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

Aug 16

Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Mathew Grisham (Digital Producer), Mirlie Larose (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Lead Video Editor)

Products sold by online Chinese retailers like Shein and Temu may be cheap and appealing, but a new report is revealing concerns about baby and toddler items. The report found that some of these products could be deadly, and until recently, they were easy to find on sites like Temu and Shein.

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Some products are even currently banned in the U.S., such as padded crib bumpers on Temu. The product was deemed a suffocation risk. A recall notice further noted that around 125 of these units were sold in the U.S. in 2022 and 2023.

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Another item, this time on Shein, saw children’s drawstring hoodies banned for a potential strangulation hazard. Coats that contained 20 times the allowable lead limit were also found.

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. The group requested additional funding to better monitor product listings and imports. Concerns also exist over data, sourcing and trade loopholes.

Issues with children’s products from China have been reported in South Korea and Canada, not just in the U.S. Shein has reportedly responded by enforcing swift actions against non-compliant products.

Concerns over the mislabeling of products has also been brought to the forefront. One example includes a baby lounger on Temu that was described and mislabeled 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. Regardless, consumer advocacy groups are urging shoppers to be cautious when buying these online products.

Tags: Children, China, Consumer Confidence, Recall, Shein, Temu

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.

WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS STORY- AND YOU CAN TOO. DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP – AND SIGN UP FOR HEALTH UPDATES SO YOU NEVER MISS A STORY.