A popular baby teething toy is being recalled after a serious risk of choking was identified. According to People, GOPO toys has recalled over 70,000 pull-string teething toys.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission received three separate complaints involving serious choking. Following an investigation, they found that the silicone strings present on the teething toys are "smaller and longer" than the federal mandatory requirements.
This means that the teething toys have a very real "risk of serious injury or death from choking". The strings could reach the back of a child's throat and subsequently lodge there. The USPSC described that they could cause "respiratory distress", thus making them a "deadly choking hazard".
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Is My Child's Toy Affected?
There are a few things to check before you need to worry about removing or replacing the toy.
Firstly, check the design of the toy. The USPSC gave a helpful description of the toys in their recall notice. They are described as having an off-white disc shape. A gray ball is prominently featured in the center, which has six multi-colored silicone pull strings that run through it. It also features seven soft push buttons.
Another way to check is to look at the brand number and its batch numbers. Look for GOPO TOYS, and the following batch numbers on the packaging:
| BATCH NUMBERS |
| 250905 |
| 250530 |
| 250120 |
| 240315 |
| 231005 |
| 230610 |
What Do I Do If My Product Is Affected?
The very first thing to do is to take the recalled toy away from your child. It is an immediate risk.
The next thing you should do is "destroy" it for a refund. It sounds counterintuitive, but there's a very real chance the toy could be recovered in the trash and then be cleaned up and resold.
GOPO Toys has advised that, in order to receive a full refund, you should do the following:
- Destroy the toy
- You should do this by "cutting all silicone strings"
- ...and writing "DESTROYED" in permanent marker on the body
- Take a picture of the destroyed toy in the trash — then dispose of it
- Contact GOPO Toys at [email protected] for a full refund.
