| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 29, 2000 Release # 00-172 |
Kinderkids Recall Hotline: (888) 433-6251 CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: Nychelle Fleming, (301) 504-7063 Kinderkids Media Contact: Jennifer Lee, (888) 433-6251 |
CPSC, KinderkidsTM Announce Recall of Inflatable Playrings for Babies
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), KinderkidsTM, of Lawrence, Kan., is voluntarily recalling about 18,000 inflatable playrings. Babies sit inside the playring, which is used as an activity center and looks like a pool float. When a baby leans his face against the side of the playring, the soft surface covers the baby's nose and mouth, restricting airflow, and posing the risk of suffocation.CPSC has received one report of a 6-month old baby found gasping for air after falling asleep face down in the playring. The baby was removed from the playring without injury. CPSC is aware of infant suffocation deaths when their airflow is restricted from contact with soft surfaces.
The recalled playring, which measures 40 inches in diameter, has a yellow, plastic, inflatable, inner tube with a multicolor cloth covering. The cloth covering features eight activities for babies, including a boat rattle, a mirror flower, a soft teether on a puppy's collar, a butterfly, and a squeak ball and fish. A tag on the bottom of the cloth covering reads "Warning!" and "Recommended for children 6 to 18 months." The packaging reads, "Discovery Playring," "MADE IN CHINA" and "Not to be used in water." They are sold with plastic foot pumps for inflating the playrings.
Walmart stores, and One Step Ahead, a mail-order company, sold the playrings from July 1998 though April 2000 for between $20 and $35.
Consumers should stop using the playrings immediately and contact Kinderkids for information on how to receive a refund. Consumers should call Kinderkids toll-free at (888) 433-6251 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.
