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 officer 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 officer 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:  May 7, 2004
                                       /s/  Alfred E. Brennan, Jr.
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                                       Alfred E. Brennan, Jr.
                                       Chief Executive Officer