Shein and Temu selling hazardous baby products: What parents should know

Lauren Taylor

PRODUCTS SOLD BY ONLINE CHINESE RETAILERS MAY BE CHEAP AND ALLURING BUT A NEW REPORT IS REVEALING SOME ALARMING CONCERNS ABOUT BABY AND TODDLER ITEMS. 

THE FINDINGS REVEAL THESE PRODUCTS COULD BE DEADLY. 

AND UNTIL RECENTLY THEY WERE  ALARMINGLY EASY TO FIND ON SITES LIKE TEMU AND SHEIN.

AMONG THEM? TEMU LISTED PADDED CRIB BUMPERS, WHICH WERE BANNED IN THE U.S. DUE TO SUFFOCATION RISKS. SHEIN LISTED CHILDREN’S DRAWSTRING HOODIES WHICH POSE A POTENTIAL STRANGULATION HAZARD. BOTH PLATFORMS REMOVED THESE ITEMS AFTER BEING CONTACTED BY “THE INFORMATION” – THE NEWS AGENCY BEHIND THE REPORT. 

AT A RECENT CONGRESSIONAL HEARING,  OFFICIALS WITH THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THE RISK POSED BY PLATFORMS LIKE SHEIN AND TEMU AND REQUESTED ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO BETTER MONITOR PRODUCT LISTINGS AND IMPORTS. 

ISSUES WITH CHILDREN’S PRODUCTS FROM CHINA HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN SOUTH KOREA AND IN CANADA. WITH TOXIC SUBSTANCES FOUND IN ITEMS LIKE CHILDREN’S WATCHES, COLORING PENCILS, AND BALLOONS. 

SHEIN HAS RESPONDED BY ENFORCING SWIFT ACTIONS AGAINST NON-COMPLIANT PRODUCTS. 

THERE WERE ALSO CONCERNS ABOUT BABY PRODUCTS BEING MISLABELED. 

LIKE A BABY LOUNGER ON TEMU THAT WAS DESCRIBED AS A PET BED. 

TEMU LATER REMOVED THE FLAGGED ITEMS AND CLAIMS TO HAVE LAUNCHED AN INTERNAL REVIEW. 

BOTH TEMU AND SHEIN SAY THEY’RE TAKING STEPS TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, BUT CONSUMER ADVOCACY GROUPS ARE URGING SHOPPERS TO BE CAUTIOUS WHEN BUYING ONLINE PRODUCTS.

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