A Sydney mum has issued a warning to other parents after witnessing her son get caught up in a popular sensory toy sold at Kmart. The Kmart Sensory Cube is marketed towards children 3 months+ and features several sensory and soft toys in a cube shape including a star rattle and a soft strawberry, both on a short fabric rope.
Sydney mum, Racquelle assumed the Kmart sensory toy was perfectly safe for infants until the fabric rope got stuck around her son’s neck.
“If you have this toy, be very careful. It poses a strangulation hazard!” Racquelle shares.
Kmart sensory toy warning
Last week Racquelle was monitoring her seven-month-old son, Blaine, as he rolled around in his playpen. He had the Kmart Sensory Cube next to him which started to travel with him as he rolled.
As Racquelle explains,
My son was in his playpen, rolling around and playing with his toys when he started to struggle, and I noticed that the toy was travelling with him around his head. I went to remove it off his face and it was actually tied and stuck around his neck!!!
I had to untangle the star and strawberry carefully and quickly as my son was struggling to breathe.”
Racquelle shared her scary experience with Baby and Toddler Mum Australia, adding that the situation left her in tears.
As Racquelle tells Mum Central,
“I’m posting this just to warn parents to be careful with this toy. It comes with no warning of choking or strangulation, and had an age of 3+m. It’s quite scary [cause it] could have been so different – so glad I was right there!”
The Sydney mum has also contacted Kmart to report the toy and has received a voucher from the store.
Toy strangulation warnings
In most instances, when a toy poses a strangulation threat, it will be recalled. The ACCC is responsible for issuing recalls and while there isn’t an official recall on the Kmart sensory toy yet, it is important to be aware of the risks.
Additional toys that have been recalled in the past due to strangulation concerns include the super-popular Playgro activity rattles. See the recall here.
Missed product safety alerts
Although the ACCC is really good at keeping the public informed of product safety alerts, there are instances when there isn’t an official recall.
For example, the Kmart Wooden Climbing Ladder was sold across the nation and online and was one of the favourite finds among Kmart Mums. However, you can no longer purchase the Kmart Wooden Climbing Ladder due to concerns the ladder will break under pressure. Kmart didn’t release an official recall notice but several mums mentioned problems with the ladder in various Facebook groups.
Another important safety warning that never got an official recall comes from NSW Stephanie who was horrified when her one-year-old got stuck in her expensive new pram.
While Stephanie folded clothes in the lounge room, her daughter lifted herself up to lean on the pram. She managed to get herself stuck in the bit between the bottom of the pram and the footrest and had to be rescued by Fire & Rescue.
She writes,
Even though I was right there and watching, to this day I have no clue how Elsie managed to get herself so stuck. I held out my hand to help her out. She would not budge. As she’s gone to stand up she became more stuck.”
Fire & Rescue was able to successfully break the pram open using the Jaws of Life – yes the same device used to help people trapped in cars! But the frame was completely damaged. Stephanie’s little girl was checked over and she was okay – a bit shook up but safe.”
Read her full story here. NOTE: We have chosen not to share the make and model of the pram at this time.
Never miss a product recall
Please have a read through our product safety recalls for other products that have recently been recalled including bikes, cots, bassinets and prams.
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