Cribs are the one place where babies are meant to be unsupervised and they should be held to the highest safety standards possible. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case – nearly 10 million drop-side cribs have been recalled since 2007 and at least 32 children have died since 2000 because of the dangerous products.

According to federal regulations that have been on the books for decades, a product is considered defective when it continually breaks or when instructions are too confusing for the average consumer to follow. However, a USA Today investigation found that 14 crib companies received more than 900 incident reports about drop-side cribs that were malfunctioning and causing injuries before they issued recalls.

Safety advocates say that in many instances, children's product trade groups have placed the blame on parents, accusing them of misuse. The former director of the CPSC's Office of Compliance criticizes this tactic, saying that companies "have an obligation to design their products so that reasonably foreseeable product use or misuse doesn't result in injury or death."

If your child has been injured by a drop-side crib, don't let manufacturers scare you away from taking action. They have a responsibility to keep consumers safe, and you need to make sure you're aware of your rights. You can visit my law firm's defective products page for more information on what you can do.

Thankfully, the CPSC is stepping in and speeding up its timeline for new regulations that will ban the sale of drop-sides and prohibit their use in daycares and hospitals. In the meantime, you can check the CPSC's website for the latest on crib recalls.

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Diapers might be responsible for more than just the collective groans of caregivers around the world. Some parents are saying that Pampers with Dry Max caused rashes and chemical burns on their children.

So far Proctor & Gamble is standing by its product and saying that the diapers went through extensive safety testing. The company says that Dry Max is one of their most successful product launches ever, and the level of complaints they've seen is on par with what they expected.  A number of parents aren't buying these claims, though – the Facebook group "Pampers bring back the OLD CRUISERS/SWADDLERS" currently has over 4,000 members and is growing.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has launched an investigation into the complaints, and if you have any comments or complaints about Pampers Dry Max, you can contact them via their online incident report or their toll free number 1-800-638-2772.

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There have been quite a few safety warnings about baby products lately, including last week's recall of Infantino baby slings due to the risk of infant suffocation. Unfortunately, I came across yet another story about a defective baby product and wanted to share it with you.

Evenflo is recalling 150,000 wooden gates made to block young children from stairways. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says that the wooden slats on Evenflo's Top-of-Stair Plus can break or detach, and so far there have been 142 reports of broken slats on the stair guards. Furthermore, there have been three incidents in which children actually got through the gates and onto the stairs.

We all know it's important to take safety seriously, but that’s especially true when it comes to protecting our children. Do what you can to avoid accidents before they happen – check the news page on my firm's website and the CPSC website frequently for information about baby product recalls.

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If any of you have been following the BPA (Bisphenol A) discussions going on in the news, you might be interested in a recent announcement by the FDA. In a departure from its previous stance that BPA poses no health risks, the agency is now saying parents should try and minimize infants' exposure to the chemical.

Here's a little background on BPA:

• In 2007, a National Institutes of Health panel determined that there was "some concern" about BPA's effects on fetal and infant brain development and behavior. A 2008 report by the National Toxicology Program agreed with the panel's findings. Subsequent animal studies found that BPA can have adverse effects on the nervous system, thyroid function, the reproductive system, and can lead to some types of cancer.
• The first results from human studies were published in 2008. Researchers found that higher BPA levels were strongly associated with heart disease, diabetes, and abnormally high levels of certain liver enzymes. A later similar study performed by the same group of scientists was published in January 2010. It confirmed, despite lower concentrations of BPA in the second study sample, an increased risk for heart disease but not for diabetes or liver enzymes.

There hasn't been an official federal policy on BPA in the US, but a number of retailers and local governments have taken action. Toys 'R' Us and Wal-Mart both announced that they would remove all baby bottles containing BPA from their inventories.  In May 2009, Minnesota and Chicago became some of the first jurisdictions to pass legislation banning the chemical. The next month, Connecticut became the first state to ban Bisphenol A from infant formula and baby food containers, as well from any reusable food or beverage container.

