Categories: Caution, Toy Safety Warnings
When I became a parent some of the wisdom which we received was:
1. If you can pass the toy through a toilet paper roll means it is too small for a child under the age of 3
2. If the toy is more narrow than a hot dog wiener means it is too small for a child under the age of 3
Sophie the Giraffe Teething Toy by Bug in a Rug is an immensely popular toy for teething. I never understood her appeal with her cult-like following mainly because she has:
1. the squeaker inside
2. airbrushed paint on the outside
Those are a couple of no-no`s in our house.
On the net, she is simply known as `Sophie`. Touted as the classic toy from France, made of 100% natural rubber from the Hevea tree and colored with food grade paint. ’Sophie’ has been described as being excruciatingly cute and thoughtfully crafted.
Please note: This toy has not been recalled and no Canadian safety warnings have been issued
However, this toy has come up a couple of times in my research but it wasn`t until my highly trusted local toy store told me that they had a consumer complaint and promptly removed `Sophie` from their shelves that I started to pay her more attention.
This is what I found, she is bigger than big. There are millions of mothers who have postings with accolades to this cute and squeaky toy. But there have also been blog postings about choking hazards on infants having her legs rammed down their throats. I think this woman summed it up when she said `just because everyone seems to love this toy and have one doesn’t mean it is a safe choice.` On Chapters Online a woman with a similar experience had the following to say `Dangerous! My son choked!`
Sophie has long legs (more narrow than a hot dog wiener) and infants have short throats and almost no fine motor control to pull this toy out of their mouths. Just be careful and remember a frozen washcloth works great!
Doesn’t a spatula have a long rigid handle? I would think, all things considered, that if you oppose Sophie’s long legs, you should oppose spatula handles. The woman on Chapters whose son choked…this would be a much scarier scenario had it been a spatula, but that’s just my interpretation. I hope you withdraw that suggestion.
For us, Sophie is out purely because I can’t really justify over $20 for a teether.
Hi Kim – thanks for your feedback and yes, I certainly would never suggest that a child be provided access to the handle of a spatula. The specific risk that I was advised of with Sophie is that at the end of her legs there is a “squeaker” hole and when the child put the legs into their mouth the hole was suctioned to the roof of the child’s mouth.
Thank you for your feedback,
Sarah
Hi i just wanted to say that there is no squeaker toy on the legs .. its on the backside of sophie near the bum…
Before people spread rumours about Sophie, the facts should be straight. It would appear that Sarah has not even held a Sophie. If she had, she would know that the legs are so long that there is no way a child could ’suction’ the small hole on the back side of Sophie. The hole is in a position that it would be physically impossible for this to happen.
Sophie has been safely chewed for nearly 50 years. Many many million of them have been sold across the world. No child should be left unattended with anything EVER – THAT is how most accidents happen.
Sophie the giraffe has for sure passed the test of time, sold in France since 1961 and never ever recalled once. She is the safest toy you can find on the market. I do not buy a bit what it is said (negatively)about this wonderful toy. Millions of Sophies have sold since 1961 and never recalled….before spreading negativity I would first verify the source of the information.
Give me break!!! In basic terms, this story “reeks” of bad parenting and the “blame-game”. If you look at the studies, the most common cause of choking incidents for children under the age of 1, is food. In one study, nearly 70 percent of choking cases presented in the emergency department were caused by foods such as hotdogs, nuts, and vegetable and fruit pieces. The remainder of incidents are related to balloons, magnets, foam balls and miscellaneous items around houses such e.g. buttons, coins and pen caps. Are you’re seriously going to tell me that Sophie, who’s existed for more than 40 years – without incident might I add, is a chocking hazard??? I also think that the title of the “opinion” – (I specifically chose this expression because it is defined as “thoughts towards something which it is either impossible to verify the truth of, OR THE TRUTH OF WHICH IS THOUGHT UNIMPORTANT TO A PERSON”), stated above by “This Girl Wears Glasses…” is misleading border lining on fraudulent. Sophie the Giraffe is not smaller than a hot-dog wiener and cannot pass through a cardboard toilet paper tube.
I would like to add one more thing: according to your profile you state ” I would call myself an “educated consumer” because I research the manufacturers, their safety guidelines and products before I make a purchase.
Are you sure you did your homework? because I did and the manufacturer of Sophie the giraffe has tested the toy with a lab accreditied by the Goverment and the toy has passed all the safety tests required for newborn babies which in fact include test for shocking hazard. My suggestion is for your sake you better stop spreading the rumours of Sophie being unsafe. I agree with M. Ris it is border lining on fraudulent.
People, Sarah is trying to provide information to the general public, about a potential hazard that can occur if a child shoves the Sophie too far inside their mouth. Perhaps, just knowing about one person’s experience, someone else may benefit. We need not attack one another if we do not agree or perhaps have not had the same experience. Let’s instead learn from eachother & be grateful for knowing, that so far, there were no permanant injuries!
