"It's evident from the Q3 Index that age and deterioration should be a key consideration for all household goods manufacturers," said Kevin Pollack, vice president, Stericycle. "Products in this category are also growing more technologically complex. These advances give manufacturers the opportunity to design early-warning systems, but with more bells and whistles, there is also more that can go wrong. Given this trend, it's essential that companies have a plan for executing a recall — and continually update it to keep up with the latest advancements." The Q3 Index found that children and infants are particularly vulnerable to recalls. Children's products comprised 12 percent of the quarter's total consumer events, and more than half of all clothing recalled in the last five years was designed for children and infants. In addition, the report documented that the same root causes are creating problems year after year. For example, drawstrings on children's clothing have been reported to become entangled in playgrounds, cars and doors, causing strangulation or dragging hazards for children and toddlers.