As more information becomes available on BPA's side effects, it will be interesting to see how the federal government responds. We can only hope that officials will do what's necessary to protect consumers' safety. If you'd like more information, including how to help protect your children from exposure, you can check out this BPA news article on my firm's website.

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Have you ever wondered what to do if one of your child's products has been recalled? ABCnews.com has a good article that answers some important questions on product recalls, including when to take action. I recommend checking it out: Navigating Baby Product Recalls.

And of course, if you'd like more information on product recalls, you can always check out my firm's website.

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Yard sales are extremely popular during the warm months, and because of the rough economic times, people are increasingly looking for ways to earn some extra money and find good deals.

It's true that bargains can be found at yard sales, but there are also some safety issues that you should keep in mind. The safety advocacy group Kids in Danger has pointed out that many recalled items turn up at yard sales, and because sellers don't realize that they're offering dangerous goods, it's especially important for buyers to be vigilant.

Here a few tips that sellers and buyers can use to try and avoid the sale of unsafe products:

• Do not purchase toys in categories that have been subject to large recalls. Examples: painted toys from China, Aqua Dots, Thomas the Tank Engine trains, and toys containing magnets. Check the Consumer Product Safety Commission's website before you head out to yard sales to learn about product recalls.
• Be cautious of cribs and other used nursery equipment. Anything over five years old may not be safe.
• Never buy or sell a used car seat or bike helmet.
• If you are shopping for an infant or toddler, bring along a toilet paper tube. Anything small enough to fit in the tube is a choking hazard.

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The CPSC has recalled three million exercise balls that could put a crimp in your fitness routine. The exercise balls can pop, even though they've been promoted as  burst-resistant, and have caused injuries like fractures and bruises. Check out the full story on ABC news before you start your next ab workout.

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Consumer advocates won an important victory in the battle against dangerous toxins in toys. A New York judge upheld Congress' ban on toys containing phthalates. This means that next Tuesday, stores can't sell toys or products for kids under 12 that contain chemicals that disrupt the human hormone system. You can get the full story in this USA Today article.

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A recent article in The Wall Street Journal made an important point: just because a product is recalled doesn't mean that it's not still being used by consumers. In fact, only about 15 to 30 percent of customers respond when a product recall is announced. In some cases, people never learn about the recall. In others, it may seem too difficult to return the affected product. Whatever the reason, this low response rate puts adults and children at risk for injuries. There are some guidelines you can follow, however, to avoid using recalled products that pose a threat to your safety.

1. Conduct an inventory of the products in your home, especially children's items, to see if they've been recalled. You can search the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) web site using keywords.

2. Investigate the recall history of second-hand products purchased online, at garage sales, and at thrift shops.

3. Check cribs and other products that your child frequently uses at relatives' homes and at childcare centers (if you can fit a soda can between the slats of a crib, the space is too wide).

4. Fill out the product registration cards that may be included in an item's packaging. The manufacturer will be able to more easily notify you in the event of a recall.

5. Never assume that products are safe just because they've functioned well in the past. Defective products, from toys to lawnmowers, can injure you years after they've been recalled.

6. Make sure to report all unsafe products to the CPSC through its web site. If possible, notify the retailer and manufacturer as well.

It may never be possible to eliminate all unsafe products from your home, but it is important that you make an effort to be as aware of their presence as possible. To keep yourself informed, you can check my law firm's website for the latest safety alerts and product recalls.

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Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate the holiday. Here’s some important information for anyone enjoying Easter baskets or egg hunts:

Parents or grandparents should beware the plastic eggs typically filled with candy and used in Easter egg hunts. Researchers have discovered toxic levels of lead may be contained in the popular plastic eggs. For more on this serious risk, read all about children’s Easter products tainted with lead.

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I can’t remember a time more dangerous for parents to go shopping for toys during the holiday season than right now. With millions of toys recalled this year, it’s nearly impossible to know every single dangerous toy out there.

