While new parents in Texas are constantly striving to find the safest products for their babies, they may not realize that items they might buy right off the shelf could pose a serious risk to their infants’ lives.
There are many products in secondhand stores and on the shelves of retail stores that are not up to the safety standards of state and federally mandated laws. Some of these seemingly harmless products can actually pose a real danger to your small child. It can be important for Texas moms and dads to know the risks associated with some very common baby products in order to avoid the serious injuries that can be caused by using them.
A few products that parents should avoid include:
- Drop side cribs. While they were once popular, these types of cribs often had defective hardware. The rail could become loose, creating a gap between the mattress and the rail into which a baby could potentially fall.
- Bumbo seats: These cushy seats were designed to hold babies who are too little to sit on their own. However, because they are not secured to anything, they can fall over or a baby can fall out of the chair, causing serious injuries.
- Seats for bathing. When you remember watching someone give a bath to a baby, you might recall that person placing the baby in a bath seat in the sink or tub. However, this product can also pose a threat to your child’s safety. Typically, there are suction cups on the bottom of the seat to hold it in place. But sometimes the suction cups can prove defective, which can lead to the bath seat falling over and severely injuring the baby. An alternative to consider for safety purposes is a baby bathtub.
The products above are only three of several potentially hazardous items that can still be found and purchased. There are many other dangerous or defective baby products that can put a baby’s life and safety in danger.
If you, your child, or someone you know has been affected by a defective product, then consulting with an attorney can help you understand your rights and take legal action if appropriate.
Source: Huffington Post, “7 baby products that may actually be dangerous,” Michele Holcomb, May 14, 2014
