Children's product recalls dropped 24% in 2011, but injuries and other incidents associated with these recalls grew 7%, a report out today says. The decline in recalls is likely due to companies' adherence to a new children's product safety law, according to Kids In Danger, which did the report. But the advocacy group says that the secrecy surrounding product safety recalls makes it difficult to draw conclusions.
What is clear: The percentage of products fixed or replaced remains largely unchanged the past few years, says the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC). Only 15% to 30% of products are sent back or repaired, but some high-profile recalls get higher response rates, the CSPC says.
About 40% of recalls last year, or 121 of 310 overall, involved children's products, the Kids In Danger report shows. And it notes two recalls of bunk beds and infant video monitors involved deaths.
