2 million cribs deemed unsafe, recalled

Citing a potential threat to babies’ lives, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 2 million drop-side baby cribs from seven different manufacturers on Thursday.

Nine million drop-side cribs have been recalled by the commission in the past five years amid safety concerns, and new regulations for them have been in the works. The enactment of this latest recall had to do with the many injury reports received from consumers about children who have been trapped in the devices or fallen out of them.

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

All the drop-side models being recalled from these various companies are from 2000 to 2009. There have been no mortalities linked with this recent recall. There were more than 250 reports of drop-sides detaching or failing and at least 16 entrapments of infants. In one instance, a child was found unconscious and had to be hospitalized.

Consumers are being provided with free repair kits from the recalling firms to immobilize the drop-sides or other remedies. The CPSC urges consumers to take the necessary precautions and obtain the free repair kit from them in order to repair their cribs. Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association has on its website, www.cribsafety.org, a list of participating manufacturers and where to go for downloadable materials about ensuring that children sleep safely.

“This new recall announcement is part of a larger effort by CPSC to clean up the marketplace from many of these unsafe cribs,” Mrs. Tenenbaum said.

Delta Enterprise Corp. said it would recall about 747,000 drop-side cribs and all fixed and drop-side cribs using wooden stabilizer bars. Evenflo Inc. said it was recalling about 750,000 units. Other companies whose cribs were recalled are Jardine Enterprises, LaJobi, Million Dollar Baby, Simmons Juvenile Products Inc. and Child Craft Industries Inc.

At least 32 infant and toddler deaths since 2000 have been blamed on all brands of drop-side cribs. Fourteen other infant fatalities during that time may be associated with the devices.