If you own one of these slings, quit using it immediately.

These slings are dangerous for two separate reasons: the positioning of the child in the sling and the child’s lack of muscle strength.  Both of these dangers can result in the suffocation of the child.

1.  In the first situation, the infant’s face is in contact with the sling’s fabric.  Since the baby does not have the neck muscles to move away from the fabric yet, the fabric can cover the nose and mouth and block the child from breathing.  If that happens, the baby would suffocate rapidly due to the lack of intake of oxygen.

2.  In the second situation, the child is positioned in a curled position with the chin facing the chest which restricts her airways.  In this case, the child is unable to cry for help because of the reduced oxygen intake.  If she remains in this position, she will thus suffocate slowly.

These dangers are serious and cannot be fixed, so the CPSC and Sprout Stuff have not issued repair instructions for the sling.

Officials are continuing to collect incident reports of cases involving this and other similar products.  If you have an incident to report, please visit: https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx.

At the Rasansky Law Firm, we are dedicated to doing everything we can to inform and protect those close to us.  Because of this, we feel it’s important to alert you to some very real concerns about the use of Paxil and its role in birth defects and death.

GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of Paxil, has been found guilty of marketing and recommending their drug to women who are pregnant, even though studies have shown that it may cause severe birth defects in children.

Unfortunately, mothers were never made aware of this and now there are thousands of children that have been born with a number of different defects because of this horrible side effect.

If you have a child that suffered a birth injury as a result of taking Paxil, or its generic versions, even if it was only a small amount or a short period of time, you and your child may be eligible for damages from several class action lawsuits against the makers and distributors of Paxil.

Cases have already been won against the makers of Paxil across the country, and damages are being awarded for an average of $4 million.

The costs of a birth injury can often be wildly expensive, not to mention the lifelong injury to your child and your family.

I know that no amount of money can take back the pain and suffering that this drug may have caused, but it is imperative to hold drug manufacturers and distributors accountable when they put profits ahead of you and your child’s safety.

If you feel that you or a loved one has a claim, please contact us today so that we can discuss your situation and your options moving forward.

As always, thank you for trusting us a source of legal, health and safety information.

Jeff Rasansky
jeff.rasansky@jrlawfirm.com

An adult pushing on a screen may conclude it would keep a child from falling out the window. Don’t count on it. Children have an amazing way of getting past barriers in ways beyond our imagination.

And, don’t think your child is too short to reach the window sill. Even a very young child figures out early on how to move a chair and climb up on it to get where she wants.

Here are some tips from Safe Kids USA about preventing falls from windows:

Top Tips to Prevent Window Falls

* Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of windows. For windows above the first floor, install window guards with an emergency release device in case of fire.

* Install window stops so that windows open no more than four inches.

* Keep windows locked and closed when they are not being used.

* Keep furniture away from windows so kids cannot climb to the ledge.

* If you have double-hung windows — the kind that can open down from the top as well as up from the bottom — it is generally safer to open the top pane, but growing kids may have enough strength, dexterity and curiosity to open the bottom pane.

* Do not rely on window screens to prevent falls.

* Keep windows locked when they are closed.

* Supervise children at all times, especially around open windows.

Sometimes, though, even when a parent does everything right, a young child falls out of a screened window because the screen was in poor repair or installed incorrectly or faulty in its design.  If your child or a child you know was injured from a fall through a window screen, consult a Virginia child injury lawyer who can give you accurate information about whether your child has a claim for her injuries. Not every fall from a window is the fault of someone else, but some are. A Virginia child injury lawyer can evaluate the facts and advise you whether there is an at-fault person who could accountable for your child’s injuries.

I will be happy to answer your questions. Call me at 703-273-9500, send me an email at srohrstaff@wrsattorneys.com, or a fax to 703-273-9505. There is no charge for the consultation.

Here is a link to a short video from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety about a collision between a 50 year old car and a new car. Riding in a car now is safer than it was 50 — or even 20 — years ago. Our children are luckier, and so are we.

Snowmobiling can be an exciting and invigorating activity. It also is a sport with potential for serious injury. In May 2003, the Journal of Pediatric Surgery reported on its study of data from 1991 to 2000 that found that the mean age of children who were admitted to hospital with snowmobile-related injuries was 12 years and that most of them were boys who had been driving the vehicle. Most of the accidents had been collisions with fixed objects, and the most common injury site was the head (even though most of the children had been wearing helmets). The most common cause of death was head injury.

As with all sports, there are some safety rules that need to be followed:

*Take a safety course – always.

* Use the right helmet – always.

