It was the potentially lethal mix of
melamine-tainted milk and lead-laden toys that gave parents of young children
in China a nightmare not too long ago.
These
days, there are new health and safety issues for parents here to contend with:
clothing containing cancer-causing chemicals, a lack of medicines for children,
and an under-supply of affordable car safety seats.
Deng
Zhuo, 32, an IT professional with a 16-month-old son, probably spoke for many
young parents when he said: "I'm worried about everything made in China
that my baby eats or touches."
Take a
new report by the Beijing Consumer Association, which ran tests on samples of
children's clothing produced or distributed by 47 firms in China.
The
result: one-third of the samples did not meet quality and safety standards.
The
problems included excessive levels of formaldehyde, a chemical commonly used in
manufacturing textiles, shoes and furniture. Long-term exposure to the chemical
or high concentrations of it can cause cancer.
False
labelling was another concern. Some "100 per cent cotton" infant
garments were not so, according to the test centre's director Li Xiuying.
Adding
to the worries of parents is a dire shortage of child-appropriate medicines.
The
Health Ministry has already warned that such a shortage could undermine the
normal growth and development of the country's 220 million children who are
under 14 years old.
Official
data shows that while there are 3,500 drug types in China, only 2 per cent are
suitable for children. What's more, over 90 per cent of the drugs sold in the
country are not meant for their use.
Beijing
housewife Liu Chen, 40, is caught in a dilemma.
"I'm
afraid that feeding my daughter medicine meant for adults may cause adverse
reactions," said Liu, who has a 10-year-old daughter. "But there's
nothing else I can do."
From
health scares to safety concerns: Come July 1, new standards for
"child-restraint systems", or car safety seats, sold in China will
kick in.
The new
rules follow reports that 18,500 children under 14 years old die in road
accidents every year, mainly because they are not strapped into a car seat.
A
nationwide survey showed that the usage rate of child safety seats is only
about 30 per cent, which some people blame on the high cost.
Locally
made car seats cost about 1,000 yuan (US$157) each while imported ones can cost
up to 3,000 yuan in big cities.
Still,
when it comes to their children, Chinese parents are willing to splurge.
In the
case of Deng, he buys an imported brand of infant milk formula and only
"100 per cent cotton" children's wear from well-known local and
foreign brands.
In
fact, on Children's Day on June 1, more than 45 per cent of parents polled said
they spent more than 1,000 yuan that day alone on gifts for their children.
"A
common view among parents is that 'only expensive, imported, branded (goods)
are safe to use'," according to a recent commentary in the People's Daily,
the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party.
But
analysts say that paying more may not guarantee safety.
"Even
if a company wants to produce '100 per cent safe' products, it may not know
what went into the ingredients or raw materials supplied to it, or what happens
when the product is distributed," said Zhang Yuanmeng, director of China
Research Centre for Children.
"It
requires the entire industry to be responsible in controlling quality and
safety," she added.
For a
developing economy like China's, this may take time, she said.
Still,
the government is doing more now to ensure that both market and parents are
focused on child safety. The new ruling for car seats is one such example.
"Government
agencies can play a role not just in regulating producers, but also in
educating parents to be more safety-conscious," said Zhang.
Grace
Ng
The
Straits Times
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