After a flood, health professionals advise drying out the affected area within 24 hours to prevent mold growth, but what’s the standard procedure to keep mold out of your children’s cups and other items?
More than three million cups for children have recently been recalled because mold may grow inside of the product, causing health issues for users.
After testing the products, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a notice for five types of spill-proof Tommee Tippee Sippee cups with a removable, one-piece white valve.
“The CPSC advises that mold ingestion poses a risk of gastrointestinal symptoms and infections in consumers with compromised immune systems.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t the only recent study where children’s products have shown signs of mold and bacteria.
“GMA” Investigates asked parents across the country to allow testing on their children’s cups and bath toys for germs.
Dr. Susan Whittier, a microbiologist at New York–Presbyterian/Columbia University Hospital in New York City, tested more than 50 items for mold and bacteria on behalf of “GMA.”
The results were jaw-dropping. All the products tested were found to have some mold and/or bacteria.
The bacteria found would not pose a health risk in a non-immunocompromised child, although there is a risk of skin infections if it came into contact with breaks in the skin.
Fecal bacteria was growing on more than 25 percent of the cups tested. While it poses a minimal health risk, it’s not a nice thought to have.
These results were just as dismal for parents as the ones CPSC released regarding the Tommee Tippee Sippee cups.
“Mold can develop on the removable, one-piece, white valve inside the spill-proof Tommee Tippee Sippee cups when it remains wet/moist and is infrequently cleaned,” CPSC said.
Whittier says that parents should make sure all children’s cups can be completely disassembled, and clean them in the dishwasher on high heat.
Mayborn USA, which imported the Tommee Tippee Sippee cups from China, received 3,066 reports of mold related to the cups and 68 reports of children experiencing sickness.