Parents are often inundated with products and advice long before their first child is ever actually born. Most do their best to make sure that they only use safe and non-toxic products for their child’s bedding, meals and bath, but even popular items can be the cause of serious problems. Some of the widely-used Tommee Tippee sippy cups were blamed for dozens of kids’ illnesses after they were found to harbor mold, which could possibly lead to an onslaught of product liability lawsuits.
The affected cups use a spill-proof valve that can appear to be clean even as black mold continues to multiply inside of it. While mold is typically not associated with fatalities, it can cause severe gastrointestinal and respiratory infections in otherwise healthy California children. Immunocompromised children or those with special needs and pre-existing conditions might be even more susceptible to complications related to these infections. A 2004 study also linked mold exposure to exacerbated asthma symptoms and even hypersensitivity pneumonitis for certain individuals.
Many parents now blame their otherwise healthy children’s illnesses on mold that they found in the spill-proof valves. Even when the valves were regularly washed and cared for, the valve’s defective design made it impossible to fully and thoroughly clean. The black mold was not even visible to parents until it was pried apart, after which the product no longer functioned.
Tommee Tippee has issued a recall for the affected cups and is offering free replacements, but a free cup might not mean much for parents of sick children. Companies that design and manufacture children’s products are expected to ensure that all of their products are safe and ready for use. When they fail to do so and put California children at risk, parents might be able to address their children’s injuries through product liability claims.
Source: Inquisitr, “Are Your Kids Drinking Mold? Tommee Tippee Recall Says Stop Using Sippy Cups Immediately [Video]“, Noelle Nicholas, May 31, 2016
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