The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Federal initiative to reduce asthma rates in minority and poor children laudable, but more specifics needed on pollution reduction requirements

Today, U.S. federal agencies unveiled a plan, called “The Coordinated Federal Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma Disparities,” to lower asthma rates among minority and poor children.

Nearly 26 million Americans are affected by asthma, including 7 million children, especially minority children and children with family incomes below the poverty level.

Asthma rates of African American children are 16 percent, while 16.5 percent of Puerto Rican children suffer from the asthma, more than double the rate of Caucasian children in the United States. The annual economic cost of asthma, including direct medical costs from hospital stays and indirect costs such as lost school and work days, is about $56 billion.

“As the mother of a child with asthma, I know what it means for our children to have clean and healthy air to breathe,” EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said in a statement.

The action plan will enable federal agencies and their partners to work together in better ways to tackle a major health threat, Jackson said

“Low-income and minority communities often face an unacceptable burden of pollution in this country, diminishing their economic potential and threatening the health of millions of American families,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

The plan is part of the Obama administration efforts to integrate environmental justice into the missions of federal agencies, Sutley said.

The plan is a blueprint for how federal agencies can work together to reduce asthma disparities and help ensure children with asthma get the right care with the right support,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius said.

“One key factor that is so critical to controlling a child’s asthma is access to health care, Sebelius said. “Uninsured people with asthma are less likely to take the preventive medicine they may need to keep their condition under control, making them more likely to suffer an attack.”

While the action plan has merits, information on whether EPA is stepping up its efforts to curb pollution control is missing. It should be part of any action plan for reducing asthma rates for children and all consumers in America.

The action plan will coordinate efforts to improve asthma management and prevention:

• Reduce barriers to asthma care: Ensure that the populations most severely impacted by asthma receive comprehensive care, which includes access to medical services, education, and environmental interventions.

• Build local capacity: Enhance capacity to deliver integrated, community-based asthma care systems.   

• Target services: Identify the children, families, and communities most impacted by asthma disparities.

• Accelerate prevention efforts: Increase understanding of the causes of asthma and test interventions that may prevent the onset of asthma. 

For more information on the action plan, please visit http://www.epa.gov/asthma/childrenstaskforce.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Recall of the Week: Crib and play yards tents due to strangulation and entrapment hazard

By Rita R. Robison

A voluntary recall to provide refunds to consumers who own crib and play yard tents made by Tots in Mind Inc. is being announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and five retailers. About 330,000 tents are included in the recall.

The commission is warning parents and caregivers who own these products that infants and toddlers are at risk of serious injury or death due to strangulation and entrapment hazards from these products.

Tots in Mind recalled the play yard tents in July 2010 and offered a repair kit that’s no longer available. The company has shut down and all sales have stopped.

The commission staff urges parents and caregivers to stop using these crib and play yard tents immediately. Don’t attempt to repair these products, the commission advised in a statement.

The commission is aware of 27 tent failures including one fatality and one serious injury that occurred between January 1997 and April 2012 from crib and play yard tents made by Tots in Mind Inc.

In 2008, a two-year-old boy died after becoming entrapped between the bottom rail of a play yard tent and the top rail of a play yard. The fatality was reported in a prior recall with the firm in July 15, 2010.

In 2007, a two year old boy had a catastrophic brain injury when the crib tent attached to his crib inverted and the product’s broken rod trapped his neck. The remaining 25 reports to commission involved inverted crib tents – entrapments between the tent and the crib or play yard or failures of the tent fabric and zippers.

Three of these 25 reports also resulted in injuries; in one such case, a parent reported finding her child turning blue and entrapped between the product and the top rail of the play yard.

Since Tots in Mind Inc. is out of business, retailers who sold these products are offering refunds or store credit to consumers.

The crib and play yard tents can present an entrapment and strangulation hazard to infants and toddlers if the dome portion inverts inside the crib or play yard or if the product becomes partially detached from the crib or play yard.

The recalled products were sold at many retail stores including Bed Bath & Beyond/Buy Buy Baby, Burlington Coat Factory, Toys R Us/Babies R Us, Wal-Mart, and online on websites including Amazon.com. The cost was between $60 and $85.

