meta-dad

OKK Trading pacifiers recalled

I don’t have a lot of faith in products coming from LA-based OKK Trading. I have been following toy and baby product recalls for a couple of years now and their name pops up a couple times a year. This time there is a voluntary recall of there “Baby Necessities” 4-pack of pacifiers, they have a blue heart-shaped mouth guard .

If you are interested in tracking their sorted history look what comes up when you do a search for their name at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website. I think there must be some type of federal law stating that companies must post recall information for up to one full year from recall date because their website seems to be suffering from short term memory. In the future, if you find youself giving in to the bargain bin and find yourself with something from OKK Trading, toss it back – you’ll thank me later.

Sited and Related Articles:
USCPSC | Pacifiers Recalled by OKK Trading Due to Choking Hazard
OKK Trading | List of Recalled Items [*PDF]
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission | Search Query for OKK Trading
meta-DAD | Millions of Cheap Toys Recently Recalled

Child Poison Prevention Week

They say, education is the best prevention. I think you’ll be surprised to find some of the real hazards in you cupboard and closets, even over-the-counter products, household plants and crafting supplies. There are hidden dangers in some of the most common household items such as baby oils and sunscreens are listed as oily hydrocarbon products which can suffocate children if drawn into the lungs when ingested, who knew? Now you know.

• Each year, poison control centers receive more than 1.1 million calls about accidental poisonings among children ages 5 and under.
• Only 30 percent of caregivers are able to accurately measure a correct dosage of over-the-counter medications to their children.
• More than 90 percent of poisonings in children occur in the home.
• In children, approximately 60 percent of poisonings involve products other than medicines such as plants, cleaning products, cosmetics, pesticides, paints, and solvents; 40 percent of poisonings involve medications. [*MUSC Children’s Hospital, Common Childhood Injuries and Poisonings]

A chilling fact, between 4 and 10 p.m. is known as the “arsenic hour” at most poison control centers because that is when call volume peaks. They attribute it to the fact that the parents tend to be distracted by dinner and other end-of-day tasks that leave their young ones unsupervised more than any other time of the day.

Sited & Related Links:
MUSC | Tips to Help Reduce Unintentional Poisonings in the Home
CPSC | 9 Out of 10 Unintentional Child Poisonings Occur in the Home
Poison Prevention [dot] Org | Resources and Materials [*fantastic resources here]
American Association of Poison Control Centers | Kids Tips

How does your preschool rank?

New moms and dads are quick to learn about the shortage of space in quality preschools and daycares throughout Los Angeles. We quickly give in to the lengthy waiting lists, the secret handshakes, the endless tours and the skyrocketing application fees. Before you send in that application fee wouldn’t you like to get honest feedback from parents who have children that either attend the school or have attended there?

You may be in luck, there is a website, The Savvy Source, that allows parents to anonymously rate and comment on preschools and daycares throughout the country. The Savvy Source is similar to the Great Schools website, which also has a wealth of information and resources for parents of preschool children as well as school-aged children but does not have preschool or daycare parent reviews.

Like any User driven review site, the Savvy Source is only as good as the User makes it. Meaning, if there isn’t a review for your neighborhood school your kid goes to, take a minute and do one. If the school isn’t even listed, leave a note for the school’s Director to fill one out.

Reviews include categories like “Quality of Teaching,” “Home, School Connection,” and “Discipline, Health, and Safety” to name a few. Each section is described by the School’s Director and is parent rated (simple 5 star rating system) and includes confidential parent comments, criticism and insight. The sum of these reviews will allow incoming parents to have a snapshot of what the school is like.

Sited Links:
The Savvy Source | Preschools & Daycares in California
Great Schools

Plush toys recalled by Old Navy

Old Navy has voluntarily recalled their recent line of plush toys on concerns of the button eyes posing a potential choking hazard. The stuffed animals and creature toys in question are made out of cotton and have plastic button eyes. They come in a variety of styles, such as a rabbit, penguin and reindeer.

