After receiving at least one report from a consumer who found a piece of a shoe in their child’s mouth, Toys “R” Us and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have announced a voluntary recall of approximately 19,000 Koala children’s sandals adorned with butterfly wings. This is because parts of the baby sandals can be easily detached, thus resulting in a potential choking hazard for very young children.
The products subject to this recall include Koala Baby girl’s plastic sandals with butterfly wings attached to the toes. The baby sandals, which come in white or a combination of pink, gold and blue, are adorned with rhinestones and have either hard or soft cork-type soles.
The baby sandals were sold in baby sizes 0 to 3 and girl’s sizes 2 to 10, and all of the shoes have the “Koala Baby” logo and the size printed on the soles. The white soft-soled sandals also have a tag sewn into the ankle strap of the sandal containing the model number, GNL 43633BR, and the item number, 795267. The white hard-soled sandals have model number GNL 43706BR and item number 795313. The ankle tag on the combination pink, gold and blue soft-soled sandals sport model number GNL 43634BR and item number 795275, while the combination pink, gold and blue hard-soled sandals have model number GNM 41761BR and item number 845795.
Consumers who purchase these items should take them away from their child as soon as possible and return them to any Toys R Us or Babies R Us store for a full refund.
Choking is the third leading cause of accidental death for infants under the age of one in the U.S. While most choking incidents for adults involved food, the most common cause of choking for children are small objects that get caught in their throats. Since children that age will put almost anything in their mouths, just about any small item can constitute a choking hazard.
When a child chokes, it can lead to a simple coughing fit, or it can lead to a blockage of the airway, which can be far more serious and even lead to death. Among the signs to watch out for to determine if an infant is choking include difficulty breathing, coughing, the inability to cry or make a sound, bluish skin color, or loss of consciousness.
Companies that make products for children have a legal obligation to make them safe, and that includes making them so that pieces can’t come off and cause the child to choke. If you have this recalled product, or you know someone who does, follow the instructions of the recall and take it back to the store immediately. And if your child has been injured or killed due to using this or any other defective children’s product, please contact the Texas Defective Product Injury Lawyer at Hill Law Firm immediately, so that we can investigate and help you protect your rights.