Consumers should contact the store listed below where the crib tent was purchased to receive either a refund or store credit, depending on the retailer. If the consumer is unsure of where the crib tent was purchased, see the return policy for individual retailers below on their website:

• Amazon.com [Amazon.com]
• Bed Bath & Beyond/Buy Buy Baby [bedbathandbeyond.com or buybuybaby.com or 800- GOBEYOND
• Burlington Coat Factory [burlingtoncoatfactory.com or 888-223-2628
• Toys R Us/Babies R Us [toysrus.com or babiesrus.com or 800-869-7787
• Wal-Mart [walmartstores.com or 800-925-6278

The recall includes various models of crib or play yard tents. Consumers can identify their tent by the 2 inch by 1½ inch label with Tots In Mind logo located on the non-mesh portion near the top of the tent.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Recall of the Week: Banzai in-ground pool water slides sold by Wal-Mart and Toys R Us due to death, serious neck injuries

By Rita R. Robison

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Toys R Us Inc. are recalling of about 21,000 inflatable Banzai in-ground pool water slides.

During use, the slide can deflate, allowing the user to hit the ground underneath the slide and be injured. The slide is also unstable and can topple over in both still and windy conditions and carries inadequate warnings and instructions, the companies and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a statement.

The commission is aware that a 29-year-old Colorado mother died in Andover, Mass. after fracturing her neck going down a Banzai in-ground pool water slide which had been placed over the concrete edge of a pool. The victim hit her head at the bottom of the slide because it had partially deflated.

The commission and retailers are aware of two other injuries which have occurred in a similar manner, including a 24-year-old man from Springfield, Mo. who became a quadriplegic and a woman from Allentown, Pa. who fractured her neck.

The recall involves Banzai in-ground pool water slides designed for use with in-ground pools. The vinyl slides have a blue base, yellow sliding mat, and an arch going over the top of the slide. By connecting a hose to the top of the slide, water can be sprayed on its downward slope. The words “Banzai Splash” are printed in a circular blue, orange, and white logo, shaped like a wave on either side of the slide.

The recalled slides, which were manufactured in China by Manley Toys, Ltd, were sold at Wal-Mart and Toys R Us nationwide from January 2005 through June 2009 for about $250. The recalled slides have the barcode number 2675315734 and model number 15734. Both the barcode and model number appear on the original packaging but aren’t on the slide.

The commission urges consumers to immediately stop using the product and return it to the nearest Wal-Mart or Toys R Us for a full refund. Consumers can also cut the two safety warning notices out of the slide and just return that portion.

For additional information from Wal-Mart, call 800-925-6278 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.walmartstores.com. For additional information from Toys R Us, call 800-869-7787 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday and between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, or visit the firm's website at www.toysrus.com.

For details on other recalls, see www.recalls.gov.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Free shipping was my best consumer experience this week, while loss of my strawberry patch is upsetting

By Rita R. Robison

I was able to get free shipping from a firm that hasn’t offered any coupons or deals. That cheered me up. However, when the weather turned nice, my weeds bloomed.

My best consumer experience: Free shipping from New York firm

Since I have allergies, I order my shampoo and body soap, laundry detergent, and dishwasher detergent from N.E.E.D.S., a company in New York. That’s heavy stuff. Often, my shipping bills are high.

On my last order, I was able to get free shipping. The customer service representative also pointed out that the sale catalog I’d received had a $5 coupon. I dug through the recycling and found it – the last thing in the bottom of the barrel.

My worst consumer experience: Loss of my strawberry patch to weeds

I don’t use pesticides in my yard. Pesticides are harmful children, adults, and pets. I don't think consumers should use them.

So I pull the weeds in my yard by hand. This spring, when it finally warmed up, the weeds seemed worse than usual.

Last year, I had a nice strawberry patch.

Here’s a close up of some of the strawberries.

I picked these strawberries for a tasty treat.

This year, my strawberry patch has completely disappeared. In its place is a weed patch.

Maybe the cold weather killed the plants.

I have lots of weeding to do. Are the weeds worse this year, or did I not keep up with them enough in the fall?

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Recall of the Week: Push ‘N Snap cabinet locks due to lock failure that can allow children to be exposed to dangerous items

By Rita R. Robison

Dorel Juvenile Group Inc. is recalling about 900,000 Push ‘N Snap cabinet locks.