*Never go alone – always have a “buddy” with you.

*Stay on established trails.

*Stay off unknown water. You don’t know how thick the ice is.

*Take a GPS with you.

But, what if your child did all the right things and was still injured in a snowmobile accident?  Look further. The accident could have been caused by a mechanical or design defect in the snowmobile that you did not know about.

For instance, if your son reports that he lost control of the vehicle, have it checked out — there may be a defect in the steering mechanism caused by a manufacturer that chose not to do a safety inspection before putting the snowmobile on the market. Did the brakes fail? Was the suspension correctly assembled? Did wiring or fuel leaks cause the snowmobile to catch on fire and explode?

If your child is injured, it’s a good idea to consult with a lawyer to get as much information as you can about what may have caused the accident and who, if anyone, should be held accountable for the injury. Call me at 703-273-9500 or send me an email at srohrstaff@WRSattorneys.com.  I will be happy to answer your questions.

Because she’s read so much about the dangers of strangulation injury and death from the cords on Roman shades and roll up blinds, she’s already thinking about arranging the furniture so the cribs are nowhere near the window.

Most of the shades and blinds have recently been recalled for repair. Here’s the link to the Consumer Product Safety Commission recall article. Check out your child’s caregiver’s house, too. The Window Covering Safety Council is offering a free repair kit to retrofit shades or blinds with clips.You can either go to the website or call 800-506-4636 to get the kit.

You hear about lead poisoning regularly in news reports about unhealthy levels in water and paint.  We are told to check our paint supply to make sure that it is unleaded.  Did you know that gasoline used to have lead in it, which is why it is now called “unleaded gasoline?”  A recent recall reminds us that lead can be found in an array of products, not just in those we might suspect.

MacPherson’s Children’s Art Easels sold between June 2004 and July 2009 have been recalled by the manufacturer.

These easels, which were sold online and in art stores, have one chalkboard side and one dry erase side.  Upon testing, high levels of lead were found in the chalkboard side of the easel.  The recall affects easels with the item number AA13301.

If you or your child’s caregiver has this easel, STOP USING IT IMMEDIATELY.

If you child is in preschool or at a day care center, ask to look at the easels to see whether they are among the recalled items. If you buy a second-hand easel, check to make sure it is not one of these easels.

You should contact MacPherson’s to receive a free replacement.  Further information about getting your replacement can be found at http://www.art-alternatives.com/recall.

The recall does not involve cribs that do not have a drop-side.

The recall does not include cribs with metal rod drop-side hardware. It only involves cribs with plastic trigger and one-hand-system drop-side hardware.

Some of the drop-side cribs were sold with the Fisher-Price logo.

The cribs come in various finishes and styles, so check the assembly instructions attached to the mattress support board.

The cribs were sold in stores at BJ’s Wholesale Club, J.C. Penney, Sears, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, USA Baby and online at Amazon.com, Babiesrus.com, Costco.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com.

If you have one of these cribs at home, STOP USING IT. If your child is cared for outside your home, insist on CHECKING THE CRIB YOUR CAREGIVER USES and have it removed if it is one of these cribs.

What’s wrong with these cribs?

Stork Cribs recalled

The drop-side can separate from the crib at one or more corners because the plastic hardware can break or come loose, and because it is easy for parents to put the drop-side onto the crib upside down (as in the picture) when they are assembling the crib.Four infants have died from suffocation and many others were trapped. Other infants fell from their cribs and were injured, including brain injuries.

Read the CPSC recall notice – it has important information. Your baby’s life could depend on it.

If your baby is sleeping in one of the cribs, find an alternative safe place for the baby. The manufacturer has a free repair kit eliminates the drop-side. Fix the crib before using it again. Contact the manufacturer for the free repair kit. For additional information, contact Stork Craft toll free at (877)274-0277 anytime to order a free repair kit, or log on to www.storkcraft.com.

Although this toy was recalled in 2006, it can still be found in neighborhood yard sales — like the one I saw just recently.

Two children aged 19 months and two years suffocated before the toy was recalled.  The nails do not qualify as small parts that could normally be swallowed by an infant.  However, in the reported cases, the nails became “forcefully lodged in [the children’s’] throats” according to a company statement.  An article about these incidents and the general safety of toys appeared at the time in the Washington Post.

This toy was sold at popular children’s toy stores until September 2006.  At the time it was recalled, Playskool offered a $50 gift card to use on Playskool products. Parents who own this toy now should send the nails to Playskool to see if it still offers the gift card.  For more information you can visit the Playskool website.