Even more devastating is that children who benefit from the compassionate generosity of toy drives may not even get any toys this year. In the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh, only a portion the 15,000 toys collected by the Salvation Army can be given out this holiday season.

If you’re donating this year, please do your best to find out what toys have been recalled. I praise those who continue to donate even though now, more than ever, it’s tough to buy the right toy.

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The biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday, is coming up. Good luck finding toys. Most of them have been recalled.

I’m amazed at the risks parents must take lately just to let their children play with toys. The latest addition to the list of toy recalls is Aqua Dots. If these toy beads are swallowed by a child, they can cause a dangerous chemical reaction inside the body just like a date rape drug.

Before the recall, Aqua Dots were named Toy of the Year in Australia and Wal-Mart put them on their Top 12 list for Christmas. But after two children slipped into comas due to swallowing Aqua Dots, the dangerous toy was pulled right off of the shelves.

The flood of toy recalls started in August, when Mattel recalled Fisher-Price brand toys for lead paint. The recall was quickly expanded to include both Fisher-Price and Mattel brands, recalling millions made with tiny little magnets that can be swallowed and cause damage to the intestines. After that, the flood gates opened and now the toy recalls seem to come on a daily basis.

I’m happy to say that there are some resources out there to help parents keep track of dangerous toys. The Toy Troubles page from WTAE runs frequent updates, posting news stories and recall information. The Consumer Products Safety Commission has its own Toy Hazard Recalls page, which posts the latest breaking recall notices. To learn about the most dangerous toys on the shelves this holiday season, check out the 10 Worst Toys of 2007.

I hope you’ll be safe and use these resources to protect your children from the dangers in their toy chest. If lead paint, tiny magnets, and dangerous chemicals can be found in their toys in only a few months, who knows what hazards could be next.

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The past few months have been scary for parents. Every time you turn on the TV, there’s another recall of children’s products that could cause serious injuries. Even worse, some children have died.

It’s  terrible when those companies that we entrust with the safety of our kids cam violate that trust and produce dangerous toys, jewelry, cribs, and more. Even hand-me-downs from your closest family members might not be safe, as some of these recalls span many years.

Not only do these recalls affect parents, they affect care givers. Daycare centers now have to check their cribs, play yards, and other items to make sure that they are truly safe. Groups like Toys for Tots have to go through every donation to make sure it isn’t covered in lead paint or made with dangerous magnets that could puncture a child’s intestines if swallowed.

Only days ago, over 600,000 more toys were recalled for excessive amounts of lead. Mattel has recently accepted the blame for the magnet design flaw that caused at least one death and many other injuries. Structural flaws in cribs designed by the Reading, Pennsylvania company, Simplicity Inc., have been linked to at least three infant deaths. And now many Kolcraft play yards could pose serious dangers as well.

If you have a young child or infant, I ask you to please check all their toys, jewelry, cribs, play yards, and other products to make sure they are safe. A child’s life is precious and preventing their injury or death is a responsibility we can’t ignore.

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Anyone who’s been tuned into the news for the past few days may have seen the story about the huge recall of children’s toys. I myself have preschool age grandchildren, and it’s scary to think that I could be endangering their health by bringing products into my home like these toys containing lead paint.

If you’re not familiar with the effects of lead poisoning on young children, you might be shocked to learn that lead has been linked to developmental disabilities, learning problems, and even brain damage.

With almost one million toys being recalled by Fisher Price for lead paint, many young people may be in serious danger. These toys aren’t the only household products that have been found to contain lead recently – there’s also been lead paint found in Thomas the Tank Engine toy trains, as well as in many common garden hoses.

Companies have a responsibility to make products that don’t endanger our lives, and especially those of our children. Make use of the full list of recalled Fisher-Price toys on my website, and watch out for household products containing lead.

I would also like to invite you to sign up for free e-alert emails over on my website. These periodic alerts contain breaking news to help you ensure that the products, foods, and drugs in your home are helping your family and not hurting them.

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