Filling out a simple product registration form could save your child's life

(WXYZ) - Odd’s are you’re buying all kinds of products for the children in your life this holiday season, and chances are when those items are opened the instructions and extra papers inside the box may be tossed.

Well, there’s a reason you may want to look carefully for the product registration postcard that’s in that paperwork. It could save your child’s life.

The parents of sixteen months old Danny Keyser, ten month old Riley Grasseth, and eight month old Ethan Hauser never knew their children’s portable crib and play yards were dangerous-and recalled due to a deadly defect.

“I will never get to watch him grow up; I will never get to celebrate his first birthday,” said mother, Laura Hauser.

All Ethans’s mother has left now are memories and photos of her little boy.

Four years before Ethan was even born, this recall notice was issued for his portable crib.

But the family who originally bought it never found out, and eventually the “hand me down” play pen, with defective side rails, was given to the Hauser’s.

“It fell in a V and his neck got trapped and he actually asphyxiated, suffocated and died,” Hauser said.

Each year millions of children’s products are recalled because of safety defects and many families like Ethan’s tragically never knew.

A new federal law now requires companies that make “durable infant and toddler products” include a pre-stamped post card, with every crib, play yard, stroller, and many other kinds of baby products they sell.

Parents just fill in their contact information and mail the card—or go online to register. If there’s ever a recall, the company can notify them directly.

“The best way that a consumer can find out about a recall is if they’re notified directly,” Rachel Weintraub said, from Consumer Federation of America.

Problem is a new survey by the Consumer Federation of America found sixty-one percent of adults with children under twelve did not know this new notification system exists!

“It could mean that a parent never finds out about a recall, about a recall of product that could cause a devastating injury or even death,” Weintraub said.

The new notification law is named after Danny Keyser. He died in a daycare center’s portable crib that was recalled five years before he was born.

The child care center never knew about the recall. Danny’s mother pushed for the change and founded the child advocacy group “kids in danger.”

It wants parents to know companies cannot use their contact info from the registrations for marketing-it’s only to notify them of recalls.

“The law that puts this product registration program in place makes it illegal for companies to use that information for any other purpose.”

Some good news: The consumer federation’s survey also found when parents learned about the new notification law 85 percent said they’d register in the future.

Ethan’s mom says doing something that’s so easy could save your child’s life and even the lives of others, and hopes 100 percent of parents register.

Here are some helpful links on where to search for current and past information on recalls.

• Consumer Product safety
• Kids in Danger
• We Make it Safer
• Keeping Babies safe