Unlike most recalls I have seen, Old Navy is offering customers who return these recalled toys to any store before July 1st, 2009 for a full refund, they will receive an additional $5 coupon toward a future Old Navy purchase. Nice touch.

If you think you own one of these (or someone you know), please follow the link to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Press Release to check the style number listed. If you do, you can contact Old Navy toll-free at (866) 580-9930, or or e-mail the firm at custserv@oldnavy.com.

Sited Links:
CPSC Press Release | Old Navy Recalls Stuffed Toys; Button Eyes Can Detach…
Old Navy, Customer Service | Recall Information

Kids & language – semantics and syntax development

There is a lot to say about the many nuances of language acquisition and what is considered the normal range of development for toddlers and young children. What my wife and I have learned is there is a wide spectrum of normal development and a lot of things (specifically – incorrect pronunciation and grammar) “work themselves” out in the early years of grammar school.

The chart above presents typical language development, specifically grammar and vocabulary development. It is presented so you will have a better idea of what is considered a healthy and acceptable range of development. My understanding is that delays in syntax and semantics may point toward other delays or issues with speech and/or cognition in general. That said, the wide spectrum that is considered acceptable is affected by many factors. There can be environmental things slowing down your child’s language development. One example is if the child is living in a house where more than one language is spoken on a regular basis, they may develop English slower than a classmate that only hears English in the household. In this case, it is important to point out that the child being exposed to two languages is more apt to pick up the second language quicker than her monolingual classmate.

We have been keeping close tabs on our children since our oldest has had a speech delay and issues with low tone since early on. Like a lot of parents, we did a lot of research on the possibilities of autism, apraxia and other language or communication disorders. He has been doing individual and group speech therapy, as well as various occupational therapy (O.T.) for the past few years (he’s four years old) and we have tried to adopt a healthy regimen of reading to him (with an emphasis on word-play, rhyming and song) and using flash cards to give him as much opportunity to practice and sharpen his language skills. My understanding is like working the many major and minor aspect of a muscle group, reading, singing and rhyming use different parts of the language/communication portion of your brain. His articulation has progressed, although he still has problems expressing himself.

If your child seems significantly behind in language development, you should talk with your child’s physician regarding your questions and concerns. The chart illustrated above attempts to map the general syntax and semantics development, although it purposely excludes phoneme development. Phoneme development is the way your child’s articulation and pronunciation develops during these early years (*follow the link, “What sounds should my toddler be saying?“ below for a Phonological Development Chart).

Sited & Related Links;
Meta-DAD | What Sounds Should My Toddler Be Saying?
Child Development Institute | Language Development in Children
American Speech, Language, Hearing Institute | How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?
American Speech, Language, Hearing Institute | Late Blooming or Language Problem?
Medem Medical Library | Age 4 to 5 Years: Language Development
CDI | Children with Communication Disorders
Everything ESL | Stages of Second Language Acquisition
DOWNLOAD:
General Syntax and Semantics Development in Children [PDF file]
General Phonological/Articulation Development Chart [Image file]

Two kids cosmetics recalled due to excessive lead

The High School Musical Manicure Kits and Lip Gloss Keychains have were recalled due to excessive levels of lead in these products.

This recall involves the pouch that contains the “High School Musical” manicure kit. The 7-1/2 inch by 4-3/4 inch plastic see-through pouch has a pink zipper with “High School Musical” printed in yellow gold with glitter and “Sharpay” printed in dark red on one side. Consumers should immediately take the recalled pouch used with the manicure kit away from children and mail it to Fantas-Eyes for a free replacement plus postage.

Fantas-Eyes
1 West 37th Street
New York, NY 10018

The metal clasp attached to the Lip Gloss Keychains contains high levels of lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects. This recall involves lip gloss with a metal clasp keychain attached to the cap by a chain. Markings on the lip gloss container read, “Lip Gloss,” “Brillant á lèvres,” “Fantasy Makers®” and “from the creators of Wet n Wild.”

Sited Links:
CPSC | High School Musical Manicure Kits Recalled by Fantas-Eyes
CPSC | Lip Gloss Keychains Recalled By Markwins Beauty Products