Young children can open the cabinet locks, allowing access to cabinet contents and posing the risk of injury, due to dangerous or unsafe items.

DJG has received 200 reports of locks that didn’t adequately secure the cabinet, including reports of damaged locks. Of the reported incidents, the firm is aware of 140 children between the ages of 9 months and 5 years who were able to open the locks and gain access to the cabinet’s contents, DJG and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a joint statement.

In three of the reported incidents, the children who opened cupboards swallowed or handled dishwashing detergent, window cleaner, or oven cleaner and were treated, observed, and released from emergency treatment centers.

The recall involves Safety 1st Push ‘N Snap cabinet locks with model numbers 48391 and 48442. The model numbers are printed on the back of the product and on packaging.

The locks are used to secure cabinets with two straps that wrap around the knobs or handles on a cabinet door. When the product is in the “lock” position, a green triangle is shown through a window on the device. The Safety 1st logo is embossed on the front of the lock.

Locks manufactured between January 2004 and November 2010 are included in the recall. The date of manufacture is embossed on the back. The arrow on the date wheel points to the month and the numbers of either side of arrow represent the year of manufacture.

Manufactured in China, the locks were sold at Bed Bath & Beyond and other retail stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com from January 2004 through February 2012. The cost was $2 to $4.

Consumers should immediately remove the recalled locks from cabinets and contact DJG for a free replacement Push ‘N Snap lock with model numbers HS158 or HS159.

When removing the recalled locks, consumers are urged to immediately store dangerous items out of reach of children.

For additional information, contact DJG toll-free at 866-762-3212 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s website at www.djgusa.com.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Two dangerous trends for kids: Battery operated cars for toddlers and the princess phenomena for girls

By Rita R. Robison

About five years ago, kids age 5 and under began driving their small battery operated cars around the loop street I live on. It was scary.

Garbage trucks barrel around this neighborhood. I asked one driver why they go so fast. He told me that if they finish their route before 5 p.m., they get to go home. I asked him to slow down for the sake of the kids. I didn’t see any of the garbage trucks going slower.

I think battery operated cars are dangerous for young kids, and parents and grandparents should avoid buying them for children.

Another troubling trend is the princess phenomena for young girls. With so much emphasis on princess movies, toys, dresses, and crowns, girls think about being and becoming princesses. They are getting unrealistic ideas about what lives as women are like.

“This princess mania, many argue, leaves girls all mixed up,” Jessica Bennett writes in The Daily Beast article “Disney Princesses and the Battle for Your Daughter’s Soul.” “While they excel in school and outpace their male peers in science and math, they also obsess about Prince Charming and who has the prettiest dress, learning –from a mix of mass marketing and media – not that girls are strong, smart, or creative, but that each is a little princess of her own, judged by the beauty of her face (and gown).”

Disney alone has 26,000 Disney princess items on the market today, part of a $4 billion-a-year franchise that is the fastest-growing brand the company has ever created, Bennett said.

I’ve been concerned about these two trends for many years. They came together in a news report on The Huffington Post: “Neveah Reynolds, 4, Saves Sister, Kazmirah, 2, From Drowning in Pond.”

It seems Neveah has been fascinated with the neighborhood pond since her dad told her that kissing the pond frogs might turn them into Prince Charming.

The girls were playing "fairy tales," riding along in a Barbie car and looking for Prince Charming. Neveah turned her back, and, when she looked around, her sister had fallen in the pond.

Fortunately, Neveah grabbed a stick and pulled her sister out of the water.

The Huffington Post article ended with: “Now neither of the girls are allowed to play near the pond and must put their quest for Prince Charming on hold.”

In my opinion, battery operated cars for young kids and letting your daughter get hooked on the princess phenomena can have bad results for your children and grandchildren.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Recall of the Week: McNeil's grape-flavored Infants Tylenol due to dosing system complaints

Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare division is recalling about 574,000 1 oz. bottles of grape-flavored Infants’ Tylenol.

McNeil is recalling the over-the-counter medication as a precaution after receiving a small number of complaints from consumers who reported difficulty using the Infants Tylenol's "SimpleMeasure" dosing system.

