Handle on Squeeze Toy Kills Infant: Safety Alert
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Handle on Squeeze Toy Kills Infant: Safety Alert
CPSC Document #5093
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is again warning
consumers about the potential suffocation hazard to infants by
squeeze toys with long handles and flared ends.
The Commission is aware of a death to a five-month old infant
when the handle of an animal-shaped squeeze toy lodged in his
throat. The handle measures about two and one-fourth inches long
and one and one-fourth inches in diameter.
On May 24,1982, the Commission recalled three models of
animal-shaped squeeze toys having long handles and built-in
squeakers, including the one involved in the deaths. The three
models were a pink elephant, a yellow bear and an orange lion.
These three models of squeeze toy had been recalled because of
their involvement in two previous deaths. Despite the recall
seven years ago, the Commission is very concerned that there may
be more of these and similarly-shaped squeeze toys still in use.
To help identify hazardous models of squeeze toys, a test fixture
having a hole with a diameter slightly more than one and
five-eighths inches is used.
Consumers who have a squeeze toy with a handle that will fit into
this opening which is slightly more than 1-5/8 inches in
diameter, are urged to destroy it immediately.
The dimensions of the squeeze toy are:
- total length approximately 6 1/4 inches
- handle length approximately 2 1/4 inches
- handle width approximately 1 1/4 inches
A five-month-old infant died after choking on this squeeze toy.
Destroy this type of squeeze toy immediately.
008904