According to the Huffington Post, antimony was measured at 93 parts per million in the hamster’s fur and at 106 parts per million in its nose. “Both readings exceed the allowable level of 60 parts per million,” said Dara O’Rourke, an associate professor of environmental science at the University of California, Berkeley and GoodGuide’s CEO.

In the same story, O’Rourke said GoodGuide’s test results, released Friday, also indicated the possibility that some toys contained phthalates.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is taking the safety claims about Zhu Zhu pets seriously and conducting an  investigation. Cepia, the manufacturer of the line, disputes the findings.

The news about Zhu Zhu pets’ safety raises three key questions:

1. If the product is indeed unsafe, how did it make it to market? The toy industry has been particularly aware of and sensitive to dangerous elements in toys ever since the news about lead in toys made in China permeated media and impacted parents’ shopping lists during the 2007 holiday season.

2. How did GoodGuide do its research, and what did it do that Cepia did not? Are GoodGuide’s criteria and tests reasonable? 

3. What will moms do now? Will they give in to their child’s request for the product or err on the side of caution when it comes to their child’s health?

Your thoughts?

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Moms, it’s official – according to today’s USA Today, we’re doing a great job of keeping our children safe and healthy.

• The infant mortality rate has declined dramatically, from 29 deaths per 1,000 births in 1950 to fewer than seven deaths per 1,000 births today. Reasons include cleaner water, vaccines, antibiotics, good prenatal care and better nutrition.
• Children of all ages are benefiting from research, better products based on research findings, and improved safety laws. Death rates from unintentional injuries among children under 19 have dropped nearly 50% since 1981 — from 27 deaths per 100,000 then to 14 deaths per 100,000 children in 2005.
• A little over half of moms – 54% — breastfed their children in 1986-88. Now, 77% do.
• There were 151 cases of sudden infant death syndrome per 100,000 children in 1979 compared with 55 cases per 100,000 in 2004.
• A whopping 33%-40% of married pregnant women smoked in 1967 vs. 10% in 2005.

As moms have improved their practices, companies have also upgraded their products, from reducing the maximum temperature of water heaters in new homes to adding childproof caps to reduce accidental poisonings.

For more, visit USA Today.

Moms, what steps have you taken to assure your child’s health and safety? Marketers, what products have you introduced to help them?

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