H EALTH ALERTS Bicycle helmets Target, Academy and Mills Fleet & Farms stores nationwide from January to July 2004 for $17 to $20. Consumers should return the helmet to the place of purchase for a replacement or refund, or send the helmet back to the manufacturer. Contact PTI Sports at (800) 515-0074 for more information. Children's athletic shoes ;-¢; >F;f>f -; s XNike USA Inc., of * W 0F;i>>8S;>-Beaverton, Ore., is ~~~~~Little Get-Go chil- I G ~~~~~~drerfs athletic shoes because a rubber tab at the top of the heel can detach from the shoe, posing a choking hazard to young children. The company has received three reports of heel tabs detaching from shoes, posing a choking hazard to young children. No injuries have been reported. The shoes come in various color combinations and were sold in toddler and pre-school sizes 2C through 3Y. "GET-GO" or "LITTLE GET-GO" is printed on the side. The recalled style numbers, found on a label inside the shoes above the UPC code, read "308638," "308639," "308642"y or "308647." The shoes were sold in Nike stores, major athletic shoe stores, independ- ent shoe stores and chfldreiYs stores nationwide from June to August 2004 for $35 to $45. Stop using the shoes and contact Nike at (800) 344- 6453 or www.nikebiz.com to receive a refund voucher. Nursing, maternity pillows Boston Billows __ ~~~~~~Inc. of Nashua, _ ~~~~~~~~N.H., is recalling 8,000 Boston 1_ S ~~~~~Billows nursing D _ j> ~~~~pillows because _ s | ~~~~~~infant pillows and cushions are banned under federal law. An infant is at risk of suf- focation when left unattended on any pillow. No incidents have been reported. The C-shaped pillows have a removable, 100% hypoallergenic cover that comes in various colors and prints. The pillow is washable and has "Boston Billows Inc." printed on the fabric tag. They were sold in hospitals and independent specialty stores from February 2000 to December 2003 for $34 to $38. Consumers should immediately stop using the pil- lows and contact the firm at (877) 274-4606 for infor- mation on how to receive a refund. Theraline Inc., ofWendell, Mass., is recalling about 1,000 BigV Maternity and Nursing Pillows. If infants are placed on the pillows and left unattended, there is a risk of suffocation. No incidents or injuries have been reported. Recalled pillows have a blue or peach-colored print fabric showing yellow moons, hearts and stars, or tan and blue teddy bears. The log-shaped pillows measure about 5-feet in length. "THERALINE," "THE BIGV" and "Finest Micropearl Fffling"' are written on a fabric tag sewn on the pillow. Pillows were sold at independent specialty store from June 2003 through May 2004 for about $60. Consumers should stop using these pillows imme- diately and contact the firm for information on receiving a refund. Contact the Theraline Inc. at (866) 843-7254. Scooters fly-,tore I a moliffIRAW-118 1;1 MIM3IlMPLIVlU VI %VVg1P4II'' WL.14-K Vil I^WI-41M ctil Product Safety News. To report an inj'ury, call the CPSC's toll-free hotline at (800) 638-2772. PTI Sports Inc., of Calif., is recalling 9,000 i ~~~~~Schwinn toddler bicy- __ ~~~~clehelmets because the helmets do not comply with federal _ ~~~~~~imnpact testing require- NO incidents have been reported. The helmets have "SCHWINN" printed on the back. A white label, found inside the helmet, reads "lot #791913" and contains a date from 12/01/03 through 5/15/04 as well as the model number SK103, SK107 or SK108. The helmets were sold atWal-Mart, BMW of North America _ ! ~~~~LLC, of Woodcliff Lake, N.J., _ ~~~~~is recalling 161 SlideCarver g - 7z^t 0 Scooters because the front X 1| r:- \ column of the scooter does 0 lA W i not meet impact resistance <-24 i dl~ebar to break upon impact a t t E ~~and injure the rider. _ ~~~~~The company has received one report of a front column breaking, causing a rider to fall and suffer minor injuries. The SlideCarver is a three-wheeled, foldable scooter that is designed to be steered from both the front and back. "BMW" and "SlideCarver" are printed on the underside of the rider platform ofthese scoot- ers. The scooters were sold at BMW dealerships and on the firris Web site from December 2003 to July 2004 for $700. Consumers should return the scooters to any BMW dealership or call the firm at (800) 831-1117 for infor- mation on returning the scooter to receive a refund. In addition, consumers will receive a $200 gift certifi- cate for BMW lifestyle merchandise. 2'12 AAP News www.aapnews.org October 2004 Warn kids of dangers of inhaling helium Kids crack up when they hear the high-pitched, car- toon-like voice of someone who has just inhaled helium. But the practice is no laughing matter. Youths inhaling helium for the vocal effect or as a recre- ational drug should be made aware of the potentially fatal__ consequences. This colorless, odorless, tasteless and non- toxic gas can cause inJury and even death after prolonged Helium may be dangerous when inhaled from a balloon, _ but it can be deadly when it comes from a pressurized tank. Helium acts as a simple asphyxiant, displacing oxy- gen in the body and increasing the risk of suffocation when present in high concentrations. Helium inhalation can result in a cerebral arterial gas embolism caused by air bubbles in the blood stream, which can lead to a temporary stroke with symptoms including sudden loss of consciousness, nau- sea, dizziness, seizures, uncontrolled failing, visual disturbances, headaches and asphyxiation. Here, it is not the helium itself that is dangerous, but the pressure of the gas; inhaling pressurized oxygen would be equally dangerous. Although serious cases are rare, prolonged inhalation has resulted in death, as in the case of one man in 2002. A case report of a 1 3-year-old boy who inhaled helium directly from a pressurized tank and suf- fered cerebral gas embolism further highlights the potential danger of inhaling helium under pressure. Due to the growing availability of helium in rental tanks used to fill balloons, there is a greater chance of helium inhalation incidents occurring. Damage caused by helium inhalation can be treated with decompression therapy, which forces oxygen to replace the helium in the lungs. However, the inhalation of helium can result in permanent damage to the lungs. -Kari Bachmeier and Rachna Sheth