Baby products on Shopee & Lazada may contain choking & entangling risks
On 26 Sept, Enterprise Singapore warned buyers that baby products on Shopee and Lazada may contain safety hazards that pose choking and entangling risks for babies.
According to the statement, the Consumer Product Safety Office (CPSO) conducted market surveillance on the two e-commerce platforms in the first half of 2024.
Over 65% of products surveyed were unsafe
CPSO uncovered safety hazards in three categories of baby products: bouncers, walkers, and toys. They inspected 23 products purchased from Shopee and Lazada and found that 15 of them didn’t meet the safety standards under the Consumer Protection Regulations.
Some of the hazards include detachable parts from baby bouncers and toys that babies could choke on, as well as openings on walkers that babies could get stuck on.
CPSO also found stability issues on the bouncers and walkers that could cause toppling.
The statement also highlights the frequency of incidents caused by unsafe baby products. For instance, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital sees an average of 10 cases of child injuries arising from walkers and bouncers per year.
Source: Enterprise Singapore
The hospital also has around 46 cases of babies choking on small toy parts per year, which can lead to asphyxiation or intestinal damage.
Source: Enterprise Singapore
Products removed from market, but parents should remain vigilant
CPSO reached out to retailers who sold the products they inspected to be unsafe. Since then, the retailers have removed the affected products from their platform.
Additionally, CPSO advised consumers who have those products to stop using them.
Furthermore, they urge consumers to be extra careful when purchasing from online retailers, especially because it is difficult to physically inspect the product prior to purchase.
CPSO advises parents to purchase from official or reputable stores, gauge quality using consumer reviews, and carefully inspect products before use, among other safety tips.
To report product safety issues, CPSO can be contacted by email at consumerproductsafety@enterprisesg.gov.sg. Additional information on product safety can be found on their website here.
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Featured image adapted from Enterprise Singapore.Â
