CPSC Announces Major Infant Safety Recall Involving Over 1.7 Drop-Side
Cribs
On June 24, 2010, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
issued recall notices involving over 1.7 million cribs from seven different
furniture manufacturers. Each of the recalls involved safety
hazards associated with drop-side and drop-down cribs. The cribs
place babies at serious risk for entrapment, suffocation and
strangulation. The relevant sections from each recall may be
found below. More information can be found at the CPSC Web Site.
1. Simmons Drop-Side Cribs
The manufacturer, Simmons
Juvenile Products of New London, Wisconsin, is recalling about 50,000 cribs. The
cribs’ drop sides can malfunction, detach or otherwise fail, causing part of the
drop side to fall out of position, creating a space into which an infant or
toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped, which can lead to strangulation
or suffocation. A child can also fall out of the crib. Drop-side incidents can
also occur due to incorrect assembly and with age-related wear and tear.
The CPSC has received 30 reports of drop sides that have malfunctioned or
detached. Two children became entrapped between the drop side and the crib
mattress but were freed without injury. Two other children fell out of their
cribs when the drop side malfunctioned and one child sustained scratches due to
the fall.
2. Million Dollar Baby Drop-Side Cribs
About 156,000
cribs were recalled by Bexco Enterprises, Inc., d.b.a. Million Dollar Baby of
Montebello, California. The cribs' drop sides can malfunction, detach or
otherwise fail, causing part of the drop side to fall out of position, creating
a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped,
which can lead to strangulation or suffocation. A child can also fall out of the
crib. Drop-side incidents can also occur due to incorrect assembly and with
age-related wear and tear.
The CPSC and Million Dollar Baby have received 43 reports of drop side
failures. There were eight reports of children being entrapped between the
mattress and drop side resulting in three reports of bruises to the head or
upper body. Additionally, three children fell out of the crib when the drop side
failed but they were not injured.
3. Bonavita, Babi Italia and ISSI Drop-Side Cribs
LaJobi
Inc. of Cranbury, New Jersey has recalled approximately 306,000 cribs. The
cribs' drop sides can malfunction, detach or otherwise fail, causing part of the
drop side to fall out of position, creating a space into which an infant or
toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped, which can lead to strangulation
or suffocation. A child can also fall out of the crib. Drop-side incidents can
also occur due to incorrect assembly and with age-related wear and tear.
The CPSC and LaJobi have received 40 reports of drop sides that detached or
malfunctioned. In one incident, a child fell out of the crib when the drop side
detached and sustained a bruise.
4. Jardine Drop-Side Cribs
About 130,000 from Jardine
Enterprise Ltd. of Taipei, Taiwan that had been imported by Toys "R" Us, of
Wayne, New Jersey were recalled. The cribs' drop sides can malfunction, detach
or otherwise fail, causing part of the drop side to fall out of position,
creating a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged or
entrapped, which can lead to strangulation or suffocation. A child can also fall
out of the crib. Drop-side incidents can also occur due to incorrect assembly
and with age-related wear and tear.
The CPSC and Jardine have received 47 reports of drop sides that detached or
malfunctioned. In one of these incidents, a child was found unconscious after
becoming entrapped and was hospitalized. Nine other reports involving
entrapments or fallouts resulted in scratches and bruises, including one child
who sustained a broken collarbone.
5. Jenny Lind Cribs
Evenflo Inc. of Miamisburg, Ohio has
recalled approximately 750,000 cribs. The cribs’ drop sides can malfunction,
detach or otherwise fail, causing part of the drop side to fall out of position,
creating a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged or
entrapped, which can lead to strangulation or suffocation. A child can also fall
out of the crib. Drop-side incidents can also occur due to incorrect assembly
and with age-related wear and tear.
The CPSC and Evenflo have received 31 reports of drop sides that
malfunctioned or detached. One involved the entrapment of a seven month old boy
between the drop side and the crib mattress. He sustained bumps and bruises to
his head. Nine children fell out of the crib when the drop side detached,
unlocked or fell off. Seven of those children sustained minor injuries,
including bumps, bruises and cuts. Fourteen other incidents involved no
injuries. In addition, CPSC has received two reports of children who became
entrapped when the mattress support detached in one corner of cribs manufactured
between 2000 and 2004.
6. Delta Cribs
About 747,000 drop-side cribs; and all
fixed and drop-side cribs using wooden stabilizer bars were recalled by Delta
Enterprise of New York, NY.
The cribs’ drop sides can malfunction, detach or otherwise fail, causing part
of the drop side to fall out of position, creating a space into which an infant
or toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped, which can lead to
strangulation or suffocation. A child can also fall out of the crib. Drop-side
incidents can also occur due to incorrect assembly and with age-related wear and
tear. In addition, the wooden stabilizer bars on some Delta drop-side and
fixed-side cribs can be installed upside down, which puts extra stress on the
crib and can cause the mattress platform to collapse, creating a gap in which an
infant or toddler can become entrapped and posing a risk of strangulation or
suffocation.
The CPSC and Delta have received 57 reports involving drop sides that have
malfunctioned or detached, resulting in three entrapments, including two reports
of bruises and one child who fell out of the crib. Additionally, CPSC is aware
of 19 reports in which stabilizer bars were installed upside-down, resulting in
10 mattress platform collapses. Two children were entrapped but freed without
injury and one child sustained scratches.
7. Child Craft Brand Drop-Side Cribs
According to CPSC
information, this recall involves approximately 40,000-50,000 cribs manufactured
by Child Craft Industries, Inc. (Child Craft ceased operations in July of 2009
and sold the “Child Craft” name to Foundations Worldwide Inc., of Medina, Ohio).
Foundations Worldwide, Inc. neither manufactured nor sold any of the cribs
included in this recall.
The drop-side hardware can fail, causing the drop-side to detach from the
crib or fall to the dropped position. When the drop side detaches, even
partially, it creates a space in which an infant or toddler can become entrapped
and suffocate or strangle. Drop side incidents can also occur due to incorrect
assembly and with age related wear and tear. Additionally, when drop-side
hardware fails and/or disengages, an infant or toddler can be injured by falling
out of the crib.
The CPSC has received seven reports of the drop side failing. In one of those
reports, the child became entrapped in the gap created by the drop-side failure.
In another incident, a child fell out of the crib and suffered bruises to his
head when the drop side disengaged.
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