Children’s Toy Boxes Recalled

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09176.html


The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Product: What’s Inside? Soft Toy Boxes

Units: About 4,000

Manufacturer: Lakeshore Learning Materials, of Carson, Calif.

Hazard: The head of the stuffed butterfly toy can detach from the body, posing a choking hazard to children.

Incidents/Injuries: Lakeshore has received three reports of the head of the butterfly detaching from the body. No injuries were reported.


Description: The recalled product is a soft, multi-colored box with a different color on each side. “What’s Inside?” is embroidered on the front of the box and symbols of a lion, flower and purple butterfly are stitched on another side. Each feely box contains ten small stuffed pieces. The piece affected by this recall is the pink and purple butterfly.


Sold by: Lakeshore Learning Materials stores nationwide and Toys To Grow On™ catalogs from September 2008 through February 2009 for about $40.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled product away from children and contact Lakeshore to receive a free replacement butterfly.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Lakeshore Learning Materials at (800) 428-4414 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the company’s Web site at www.lakeshorelearning.com

Elvis Duran's Most Beautiful Baby Search Continues

http://z100.elvisduran.com/pages/contest/babybattle/

Elvis Duran of the Z100 morning show is on the hunt for America's most beautiful babies. Each week, a winner will be chosen. After three weeks, the final winner will be names "Most Beautiful" and win $5,000.

Contestants can apply for all three weeks, but must submit a photo each week. See the above link for all the details.

BPA Ban Official in Long Island County

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/politics/ny-pobpa0312615854apr02,0,5270550.story

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h6cJTZshRCpEtGqakPO2q9xwDmfQD97AJUAO1

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy officially signed the ban on products containing BPA (bisphenol A) just recently making the Long Island county the first to enact such a ban.

BPA has been linked to cause significant heath risks for infants, and while many states are considering the ban, Suffolk County has been the first to make it official. Levy's signature codifies the county's ban the chemical in baby bottles and sippy cups sold in the county that are intended for children 3 years old or younger. The measure contains a $500 fine and will become law 90 days after it is officially filed with the secretary of state's office.

"While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stands by, Suffolk County is taking measures to protect their most vulnerable population from the potential harm of BPA exposure," said Urvashi Rangan, a senior scientist and policy analyst at Consumers Union, the nonprofit that publishes Consumer Reports magazine.

Rocket Fuel Chemical Found in Baby Formula

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iv7iKxtfzjqINoGSGDUuSwLow4TQD97AU3CG0

Perchlorate, a chemical frequently used in rocket feul has been reported to be found in samples of baby formula and could exceed the dosage of what is safe for adults if mixed with water.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found several powdered baby formulas (whose brands have remained undisclosed) which contain unsafe quantities of perchlorate. Testing has shown that significant amount of perchlorate intake could lead to thyroid malfunction which can impact fetal and infant brain development.

The extent to which these negative effects take place is difficult to access, since the amount of intake as well as the size of the infant varies. The largest amounts of the chemical were in formulas derived from cow's milk, the study said.

Hotter Climates Produce More Baby Girls

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7972993.stm

According to recent statistics regarding gender birth rates, people living closer to the equator seem to have more frequencies and higher success rates at producing girls than those living in the arctics.

Research suggests that the female feotus is less fragile than that of the male, which are more susceptible to the effects of the environment. During times of extreme environmental stress, the birth rate of females overwhelmingly exceeds that of males.

In her study, Dr. Navara, of the University of Georgia found that countries in the tropics who's latitudes are close to the equator produce significantly fewer boys than those in more temperate regions. "The results could indicate an adaptive strategy employed by humans, or there may be another non-adaptive strategy...Perhaps male ejaculate quality or miscarriage rates vary on a latitudinal scale," she said.

BPA Baby Bottles Banned by NY Senator

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h6cJTZshRCpEtGqakPO2q9xwDmfQD978G0BG0

Senator Charles Schumer of New York has proposed a ban on BPA, a chemical widely used in making infant feeding products such as baby bottles.

Supporters of Schumer argue that BPA can lead to problems in childhood development. Random testing of food and beverage in stores containers would help determine which items still contain BPA. While a packaging industry representative said that placing a ban on BPA would make it difficult for consumers to find baby products, many major U.S. retailers have already removed products containing BPA from their stores.

Infant Weight Gain May Raise Risk of Childhood Obesity

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/news/20090330/babys-weight-gain-tied-to-later-obesity

According to a new study, infants who quickly gain weight in the first few months of life may have a higher risk of childhood obesity as early as the age of 3.

A study published in Pediatrics compared weight to length in three distinct intervals: birth, 6 months, and 3 years among 559 children. It was found that by the age of 3, 9% were obese. Even more astonishing is that children in the highest quartiles of weight-to-length measurements at birth have a 40% chance of becoming obese by the age of 3.

Matthew Gillman, MD, of Harvard's Obesity Prevention Program said, "At first it may seem implausible that weight gain over just a few months early in infancy could have long-term health consequences, but it makes sense because so much of human development takes place during that period -- and even before birth."