Build-A-Bear Recalls Toy: Eyes Are Choking Hazard

By Philip Copitch, Ph.D.

FYI: Please share this information with your friends and family.  Thanks!

Sully stuffed toy has been recalled

This toy was sold at Build-A-Bear Workshop stores and online at www.buildabear.com during June 2013 for about $23.

If your child has this toy, you should immediately take the recalled Sulley from him or her and return it to any Build-A-Bear Workshop store to receive a coupon for any stuffed animal from Build-A-Bear Workshop.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports

Units

25,000 in the U.S. and 1,100 in Canada

Description

Sulley is a furry blue creature from the Monsters movies. The Build-A-Bear stuffed monster is covered in blue furry fabric with purple spots, horn on its head and has blue eyes measuring about 1 inch in diameter. The stuffed monster is about 17 inches high and 10.5 inches wide.  Tracking label ending with 4384 or 4385 for USA and 4378 for Canada can be found on a sewn in label on the backside of the leg of the stuffed monster. 

Incidents/Injuries

None reported

Remedy

Consumers should immediately take the recalled Sulley from children and return it to any Build-A-Bear Workshop store to receive a coupon for any stuffed animal from Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Sold at

Build-A-Bear Workshop stores and online at www.buildabear.com during June 2013 for about $23.

Importer

Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc., of St. Louis, Mo. 

Manufactured in

China

Consumer Contact:

Build-A-Bear toll-free at (866) 236-5683 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, on Saturday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT and on Sunday between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT. You may also email the firm at ProductHotline@buildabear.com. Visit the firm’s website www.buildabear.com and click on Product Recalls at the bottom of the page for more information. 

Read the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report

Stomachaches in childhood often occur before anxiety disorders in adulthood

Philip Copitch, Ph.D.
Author of Basic Parenting 101: The Manual Your Child Should Have Been Born With

The journal Pediatrics reported a cross-sectional study linking childhood stomachaches to anxiety disorders in later life. A cross-sectional study looks at a medical condition in a population. This type of descriptive study is often used to show the prevalence of a disorder in a population and may lead to evaluations of the cause and effect of an illness. 

Functional abdominal pain (FAP)

It is common for pediatricians and family doctors to see children complaining of stomach pain. Often this pain has no specific medical cause such as bowl obstruction or food poisoning. It may often be associated with general “worries” such as school, homework, or friend problems.

What the research showed was that children with FAP, “carry long-term vulnerability to anxiety that begins in childhood and persists into late adolescence and early adulthood, even if abdominal pain resolves.” 

What is an Anxiety Disorder?

An anxiety disorder is a general classification of mental health disorders that is typified by anxiety and worry occurring most days for at least 6 months. The person finds it very hard to control their worrying. Because of their state of worry, they often have problems at home, work, or school.

Often the symptoms of anxiety are one or all of the following:

• Restless feelings or feeling keyed up all the time
• Months and months of being easily fatigued (without medical reason)
• Difficulty concentrating or losing track of one’s thoughts
• Irritability
• Muscle tension
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep. This is often reported as “restless” sleep or “feeling tired all the time”

What should a parent be looking for?

It is often impossible to know why your child is having so many upset stomachs. It is best to start with your pediatrician or family doctor to rule out medical stomach problems. 

If your child is having any of the symptoms discussed above, tell your child’s doctor. There is effective treatment for anxiety issues. Your MD may refer you to a mental health professional. Often a little support from a counselor can go along way to help your child. Most therapists will start by teaching your child effective coping mechanisms for dealing with life’s stressors. This often shows quick and long term rewards. If the problem is moderate to severe, it is best to get help sooner than later. Unfortunately, children can miss out on lots of the important social and academic milestones of childhood because of an untreated anxiety issue.

Let me know what you think by using the comment area below. 

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