Sarah
I really think you are trying to do a service, but instead due to your lack of knowledge and spreading this around (I have seen your name listed on other blogs claiming Sophie is unsafe) you are doing a HUGE disservice!!
It is people like you, who spread misinformation around the internet and make it difficult for a consumer to really know the REAL facts.
Sophie is one of the safer teething toys out their.
If you recommend a face cloth then I would feel that is more hazardous! Take a face cloth and perform it on your own toilet paper roll test. Many people also use bleach or detergents when washing their face clothes – and a child will be sucking on that as well. Does your face cloth use AZO free dye’s?
You are also not supposed to freeze anything and place it in a child’s mouth. If you want it cool, then you should be refridgerating it. Parents, do not put frozen objects in a child’s mouth. I have a dental background and this is DEFINITELY a no no.
It is safer to use a product that is recommended for teething than improvising your own method and recommending it to others. Has your recommendation been tested and approved?
Sophie was taken off the shelves at Toysrus in Canada and Mastermind. There must be some validity to the story.
I would just like to add, that I have purchased Sophie for my son, and he loves it. Whenever you give your baby anything you should be supervising them. I recently went to Toy’r'us to purchase Sophie for a friend and was upset to find out that Sophie had been removed from the shelves. There may be some validity to the story, but you also have to realise that stores are at the mercy of the consumer. People would frown upon a store that continued to sell a product that had complaints of a chocking hazard. What isn’t taken into consideration when these complaints are made is the situation surrounding the choking. Was the baby beeing monitored? It goes back to walkers. The largest complaint was that babies where walking down the stairs and so, no more walkers even beeing manufactured. Now this is a situation where you have to just shake your head and think how stupid I would feel bringing my baby into the emergency room and telling them that the baby walked over to the stairs and then fell down them, while using their walker, this screams unmonitored baby, and bad parenting. Why do the rest of us have to pay for those who aren’t able to watch their children more closely.
I can’t believe what I am reading!
My son choked on Sophie. I thought it was a great toy and my son loved it. My son was not unattened as some of you claim when this happened, he was sitting in his bouncy seat with my husband next to him chewing on Sophie’s leg. When my husband looked at him he saw that he could not breath and was making no sound. My husband pulled it out of his mouth and it made a suction sound and my son spit up. It was a very scary ordeal and I just felt that if it could happen to him it could happen to any baby and I didn’t want this to happen to anyone else. I would never leave my child unattened and I am very insulted that anyone would say that not even knowing me or my story.
I have contacted Health Canada about this and mine is not the only complaint and they are looking into to this. If you want to use Sophie that is your choice I just thought that as a Mother I needed to let other Mother’s know about this so that we can all keep our kids safe. I think that as parents we should share info that may be helpful to other parents. You don’t have to believe or listen to my story but don’t judge anybody until you know all the facts.
I think this thread on kidskingston.com may shed more light on the situation: http://www.kidskingston.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=73761
The comments for this blog post are now closed.
Wow, wow, wow, I have always prided myself on being a good mom, I believe myself to be one, but I am completely ashamed of myself after writing my comment and reading the comment left by “Mother of the child who choked.” She is absolutely correct in writing we should be helping each other out as moms, but it seems that in today’s society it is always a competition in parenting, who’s child is taller, smarter, more athletic. We as women and mothers should be lifting each other up and not beating each other down and making snap judgements. I am truly Sorry, and I hope you can find it within yourself to accept my apology. I am trying to grow each day into a better person then I was the day before. I am trying to see other women as potential friends instead enemy’s. We all know how some women can be. It has caused some of us to put up a guard and assume the worst in others, before giving the benefit of the doubt. I have since thrown Sophie away, and will warn any other mom I know that it is not a safe toy. “Mother of the child who choked” you tried to share your unfortunate experience with other moms and in turn we attacked you and other parents that this happened to as well. Never considering the fear you must have felt, no matter the circumstances surrounding the incident. Most people don’t ever fully recover from the death of a child. We all share the same goal as parents, to protect our children and do the best job we can raising them. I thank you for sharing and putting us all in our place.
I can’t believe what I’m reading … if Sophie has been pulled from the shelves it MUST be due to safety concerns. Let’s look at evidence from Health Canada in recent years:
We were warned about BPA then it was removed completely from shelves WHEN IT WAS PROVEN TO BE DANGEROUS
I wasn’t able to find a bedding package for my daughter without a Bumper Pad in it even though all research says they ARE Dangerous
Nasal Aspirators are still readily available even though health nurses are now warning not to use them
Listen, products that are unsafe are still available and all around us every day. If something HAS been pulled off the shelves…watch OUT!
I’ve heard amazing things about sophie and I was so excited to buy it for my six month old. I want to thank Toys r us for taking it of the shelves and especially the family for coming foward and telling their story. If they had not, my baby or someone elses child could have been next.
Sophie the giraffe seems to be a favourite and has been around for decades, but after hearing about one incident of a baby choking is enough for me NOT to buy it.