“Kids in Danger” has released its annual children’s product recall report. Executive Director Nancy Cowles says in 2012, the number of recalls declined last year to the lowest number 2004.

“For the 97 recalls, the number of incidents reported prior to recall was up 49 percent, the number of injuries rose 42 percent, and deaths jumped by 200 percent,” she says.

Cowles says “Kids in Danger” believes new safety regulations are having an impact and expects recalls for unsafe cribs and toys with lead will continue to drop.

However, she says the number of injuries and incidents associated with those products merits a closer look.

Cowles says it’s possible that efforts to encourage more reporting of incidents linked to children’s product is linked to the numbers, but says it’s hard to say.

“It’s very hard to tell, because the recall process is a very secret process, and the companies still have a lot of sway,” Cowles says. “There are negotiations back and forth.”

Cowles says it’s possible that websites like www.saferproducts.gov have helped.

The number of children’s product recalls dropped 20 percent from 2011 and a third of recalls were nursery products. The report also says that sleep environment products continue to pose a significant hazard, with seven deaths associated with those products.