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" New parents can save lots of money by buying a secondhand playpen or borrowing a friend&amp;#039;s old baby swing. But before you use those items, carefully investigate the make and model. Hand-me-downs can kill.  After the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalls a dangerous item, the manufacturer must remove it from store shelves. People who already own the product can request a manufacturer&amp;#039;s refund -- if they know to ask. But if they don&amp;#039;t, the product can turn up years later in a thrift store, at a yard sale, or as a hand-me-down. Here&amp;#039;s one scary example: In 1997, Century recalled its Lil&amp;#039; Napper Infant Swing after three babies were strangled by its harness straps. A year later, another child died, prompting the CPSC to issue another notice urging parents to search their attics and basements for the swings.  Before using any secondhand children&amp;#039;s merchandise, always check with the CPSC (www.cpsc.gov or 800-638-2772) to see if the item has been recalled.  Playpens  During the last ten years, at least 21 babies have died in playpens or play yards, and 11 brands have been recalled. Some, such as Playskool&amp;#039;s Travel-Lite Portable Crib, Baby Trend&amp;#039;s Home and Roam, and Evenflo&amp;#039;s Happy Camper, can collapse, perhaps suffocating babies. Others (like Kolcraft and Graco) have protruding rivets that can snag the strings on a child&amp;#039;s clothing or pacifier, potentially strangling her. Run your finger around the railings -- if it catches on anything, stay away.  Cradle Swings  Four reports of partial or total suffocation led to the recall of Graco&amp;#039;s Converta-Cradle in 1992. Century&amp;#039;s Lil&amp;#039; Napper Infant Swing was recalled five years later because it poses a strangulation hazard.  To be safe, look for a swing with a restraint system that has both waist and crotch straps (this goes for high chairs and strollers, too). Toy Basketball Sets  Four manufacturers recalled more than ten million toy basketball sets (sold between 1976 and 1998) after receiving reports of 20 children under age 5 getting their heads and necks caught in the nets; one 18-month-old died. Children can be strangled if their heads get trapped in net loops that become unhooked from the rim or have sliding knots. The brands recalled were Little Tikes, Ohio Art, Today&amp;#039;s Kids, and Fisher Price. Bunk Beds  Between 1990 and 1999, there were 57 deaths involving wood and metal bunk beds. In 1992, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) announced new safety standards that called for all bunk beds to have guardrails on both sides of the upper bunk.   In addition, you should make sure there are no gaps measuring more than three and a half inches between the headboard and mattress or the guardrail and frame. A child&amp;#039;s body could slip through one of these spaces, trapping his head and creating a strangulation hazard.  But don&amp;#039;t rely on measurements alone; check with the CPSC to find out whether a particular model meets the ASTM&amp;#039;s standards. And remember, children under 6 should never be placed in top bunks. Infant Cushions  Baby beanbag cushions (mini beds used to prop up babies or let them nap anywhere in the house) are so dangerous they&amp;#039;re no longer made -- the CPSC banned the entire category in 1992. Because these foam- or pellet-filled pillows conform easily to a baby&amp;#039;s face, 36 babies suffocated. Other Killers  Cosco crib mattresses (1999 recall), toddler beds (1992 recall), and full-size cribs (1997 recall) were all taken off the market because they create a risk of entrapment; babies slipped through gaps between the mattress and frame.  Blazon-Flexible Flyer T-Type PlayCenters and Hedstrom Big T swing sets (sold under the Sears brand name) were recalled in 1992 because strings from kids&amp;#039; clothing (such as mitten ties) can catch on the sets, creating a strangulation hazard. Okla Homer Smith Furniture cribs were recalled in 1995. The side railings can loosen, and a baby&amp;#039;s head could get trapped. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/a16049/hand-me-down-1001/>