As kids begin to open their Christmas presents and play, it is important to make sure they have a happy and safe holiday with their new toys. Small parts, recalled toys, video games with inappropriate ratings (for example a Mature game for your pre-teen), etc., are all things to watch out for as your kids open their gifts.

Also teach older children to keep their toys away from their younger brothers and sisters. A toy might be safe for safe for your 9 or 10 year old, but it could be a real safety hazard in the hands of a toddler.

Related:
Toy Safety
Hidden Dangers and Child Safety
Childproofing
Recalls
Choking and Choking Hazards

About 447,000 infant car seats have been recalled by Dorel Juvenile Group Inc., the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) because they can pose a fall hazard when they are used as an infant carrier.

Fortunately, they are still safe when used as an infant car seat, but should be fixed with a free repair kit before used as an infant carrier. At least three infants have been injured and there have been 77 reports of the handle coming off these car seats, which have been sold with a variety of brand names, including Safety 1st, Cosco, Eddie Bauer and Disney. .

See the CPSC recall alert to see if your car seat was recalled and for instructions on how to get your free repair kit.

Related:
Car Seat Safety
Car Seats
Registering Your Car Seat

At first glance, news that 800,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine were being recalled will likely get many parents worried. Is there something wrong with the vaccine? Will it make their kids sick?

Fortunately, the H1N1 vaccine is still considered to be a safe vaccine, but some lots are being recalled because routine stability testing has found that they aren't as potent as they are supposed to be. This includes four lots of Sanofi Pasteur's pediatric H1N1 vaccine in 0.25 mL pre-filled syringes that were distributed last month.

Since there are no concerns about the safety of the vaccine and many of the children who got the recalled vaccine will likely still need a second dose of H1N1 vaccine, this is one recall that parents don't need to be too concerned about. Even if a child got two doses of recalled vaccine, these recalled vaccines are still thought to be strong enough to protect kids from the swine flu.

Did your child get a recalled vaccine? Your pediatrician will be able to soon learn if they have had any recalled H1N1 vaccine in their office and which patients they gave it to. Many will likely notify parents, even though no action is required by the parent, if their child received a recalled vaccine.

Also keep in mind that the vaccine in the H1N1 recall (800,000 doses) is a small part of the overall number of H1N1 vaccine doses that are now available (86 million), so you can still get your kids a swine flu vaccine, even after they remove the recalled doses.

Related:
CDC - H1N1 Vaccine Recall
H1N1 Vaccine
Swine Flu
Getting the H1N1 Vaccine

We have heard warnings about window blinds since the 1990's. Since they are still hurting kids and have resulted in the deaths of at least 8 children since 2006, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) are now recalling all Roman shades and roll-up blinds. The recall includes shades and blinds sold at Walmart, J.C. Penny, Pottery Barn, and a number of other stores.

This recall of millions of shades and blinds will hopefully allow these window coverings to become safer, since parents can now order a free repair kit from the Window Covering Safety Council.

In addition to getting their free repair kit, the CPSC also recommends that parents:

• Examine all shades and blinds and make sure that no cords are accessible.
• Consider using cordless window coverings in your home.
• Keep cribs and other furniture away from windows so that kids don't have easy access to window cords.
• Make loose window cords inaccessible to your kids.
• Install tension devices to keep looped chains or cords taught.

Related:
CPSC - Roman and Roll-Up Blind Recall
Strangulation Hazards - Hidden Dangers
Choking and Choking Hazards
Recall List
Window Safety and Preventing Falls