SimpleMeasure includes a dosing syringe, which a parent or caregiver inserts into a protective cover or “flow restrictor” at the top of the bottle, to measure the correct dose. In some cases, the flow restrictor was pushed into the bottle when the syringe was inserted.

No injuries have been reported, and the risk of a medical event is remote, McNeil said in a statement. Consumers can continue to use Infants’ Tylenol if the flow restrictor at the top of the bottle is in place.

If the flow restrictor is pushed into the bottle, the parent or caregiver shouldn’t use the medication.

Consumers can request a refund by visiting www.tylenol.com or contacting McNeil at 888-222-6036 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Parents and caregivers with any health questions or concerns should contact their healthcare provider and visit www.tylenol.com for additional information.

The lot numbers and UPC code for the recalled products are:

Lot numbers

BIL0U00, BIL0V00, BIL3500, BJL2D00, BJL2E00, BJL2T00, BJL2U00

UPC code

300450122308

Injuries that could be related to the use of the Infants Tylenol can be reported to U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program either online, by regular mail, or by fax:

• Online: www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm
• Regular mail: Use postage-paid, pre-addressed Form FDA 3500 available at: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm. Mail to address on the pre-addressed form.
• Fax: 800-FDA-0178.
  

 

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Recall of the Week: Chariot Carriers bicycle trailers and bicycle trailer conversion kits due to injury hazard

By Rita R. Robison

Thule Child Transport Systems Ltd., doing business as Chariot Carriers, is recalling about 44,000 bicycle trailers and 70,000 bicycle trailer conversion kits.

The bicycle trailer’s hitch mechanisms can crack and break, causing the trailer to detach from the bicycle, the company and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a statement. This poses an injury hazard to children in the bicycle trailer.

The firm has received 24 incident reports worldwide, three of which occurred in the United States, involving the bicycle trailers and the conversion kits. No injuries have been reported.

Recalled trailer's versa wing

Chariot Carriers convert to strollers, jogging strollers, and bike, hike, or ski trailers. The recall involves Chariot bicycle trailers and bicycle trailer conversion kits. Recalled trailers have serial numbers from 1205-xxxx to 0710-xxxx – representing manufacture dates December 2005 through July 2010 – located on the left side on the frame.

Upgraded versa wing

Recalled conversion kits have hitch arms that attach the carrier to the bicycle with model number “20100503” printed on a label attached to the aluminum tube next to the warning label. Older conversion kits without a label, but with a release push button located where the hitch arm inserts into the carrier, are also being recalled.

Manufactured in Canada, the bicycles trailers and conversion kits were sold at specialty bicycle stores nationwide and on various websites from December 2005 through August 2010 for between $400 and $925 for Chariot bicycle trailers and from October 2002 through August 2011 for between $40 and $70 for bicycle trailer conversion kits.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled bicycle trailers and bicycle trailer conversion kits and contact Chariot Carriers for a free repair kit, which the consumer can install, the company and the commission advise.

For more information, contact Chariot Carriers at 800-262-8651 between 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s website at www.chariotcarriers.com.

For details on other recalls, see www.recalls.gov.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Levels of cadmium reduced in jewelry for kids, adults by some retailers

By Rita R. Robison

To protect yourself and your children and grandchildren from the dangers of cadmium in jewelry, shop for jewelry at more than a dozen major jewelry retailers, including Saks Inc., Target, The Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Forever 21, that have stopped selling jewelry containing more than 0.03 percent or 300 parts per million of cadmium.

In September, an Alameda County Superior Court in California approved a legal agreement between the Center for Environmental Health and the retailers. The agreement sets strict limits on cadmium in jewelry, stricter than those suggested by the federal government.

“We welcome this strong action, which will protect our children and families from the health risks of an unnecessary hazard in jewelry,” said Michael Green, executive director of the center, said in a statement. “Importantly, the companies are going beyond California law in agreeing to instruct their suppliers to provide them with reformulated jewelry on a nationwide basis.”

In February 2010, the center initiated the legal action after finding high levels of cadmium in jewelry. Earlier in 2010, the center reached its first agreement limiting cadmium in jewelry with Tween Brands, a division of Dress Barn. That settlement also called for no more than 0.03 percent cadmium in jewelry and was effective on Dec. 31.

