EXHIBIT 31.1

    CERTIFICATIONS PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
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I, Alfred E. Brennan, Jr., certify that:

         1.  I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Young
             Innovations, Inc.;

         2.  Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any
             untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
             fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the
             circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading
             with respect to the period covered by this quarterly report;

         3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
             financial information included in this quarterly report, fairly
             present in all material respects the financial condition, results
             of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the
             periods presented in this quarterly report;

         4.  The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible
             for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures
             (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the
             registrant and have:

                  a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
                     such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed
                     under our supervision, to ensure that material information
                     relating to the registrant, including its consolidated
                     subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
                     entities, particularly during the period in which this
                     quarterly report is being prepared;

                  b) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
                     controls and procedures and presented in this report our
                     conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure
                     controls and procedures, as of the end of the period
                     covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

                  c) disclosed in this quarterly report any change in the
                     registrant's internal control over financial reporting that
                     occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter
                     that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
                     materially affect, the registrant's internal control over
                     financial reporting; and

         5.  The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed,
             based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over
             financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit
             committee of registrant's board of directors:

                  a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
                     design or operation of internal controls over financial
                     reporting which are likely to adversely affect the
                     registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and
                     report financial information; and

                  b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
                     management or other employees who have a significant role
                     in the registrant's internal control over financial
                     reporting.


Date:  November 5, 2004
                                           /S/     ALFRED E. BRENNAN, JR.
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                                           Alfred E. Brennan, Jr.
                                           Vice Chairman of Board of Directors &
                                           Chief Executive Officer