Study Shows Recalled Toys Still Get Into Kids Rooms

Submitted by WDEF News 12 and AP on August 21, 2007 - 8:47am. News | Consumer News

Toys and other children's products that are recalled still pose a threat, according to a new study.

University of Dayton professor Keri Brown Kirschman says the auction site eBay prohibits the sale of recalled products, but enforcement efforts don't seem to be succeeding. Items are often resold online.

Kirschman searched for 141 recalled items on eBay for 30 consecutive days and found them offered in at least 144 online auctions. The products included play yards, baby walkers, bassinets and safety devices.

She says about 70 percent of recalled items tracked were sold.

The study appearing in the journal Injury Prevention recommends that parents check government recall sites before purchasing items on auction Web sites.

Meanwhile, a California family is suing the world's largest toymaker. Adrian and Michael Powell, of Fontana, claim Mattel was negligent and should pay for medical screening and other monitoring to determine if children have been exposed to lead from millions of recalled toys.

According to the lawsuit, the Powell children played with some of the toys on Mattel's recall list.

Last week, Mattel announced a worldwide recall of almost 19 million items, including dolls, cars and action figures. Some were contaminated with lead paint. Others had small magnets that children might swallow.

That followed the company's previous recall of 1.5 million Chinese-made toys from its Fisher-Price unit because of possible lead-paint hazards.

Children who ingest lead-laced paint can suffer brain damage, but no injuries have been reported as a result of the recalled toys.