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"Sophie the Giraffe" is a popular baby teething toy among parents and it has recently made the headlines when parents have found molds growing on it. 

Pendriatric dentist Dana Chianes told GoodHouseKeeping.com a month ago when she was cleaning her son's toy that she noticed a strong smell coming from one of the holes. She decided to cut into the toy and discovered molds.

"Smelly, ugly mold living in my infant's favorite chew toy!" she exclaimed after feeling bad about giving the toy to her two boys.

Chianese said she followed the cleaning instructions for the product., which said to use hot, soapy water with a damp sponge and never submerge the toy in water.

USA Today also reported of an Amazon reviewer Stephanie Oprea, who posted a photo of her child's "Sophie the Giraffe" toy, which was full of mold. She said "Beware!! If you have a drooly baby, moisture will get in the hole and you'll end up with mold!"

The toy is made by French company Vulli. Laurie Schraenen, a spokeswoman for Sophie the Giraffe said "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."

Carolyn Forte, Director of the Cleaning Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute said in response, "You should always follow the advice for cleaning a toy that a manufacturer provides."

Forte added "Sometimes there is special care required that may be different from other toys your child owns. Always check a toy's packaging for care instructions before discarding it or if the packaging has already been tossed, check the manufacturer's website."