Is Your Child's Sophie the Giraffe Growing Mould?!

We wanted to get this post out quickly to you, we know a lot - a LOT - of our readers love Sophie the Giraffe and their babies and toddlers love them even more. But has Sophie been brewing up mould from within?

Reports on the internet have surfaced, including from Good Housekeeping, warning parents about the potential danger that your Baby's Sophie the Giraffe toy might be full of mould.

Who would think to look inside one of these adorable toys? They seem air tight, but in one case as reported by Good Housekeeping, pediatric dentist Dana Chianese noticed there was air coming out of a hole and it smelled musty. Upon cleaning it, she was determined to get to the bottom of it. She sliced into her and discovered that Sophie was teaming with mould. Dana has stated that the toy had always been cleaned correctly, and never submerged.

Laurie Schraenen, a spokeswoman for Sophie the Giraffe,shared the following statement with Good Housekeeping:

First of all, it's important to know that Sophie la Girafe [Sophie the Giraffe] is composed of 100% natural rubber, so the cleaning instructions have to be carefully respected. As indicated on the packaging and in an explanatory leaflet inside the packaging, we recommend to clean the surface of Sophie la Girafe with a damp cloth. It should not be immersed in the water nor rinsed off, to prevent water from getting inside, as she may become damaged. We thus would like to emphasize on the fact that is it important, while cleaning the product, that no water gets inside the whole. As of now, we have not been contacted by Mrs. Chianese nor Mrs. Opera and were not aware of the situation before reading your article. It is thus difficult for us to comment on the current situation, as we haven't had the chance to examine the products. Please know that each complaint received is taken very seriously and that the return of the product is always asked for further examination. Furthermore, please know that the safety of children and satisfaction of their parents is our main priority. For the past 55 years, we have always strived to exceed security standards and all of our products comply with the most stringent global standards.

That does make good sense to complete only wipedowns with no rinsing. However, drooling children teething on it can potentially put moisture inside I would gather, but I am uncertain as to whether or not drool vs water would create mould. Ideally, inspect all of your kids toys from time to time for unusual odors or leaks where moisture can get it.

Image credit: Dana Chianese via Pinterest