Popular baby product nearly causes child's suffocation, prompting warning to parents

JOLIET, Ill. - Graphic warning: Some viewers may find a video clip included in this story difficult to watch.

A southwest suburban couple is sounding the alarm about a popular children’s product. They say it nearly caused their baby to suffocate. Now, they are sharing their experience to warn other families.  

The product is a silicone food bowl for babies and kids made by the company, PandaEar. 

It’s even marketed as ‘safe’ for children, but what a suburban mom experienced is something she doesn’t want any other parent to go through.

"Horrifying – it was very scary," said Angela Kendall, who lives in Joliet.

There were heart-stopping moments that the Joliet mom will not soon forget.

"I could hear her struggling a little bit," Kendall recalled.  

About two weeks ago, Angela Kendall was feeding her 13-month-old daughter, Ellie.

"She went down to, what looked like to me, to lick her bowl clean, which I thought was adorable, so I pulled out my phone quickly because I thought, [my husband’s] going to love this," she explained.  

However, a silly moment turned serious.

Ellie's food was in one of PandaEar’s silicone bowls. It’s supposed to stick to the surface of a table or highchair, but Kendall showed FOX 32 Chicago just how easily it can slide off.

Instantly, she jumped up to help her child.

"Even scarier, when I went to pull it off, it was really on there, like I had to really pry at it to get it off," Kendall added.

FOX 32 Chicago contacted the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) asking about the bowl.

The CPSC responded, stating they cannot comment on a company’s specific product, but did point us to www.SaferProducts.gov.

There, FOX 32 discovered a consumer complaint documenting a near-identical incident.

The report was submitted on Sept. 22 and published by the CPSC on Oct. 9. It describes an 18-month-old child using a silicone bowl made by PandaEar.

The parent explained that the bowl ‘suctioned to her 18-month-old’s face.’ The parent also wrote: ‘She could not breathe.’

"It 100 percent could have been fatal," said Kendall of her terrifying ordeal.  

"We just want to make sure that everyone is aware that this can happen, and doesn’t end up in a much worse scenario for anyone else," said Bill Kendall, Angela’s husband.  

Similar reports have circulated on Facebook, including a post by Emily Flores, a Columbus, Ohio woman.

"We were just eating dinner like a normal evening," said Flores.

In March, she said her 15-month-old son was using a PandaEar bowl.  

"He picked up the bowl to lick it and when he put the bowl up to his face, he took a breath in and it stuck around his nose and mouth," said Flores.

Flores and her fiancé reacted right away.

"I actually had to scratch my nails under the side of the bowl where his cheek was, and pry off the bowl," said Flores. "He was hysterical, like gasping for air, because it covered his nose and his mouth."

Both Flores and the Kendalls reached out to PandaEar with their concerns.

"I sent them a long message, regarding what happened, and how I was worried for other children," said Flores.

Neither family heard back.

FOX 32 Chicago made multiple attempts to reach PandaEar by email, Instagram, and Facebook, but did not receive a response.

If you, as a consumer, come across a dangerous product, you’re encouraged to report it on www.SaferProducts.gov.

The public can also use the website to search for products you have at home or are thinking of buying.