Childrens sweatshirts recalled due to strangulation hazard

June 21, 10:32 PMUS Headlines ExaminerCharisse Van Horn

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Effective immediately, Macy’s has recalled approximately 33,000 Epic Threads and Greendog Hooded Sweatshirts due to a strangulation hazard. Though no injuries have been reported, Macy’s issued the recall because the sweatshirts failed to meet CPSC (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) guidelines and recommendations.

After a study performed in 1996, the CPSC determined that drawstrings should be removed from all innerwear children’s clothing, such as sweatshirts and hoodies, from sizes 2T to 12. For outerwear, such as jackets, the recommendations for removing drawstrings are from size 2T to 16.

Both neck and waist drawstrings are a hidden hazard that has led to strangulation deaths and other injuries involving children. Some examples include children playing on slides or other playground equipment when their hood drawstring became entangled on a bolt or in a crevice. Other injuries have involved cribs and doors. Several serious injuries and deaths have resulted from waistband drawstrings getting caught in school bus doors. Between January 1985 and January 1999 there were 22 deaths and 48 non-fatal injuries that resulted from the entanglement of drawstrings in children’s clothes.

ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) International also incorporated the standards determined by the CPSC. Though the recommendations set in place by the CPSC and ASTM are not mandatory, they are guidelines for retailers and consumers to use when choosing clothing to market or purchase.

The CPSC recommends that all parents and caregivers remove drawstrings from their children’s clothing and purchase outerwear clothing that uses fasteners such as Velcro, snaps, or buttons instead of drawstrings. Waistband drawstrings should extend to a length no greater than 3 inches. The drawstrings should be securely stitched to the middle inside of the garment, preventing it from being pulled to a greater length. A 14-year-old boy died when the waistband drawstring of his jacket became caught in the doors of his school bus. The boy was pulled and dragged underneath the vehicle. The majority of strangulation deaths in children due to drawstrings in sweatshirts, jackets, and outerwear ranged in age from 2 to 8 years old. Waistband drawstring deaths occurred in children between the ages of 7 and 14.

The recall includes both boys and girls sweatshirts. The Epic Threads sweatshirts are gray, white, yellow, blue, green, black, and maroon, and have images on both the front and back of the sweatshirts. The Greendog sweatshirts being recalled were sold in sizes small and medium and were brown and gray. Some of the sweatshirts have non-functional drawstrings, however, they are still being recalled due to the safety hazard they pose. Macy’s encourages customers that have purchased the sweatshirts to either remove the drawstring entirely, or take the sweatshirt back to the store for a full refund.

Contact: If you have any questions or would like further information regarding the Macy’s sweatshirt recall, you may contact Macy’s toll free at: 1-888-257-5949 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The customer service line is available Monday through Friday. You may also contact Macy’s through their website at: http://www.macys.com

Resources

CPSC Publication 208
 

ASTM F1816-97- F1816
 

ASTM International