The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in cooperation with the involved firms has issued a recall on three children’s products.

About 118,000 Wooden Infant Toys—Wooden Puzzles, Infant Rattles, Pacifier Holders, and Stroller Toys—were recalled by manufacturer Habermaass Corporation, Inc. of Skaneateles, New York due to choking hazard.  The toys—19 different types in all—contain small pieces, including glued-on mirrors and/or prisms and the head of the ladybug puzzle, that can detach, posing a choking hazard to infants..  Habermaass received 15 reports of incidents including pieces of the rattles detaching and being mouthed by young children.  The toys are wooden, bear a “HABA” imprinted, and were sold at specialty toy stores nationwide and at specialty online retailers from January 2002 through August 2008 for $10-$35.  The toys were made in Germany and should immediately be taken away from children,  Contact Habermaass to receive a free replacement product or full refund at (800) 468-6873 ext. 107 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or at www.HABAusa.com/safety. (more…)

Nearly a million cars, trucks and SUVs are being recalled by General Motors today because their heated windshield washer system poses a fire hazard.  General Motors says it  is aware of three fires caused by this problem, but no injuries have been reported so far.

The fluid heating system is a popular option on many of General Motor’s large cars and SUVs.  It is used in cold weather to heat windshield washer fluid before spraying it onto the windshield, where it can melt ice and frost on the windshield. (more…)

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with the two firms named below, has issued a voluntary recall over two defective products because of fire and shock hazards.

About 44,000 Countertop Water Dispensers have been recalled by Greenway Home Products of Northwood, Ohio because the product’s internal heating element could overheat, dropping molten metal through its ventilation openings in the water dispenser’s base onto the countertop, thus posing a fire hazard. The internal heating element also poses a shock hazard to consumers who touch it through the vents.  Greenway received one report of a fire that resulted in property damage.  The recalled dispensers include the following models and dispense hot or cold water and use three or five gallon water bottles. The model name is printed on the front of the dispenser’s base and the model and serial numbers are printed on a white label on the back of the dispenser’s base. File number 218326 is printed on a silver sticker on the back of the dispenser’s base:  (more…)

The maker of Aranesp is halting marketing practices that critics said encouraged over-use of the anemia drug.  Criticism of the policies, in which Amgen  paid rebates to doctors for the purchase of Aranesp, had grown along with questions about the drug’s safety.

Aranesp is an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA).  Two other ESA’s, Epogen and Procrit, are also currently available.   All are made by Amgen, but Procrit is sold by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ortho Biotech under a licensing agreement. ESAs are a bioengineered version of a natural protein made in the kidney that stimulates the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells. (more…)

Oklahoma state health officials have located the source of the recent E. Coli outbreak in that state that killed one man, sickened dozens, and placed a number of children on dialysis.  The state investigators have confirmed that the suspected origin of the outbreak—the Country Cottage restaurant in Locust Grove—is at least one source of the infection.  One of the investigator’s also reports that the food was likely contaminated in the restaurant, not prior to delivery.

Most of those who fell ill reported having eaten at the Locust Grove restaurant.  Country Cottage has remained closed voluntarily all week and it remains unclear if the restaurant—which has been in business for 22 years—will be reopening at this point.  It seems that the restaurant’s owners are “distraught.”  A total of 73 people of have either checked into the hospital or have reported symptoms.  Chad Ingle died as a result of the contamination; his funeral occurred yesterday.  Also, medical examiners are investigating another death:  That of an 83-year-old Locust Grove man who reportedly ate at Country Cottage. (more…)

United Kingdom researchers report that more people than was at first believed could be at a higher risk of suffering a stroke due to antipsychotic drugs.  Earlier research only pointed to some types of the drug as increasing the risk, especially for those diagnosed with dementia.  Now, a study published in the British Medical Journal says all forms of antipsychotic drugs increase stroke risk and this increase occurs in all patients.

Typically, antipsychotics are prescribed to control psychotic symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and some severe forms of depression.  Atypically, antipsychotic drugs are believed to be widely used to control some dementia symptoms, such as aggression; many experts disagree on this use.  Anitpsychotics are characterized into two categories:  The newer “atypical” - including Zyprexa, Seroquel and Risperdal -  and the older “typical” antipsychotics.  In 2002, when concerns were raised over antipsychotic use, the focus was on “atypicals,” which led to a recommendation from drug safety advocates in the United Kingdom that such drugs should not be prescribed to dementia patients.  The UK government has been urged to strengthen this suggestion when completing its pending dementia strategy. (more…)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported that the massive Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak that sickened about 1,400 people across the country appears to be over.  “The number of reported cases has been dropping since early July,” and the figures appear to be in line with what is typical for Salmonella during this time of year, said Dr. Robert Tauxe, the deputy director of the CDC Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases.  “There are some cases of this infection that occur every year,” he said.

Initial results from a CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigation determined that jalapeño peppers seemed to be a major carrier of the bacteria, as were serrano peppers, Tauxe said. Tomatoes, which were initially identified as the cause, were still possibly a source, he said.  Last month, the FDA lifited its warning to consumers to avoid a variety of raw tomatoes.  The FDA said the contaminated jalapeño and serrano peppers, which were grown in Mexico, were no longer in circulation and said Thursday that it was lifting its advice to avoid eating raw jalapeño and serrano peppers grown, harvested or packed in Mexico. (more…)

An explosion at a Bayer chemical plant outside of Charleston, West Virginia last night has killed one worker and injured another. The Bayer CropScience plant manufactures pesticides, and officials were urging residents in several communities nearby to stay in their homes Thursday night as a precaution.

According to the Charleston Daily Mail, the worker killed in the explosion was identified as Barry Withrow, of Cross Lanes, who worked at the plant for more than 20 years. Emergency crews recovered his body between 3 and 4 a.m. this morning. (more…)

Chantix maker Pfizer Inc. has hit upon an unusual marketing strategy for the smoking cessation drug - running ads that never even name the drug.  According to The Wall Street Journal, such “unbranded product advertising” is becoming increasingly common in pharmaceutical marketing.  These types of promotions are growing in popularity because there is no requirement that they include important safety information consumers should know.

Anyone who watches television has seen Pfizer’s ad for Chantix, although they might not know it. In the spot, a middle-age woman tells the camera, “At 6:30 in the morning, I have a cigarette. And then another on my way to work.” Viewers are then directed to Mytimetoquit.com, where they can receive information on smoking cessation. Visitors to the site find a link to a Chantix site that contains information on the antismoking drug, including the negative side effects. (more…)

Around 900,000 deadly Simplicity Bassinets, blamed for killing two children, are being removed from stores across the country.  According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), six retailers - Wal-Mart, Toys “R” Us, Kmart, Big Lots, Target and J.C. Penney - have voluntary agreed to stop selling Simplicity 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 Convertible “Close-Sleeper” model bassinets.  The announcement came one day after the CPSC warned consumers to stop using the Simplicity Bassinets.  No recall was issued at that time because the company that now owns Simplicity Inc. refused to do so.

According to the CPSC, the bassinets contain metal bars paced farther apart than 2 3/8 inches, the maximum distance allowed under federal crib safety standards.  This defect poses a strangulation hazard. Parents and caregivers should stop using the Simplicity Bassinet immediately and return it to  the store where purchased for a refund or store credit. (more…)