Sippy Cup Recall Alert!

Parents be forewarned! There is a recent recall on Playskool sippy cups this week. Here is the link to the site with all of the details and PICTURES of the cups in question.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07246.html

The reason I am posting this as a warning to all parents is that my children have several different sippy cups that are made in a very similar manner to these cups that ALSO have similar problems yet they have yet to be recalled.

These cups are of the no-spill soft spout variety sold through CVS pharmacy. The children are able to chew through the soft spouts and can potentially swallow and choke on the bits of spout. The recall information states that we should return the cups in question to the CVS stores for a refund.

Parents, I urge you to take a second look at your sippy cup supply. While my cupboard did not have any of the Playskool variety cups in it, we do have a different brand but with a similar soft spout.

Upon closer inspection of our set of cups, I discovered that my trio had been gnawing on the underside of their cups for quite some time now. Because of the consistent coloring through-out the spout, I hadn't noticed the deterioration happening. There are deep grooves in them from where my babies' bottom teeth dragging on that spout. One of them has been chewed in half. I was very fortunate that my child had yet to chew the pieces off of it completely and either swallow or choke on it.

As busy a very busy parent, I know first hand how easy it is to take the safety of our children's cups and utensils for granted. After all, in this day and age we have so many programs and guidelines and tests that are in place to supposedly protect us from accidents such as these from happening. We as parents should take this recall as a warning that these safety precautions are failing us as consumers.

We need to take this recall as a sign that we need to be more vigilant in watching the wear and tear that occurs on our baby cups and other accessories that our children must use. Make sure that you periodically inspect their cups and spoons and even their little plastic bowls and plates to ensure that they aren't wearing out or breaking down from everyday use. Make certain that you replace everything as it starts to break down or become brittle from age.

I know that my family is very rough on their feeding sets and all because it gets three times the normal use than the regular family would. But the fact is, if it can happen to me and the supplies I have purchased for my children, it could very well happen to anyone.

If you do find that any of your accessories are breaking down in ways that could pose a choking hazard, do report it. Here is a link to the form where consumers can report defective products. You can even do so anonymously if you need to.

https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

Please remember to check for cracks or missing bits when you are rinsing out your baby's cups and utensils or putting them into the dishwasher. The recent recall list is peppered with recalls for pacifiers, sippy cups and even baby beds made and sold at very popular and frequented retailers.

Recent recalls for food have awakened us as consumers to the harsh reality of the retail world as studies have shown many recalled items are still out on the shelves for sale. We as parents cannot trust that these retailers will pull the recalled items from the shelf either. We as parents must act as advocates for the safety of our children. Doing so may save your baby's life.