While the settlements apply only to the jewelry sold in California stores, the retailers agreed to adopt the approach nationwide, the center said. It would be financially and logistically difficult to separate their products for a California-only market.

The settlements took effect just weeks after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said it was satisfied with an alternative voluntary approach that the industry helped craft for jewelry marketed to children using the government’s scientific research, according to The Washington Post article “Cadmium-Laced Jewelry Removed From Stores.” There is no federally endorsed standard for adult jewelry.

The standard that the commission helped craft is limited to jewelry marketed to children12 and younger because that’s the age group that is most likely to suck on jewelry or swallow it.

The center said the approach backed by the commission doesn’t cast a wide enough net or embrace the toughest standards.

The Washington Post article also reported the commission-endorsed standard also would adopt a different testing method:

It also would test to determine that total cadmium content in a piece of jewelry doesn’t exceed 0.03 percent. But jewelry that fails that test could still make its way onto store shelves if it passes a separate “solubility” test.

This far more expensive test aims to determine if cadmium would leach into the body when swallowed. For a small metal part, the test entails dropping the piece into acid heated to about body temperature and shaking it for 24 hours – conditions meant to replicate the digestive process.

The industry said this second test is necessary because it’s more reliable and gives better of results. Instead of testing for how much cadmium is in the jewelry, it tests for how much cadmium would actually be absorbed into the body, which is what matters most from a safety perspective, said Brent Cleaveland, executive director of the Fashion Jewelry and Accessories Trade Association and head of the panel that crafted the voluntary standard.

If the cadmium doesn’t leach out, then it poses no health risks and therefore couldn’t be regulated by the commission because it can’t be defined as a hazardous substance.

But the center said that total content testing is less costly and more health protective because it:

• Is more consistent and doesn’t vary as much as a product ages, thus protecting children and adults for the life of the product.
• Can be included in specifications that manufacturers require their materials suppliers to meet. Non-compliant materials can be identified before they’re used in the manufacture of a product, resulting in a more efficient manufacturing process and consistently health-protective products.
• Is already required by federal children’s products law for lead for toys and children’s jewelry. Test results for cadmium can usually be obtained from the same test for no additional expense.
• Is cheaper and less time-consuming than leach tests for products not already tested for lead under federal law.

Cadmium is a heavy metal that can cause cancer, genetic damage, and kidney damage, according to the center. A study published in March 2011 found that children who mouth on or swallow cadmium-tainted jewelry can be exposed to as much as 100 times the maximum exposure limit.

Also, a 2006 study concluded that exposure in children "should be limited as much as possible" to prevent direct health problems and problems later in their lives. People can be exposed to cadmium if they touch, suck on, or accidentally swallow metal pieces, and studies show the toxin can stay in our bodies for more than two decades.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Recall of the Week: IKEA ANTILOP high chairs due to fall hazard

By Rita R. Robison

IKEA North America Services is recalling about 169,000 ANTILOP high chairs, 133,000 in the U.S. and 36,000 in Canada.

The high chair's restraint buckle can open unexpectedly, posing a fall hazard to the child, IKEA and the U.S. Consumer Product Commission said in a statement.

IKEA has received eight reports worldwide of restraint buckles that opened unexpectedly, including three reports of children who received minor injuries after falling from the high chair.

The recall involves ANTILOP high chairs sold in red, blue, or white. The plastic high chair has detachable silver-colored metal legs. High chairs included in the recall have a manufacture date between 0607 and 0911 (YYMM format) from supplier number 17389. The production date and supplier number are molded into the underside of the seat. "ANTILOP," "IKEA," and the model number are printed on a label attached to the underside of the seat. Model numbers included in the recall are:

• ANTILOP high chair blue – Model No. 701.467.92
• ANTILOP high chair red – Model No. 501.467.93
• ANTILOP high chair white – Model No. 300.697.24

Manufactured in China, the high chairs were sold only at IKEA stores nationwide from August 2006 through January 2010 for about $20.

Consumers should immediately stop using the high chairs and contact IKEA to obtain a free replacement seat restraint, IKEA and the commission advise.

For additional information, contact IKEA toll-free at 866-966-4532 anytime, or visit the firm's website at www.ikea-usa.com.

For details on other recalls, see www.recalls.gov.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist