteries.”  Now, according to a new report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the number of children injured by batteries is growing.  Since 1998 the number of children treated for ingesting the batteries has increased 2.5-fold, from 1,900 in 1998 to 4,800 in 2010.  Thirteen children died from ingesting batteries from 2002 to 2010, compared to one in 1998.

The CPSC analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. The researchers found an estimated 40,400 children younger than 13-years-old were treated in hospital emergency departments for battery-related injuries, including confirmed or possible battery ingestions, between 1997 and 2010. Nearly three quarters of the injuries involved children less than 4-years-old.

The CPSC urges the electronics industry and battery manufacturers to develop warnings and industry standards to prevent serious injuries and deaths from button batteries.  […]

Tire Blowout Injures Seven in Pennsylvania Car Accident

A two-vehicle crash last week on the Northeast Extension of the turnpike in Moosic, PA, resulted in injuries to seven people and left traffic tied up for more than an hour. A woman was driving in the left northbound lane of Interstate 476 near mile marker 119, when the car’s rear driver’s side tire blew out, according to news reports.

The driver lost control of the vehicle and it traveled into the right lane where it struck the rear of a minivan carrying seven occupants. The minivan rolled onto the passenger side and came to rest on a concrete barrier.  Police cited tire failure as the cause of the accident, and no charges were filed in the accident.

TireSafety.com, a website dedicated to educating the public about proper tire maintenance sponsored by Bridgestone, reports that under inflation is the leading cause of tire failure. […]

Ford and Toyota Issue Recalls

Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motor Sales have both issued recalls for vehicles.  Toyota issued a voluntary safety recall involving 2006 to early 2011 model year RAV4 and 2010 model year Lexus HS 250h vehicles sold in the U.S.  Ford’s recall is for its 2013 Escape SUVs.

Toyota Recall

Toyota reports in its press release of the recall:

“Toyota has determined if the nuts on the rear suspension arm are not tightened following the proper procedure and torque specification during a rear wheel alignment service, excessive play may occur at the threaded portion of the arm, followed by rust formation.  If this were to occur, the threaded portion of the rear suspension arm may wear and cause the arm to separate.”

 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes that failure of the rear tire rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, […]

CPSC Sues Buckyballs Maker to Pull the Dangerous Toys From the Market

We have reported on the warnings issued by both the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and by health advocates in the UK regarding children ingesting Buckyballs, a set of round, high-powered magnets that are meant to be used by adults as a stress-relieving desk toy.

When multiple magnets are swallowed, they often adhere through the intestines or bowel causing obstructions and/or tears in the intestinal lining.  Immediate surgery is necessary to prevent further damage and to remove the magnets and repair the damage.

Since the CPSC issued the warning in November, however, it has received over one dozen reports of children ingesting the magnets, many of which required surgical intervention. Now, the CPSC has filed an administrative complaint against Maxfield & Oberton Holdings LLC, the toymakers, “alleging that Buckyballs and Buckycubes contain a defect in the design, packaging, warnings, and instructions, which pose a substantial risk of injury to the public.”

While Maxfield & […]

Parents Urged to Keep Laundry Pods Away from Children

Once again, manufacturers of a product intended for use by adults have packaged a product in a way that appeals to children, leading to injury. We previously reported on Buckyballs, an adult stress-relieving toy that is made of small magnets, that appeals to young children who swallow the magnets, requiring surgery.  Now, ABC News reports that children are mistaking the new single-dose laundry detergent packets, such as Tide Pods, for candy.

An 18-month-old child had to be rushed to the emergency room with severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea after he swallowed a pod believing it to be candy.  Five months later, according to ABC News, nearly 1,200 children have been treated for swallowing laundry detergent, and eleven of them are critically ill on ventilators.  The new laundry packets were first introduced in February.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) issued a warning on May 17 “urging the public, […]