How ironic that a manufacturer named Luv N’ Care would have to announce the recall of its gel-filled teething rings because the gel inside the rings would make babies sick.

The Food and Drug Administration announced that the Louisiana-based manufacturer has voluntarily recalled its products after the FDA found Bacillus Subtilis and Bacillus Circulans in the gel samples from the teethers.

Although there have been no reported illnesses, the bacteria in the teether can cause stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea and more serious disease if ingested by infants and children with weakened immune systems.

These gel-filled teething rings are sold under brand names such as “Nuby”, “Playschool” and “Cottontails”.

Consumers are advised to immediately stop using them, they may also ask for a full refund at the place of purchase.

Fortunately, these products have been recalled and announced before any actual harm has been done.

However, if babies have been harmed as a result of the gel-filled rings, under product liability laws, a product liability claim may be instituted to compensate for damages.

However, in order to make a claim successful, there are certain elements that should be present in the case:

•    The consumer was injured or suffered losses

•    The product is defective.

•    The defect of the product caused your injury

•    The consumer was using the product as it was intended

For parents whose children are using the gel-filled teethers, it is best to throw them away or ask for a refund as soon as possible. It is actually much harder to tell if children are not feeling well as they could not express themselves well.

Sometimes, even the symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea mentioned above can be brushed off by the parents themselves as harmless ordinary illnesses experienced by a young child.

But in case of injury or damage, parents whose child gets sick because of the bacteria from the gel-teething rings may opt to file a product liability case against the manufacturer.