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Medical validation:
October 22, 2022
The product in question, sold throughout France, could cause respiratory arrest in the youngest.
Choosing a soft toy is a less innocuous act than it seems. Indeed, Huggy Wuggy brand “monster” stuffed animals and key rings can cause respiratory arrest, indicates the Rappel Conso site.
Soft toys and key rings sold throughout France
The products concerned by the recall are distributed by the wholesalers Multi Store and Nova Tech. They are marketed in open-air markets, fairground stalls and certain points of sale, the list of which will soon be available.
These soft toys are accused of causing “respiratory arrest” in babies and young children. They indeed include “small detachable elements (metal ring, eyes of the plush) and fibrous padding” which can detach and be ingested, due “to the weakness of certain seams”.
In fact, product references should be read carefully:
- Product category: Babies-Children (excluding food)
- Product subcategory: Toys
- Model names or references: Huggy Wuggy keychain / Huggy Wuggy monster plush approximately 30 cm / Huggy Wuggy monster plush approximately 70 cm
- Colour: various colors (blue, pink, light green, etc.)
- Batch: all batches
- Distributors: Multi Store and Nova Tech
- End date of the recall procedure: Saturday, December 31, 2022.
Consumers are advised not to use these products, to destroy them or to return them to the store until September 31, 2022 in order to obtain a refund.
The government site specifies that currently “similar models marketed by other professionals are not subject to a recall. If the eyes are easily detachable and the seams are loose and provide access to stuffing, don’t buy this toy! “.
Toys, sweets, accessories… Babies and young children tend to put everything in their mouths. Learning to react correctly allows, if they choke, to avoid a drama. Some gestures / reflexes are thus very useful:
- In case of partial suffocation (the victim coughs and/or makes sounds): let the child cough and reassure him: he will expel the object on his own. On the other hand, do not slap him on the back; this gesture could aggravate the situation.
- In case of total suffocation (no sound comes out of his mouth): Give a maximum of 5 slaps on the back of the child (over one year old). Clap vigorously between the shoulder blades, 5 times in a row. If this method does not work, opt for the Heimlich maneuver (in children over one year old): stand behind the child, pressed against him. Place your clenched fist between his navel and the lower end of his sternum. “Then hold your fist in place with your other hand. Press your fist firmly towards you and upwards and repeat this gesture a maximum of 5 times,” specifies the Red Cross.
If the child loses consciousness, lay him on his back and immediately call 15. While waiting for help, perform cardiac massage.
Good to know : whatever the type of choking in the child, it is advisable to consult.