Sophie the Giraffe Teething Toy Infested with Mold

In 2016 multiple parents have complained about Sophie the Giraffe teething toy, saying they discovered mold growing inside of it. According to several Amazon reviews, 2017 parents have encountered the same issue this year, as well.

Dana Chianese, a pediatric dentist was cleaning a Sophie the Giraffe teething toy last month when she noticed a bad smell coming out from a hole in the toy. When she cut the toy in half to identify the source of the odour, she stumbled upon black mold coating the inside of the toyțs rubbery body. She described the view as a science experiment gone horribly wrong.

The manufacturer, a French company called Vulli, however, does warn about the dangers of fully submerging the toy in water and recommends Sophie the Giraffe should be cleaned with soapy water and a damp cloth. Nevertheless, Dana Chianese says she followed the instructions precisely. At the same time, other parents came across the same issue and said it is rather difficult to keep moisture from getting into the toy’s body.

Last year, Stephanie Oprea was among the first parents to warn about the health hazards associated with Sophie the Giraffe via an Amazon review. Apart from the mold, other reports stated that the toy could represent a choke hazard to some babies, because of its long legs.

In order to prevent their child from choking on the toy, a couple decided to cut Sophie the Giraffe’s legs a little shorter. They said that they did not want to throw the $30 toy away just for this. However, when they sawed off the rubber giraffe’s legs, they also came across black mold that had been accumulating inside the toy’s body for approximately two years. They quickly alerted other parents about the issue online and got rid of the toy.

Good Housekeeping Cleaning Lab’s director says that the toys can be disinfected with half a cup of Clorox per gallon of water, soaked for five minutes, rinsed, and then air dried, in order to keep the mold from getting inside the body. The French company in charge with distributing the toys says that the parents might have submerged Sophie the Giraffe completely under water which facilitated the development of the mold, in its defense.

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