CPSC recalls over 2 million cribs amid safety concerns

The majority of cribs involved in this recall are drop-side style cribs. These cribs have a movable rail, which makes it easier for adults to reach the child.

Warnings have come to the forefront after reports of falls, injuries, and suffocation resulting from infants becoming trapped in the innocuous baby cribs surfaced.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a warning to all parents and caregivers to discontinue using the cribs.

CPSC chairman Inez Tenenbaum stated, “This new recall announcement is part of a larger effort by CPSC to clean up the market place from many of these unsafe cribs.

“Most of these recalled cribs have dangerous drop-sides, while the Delta crib can pose a danger to babies if the mattress support is installed incorrectly.”

The cribs are termed dangerous because improper assembling of the equipment and hardware failure can cause the drop sides to “malfunction, detach or otherwise fail” creating a gap which is large enough for the child to be trapped in and be smothered or strangled.

Recalled items
Amidst reports of entrapment fears, over 2 million cribs manufactured between January 2000 and May 2009 have been recalled.

The cribs, with a price tag of $100 to several hundred dollars, were sold at Babies R Us, Sears, and other retail and children's specialty stores.

This string of recalls brings the number of drop-side cribs that have been pulled off the market over the past five years to nine million.

Seven firms, including Child Craft (this firm is no longer in business), Delta Enterprise Corp., Evenflo, Jardine Enterprise, LaJobi, Million Dollar Baby, and Simmons Juvenile Products Inc. are involved in the voluntary recall.

Cribs pose a potential risk
This recall comes in the wake of 250 incidents and 27 injuries to infants and toddlers reported to the CPSC.

Though, no reports of any fatal accidents have been registered, an infant was hospitalized after he lost consciousness and fractured a collar bone.

The cribs are termed dangerous because improper assembling of the equipment and hardware failure can cause the drop sides to “malfunction, detach or otherwise fail,” creating a gap which is large enough for the child to be trapped in and be smothered or strangled.

Tenenbaum stated, “Cribs should be the safest place in the home for infants and toddlers. CPSC is committed to addressing the hazards with cribs and to restoring parents’ confidence that their child will have a safe sleep.”

A cautionary note
The safety regulators are warning parents to carefully examine the hardware used and to stop using the crib if some parts are missing, damaged, or loose.

Also, they are advised to tighten the hardware to keep the crib sturdy.

In case of a fixed-side crib, parents should make sure the drop side operates smoothly and check all sides and corners of the crib for disengagement.

Parents should not try to repair any side of the crib and are urged to contact the manufacturer for a retrofit kit to fix the problem.