KID Releases Report Detailing 2020’s Top Children’s Product Recalls

The nonprofit organization Kids In Danger (KID) recently released their annual report analyzing all children’s products recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) during the previous year. The report notes that infant inclined sleepers, unstable furniture, and lead-tainted products topped the list of recalls in 2020.

In their report called Tracking Trends, KID explains how the recall process works. “For example, a recall can start with the report of an incident or injury to the CPSC by a consumer, the report of an unsafe product to the CPSC by the manufacturer of the product, or media coverage of a potentially dangerous product. If an injury or incident was reported, the CPSC uses this information to help decide if a product should be recalled, considering the severity of the incident or injury and how likely it is to reoccur.”

Children’s product recalls in 2020

According to the report, the CPSC issued 256 recalls in 2020, 63 of which were children’s products. This is an 8.6 percent increase over recalls in children’s products from 2019. The specific number of recalled units in overall products was 8,790,880 – with the top three major contributors being the Contigo Kids Cleanable Water Bottles (5,700,000 units), IKEA’s KULLEN 3-Drawer Chest (820,000 units), and Beverly Hills’ 6” Plush Aflac Promotional Doctor Duck (635,500 units).

Furniture tip-over hazards continue to contribute to injuries to children, with 14 of the recalled products falling into the furniture category. Eleven of these 14 products were recalled due to tip-over dangers. Product recalls for lead also rose in 2020, with nine products recalled for dangerous levels, as opposed to only one in 2019. Another popular recall was nursery products, with 16 recalls, including six for inclined sleepers.

Are companies doing enough to alert consumers?

KID also investigated how much the CPSC and companies are using platforms like social media to get the word out about recalls and dangerous products to consumers. They found that this usage is low, reporting that the CPSC posts children’s product recalls on Facebook 49% of the time, 49% on Twitter, and 10% on Instagram. For recalling companies, it is even lower – 43% on Facebook, 29% on Twitter, and 21% on Instagram.

“This report demonstrates a clear need to inform and educate parents, providers, and the general public about children’s product safety. KID’s findings show that companies and the CPSC need to more effectively issue product recall notices, with a particular focus on meeting parents and providers where they are in 2021—on social media,” said April Janney, President and CEO of Illinois Action for Children.

KID advises that parents check SaferProducts.gov for recalls and injury reports and sign up for safety updates at KidsInDanger.org. In addition, parents should report problems with children’s products to the manufacturer and to CPSC at SaferProducts.gov.

“Unstable furniture, toys and other children’s products with lead, and dangerous sleep products were still on the market in 2020 and had to be recalled,” stated Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of KID. “And from what we see of recall effectiveness efforts by CPSC and the recalling companies, most of them are likely still in homes. We need to set stronger mandatory standards to keep dangerous products off the market and strengthen CPSC to get them out of our homes and child care facilities.”

If your child was injured by a defective product or toy, the NJ product liability attorneys at Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow, LLP can help. We hold negligent companies responsible when they put dangerous products on the market that harm our children. Call one of our offices in Toms River, Edison, or Red Bank at 732-777-0100, or complete the contact form to schedule a consultation.