Young children are very susceptible to colds, and can experience an average of six to ten colds per year. So it might seem to you as though kids are always sick. Fortunately, most of these are viral infections, and will clear up within a week or two. But as a parent, knowing from experience how miserable the coughing, runny nose, itchy eyes or fever can be, you want to help relieve your child’s symptoms in any way that you can.

However, most of these medicines were formulated and tested for adult symptoms, not necessarily for children. In fact, many of these medicines could actually be harmful to your kids, even in standard doses. Some of these common ingredients have been linked to neurological conditions, heartbeat irregularities, and even death in young children and infants. Continue reading Medicine Might Not Make Kids Feel Better »

Toy manufactures have increased the production of toys containing magnets. If the magnets are become detached from the toys and ingested by small children they can be lethal. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has reported over 33 cases of child injuries and one death from swallowing magnets. When two or more magnets and/or metal components are swallowed they can connect internally pinching stomach or intestinal lining causing the lining to perforate, bleed or develop an infection.

In the last year, the CPSC has recalled of more than eight million toys that contained unsecured magnets. For more information or to find out if any of your children’s toys have been recalled check out the Consumer Product Safety Commission or the Recall.gov website.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, over 400 products are recalled every year. Consumer alerts have been issued on products ranging from toothpaste to portable soccer goals. The reasons for product recall vary, but could include anything from toxicity and combustibility, to part malfunction among them. It is imperative for consumers to be aware of product recalls, and to know that even common household products can pose serious safety hazards.

Check out the Consumer Product Safety Commissions website for more information, or visit the US Government recall site.

Jeremy G: Dear John Walsh, how can I make sure that the info that gets sent over the Internet stays private? Continue reading How Can I Make Sure Information Sent Online Stays Private? »