Children have been suffocating in their poorly constructed cribs for at least the past eight years and the CSPC is finally doing something about it.
After receiving reports of three infant deaths the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) has recalled more than half a million drop-side cribs that were manufactured by Generation 2 Worldwide and ChildESIGNS.
The CPSC says that plastic hardware on the Generation 2 Worldwide and ChildESIGNS cribs can break and cause the drop side to detach from a corner of the crib. The crib's mattress support can also detach from the crib frame. Both defects can create a space in which an infant or toddler could become trapped and incur significant personal injury due to suffocation or strangulation.
The CSPC is urging both parents as well as caregivers to immediately stop using these cribs and find a viable alternative. They strongly advise against trying to repair the problem and instead to find a safe sleeping environment for their baby.
Children are Getting Stuck Between their Mattress and Their Cribs
Since 2002, three children have died of suffocation after getting stuck between their mattress and the drop side of their cribs, according to the CPSC.
- An eight-month-old child from Ohio suffocated in 2007 when his crib's drop side detached due to a broken plastic stop tab on the lower track.
- In 2003, an eight-month-old from Indiana died when broken plastic hardware allowed the drop side to detach from the crib headboard in one corner.
- A Virginia six-month-old suffocated in 2002 after missing screws allowed his crib's lower drop side track to detach from the headboard post.
There have also been 20 other reports of incidents involving detached drop sides that caused broken limbs, bruising, and other personal injuries. There are also eight reports of incidents involving mattress supports that came loose, according to the CPSC.
The recalled cribs were sold at various furniture and retail stores including Buy Buy Baby, K-Mart and Wal-Mart.
Although Generation 2 went out of business in 2005, the CPSC believes that more than 500,000 of these cribs were sold nationwide.
It bears repeating: parents and caregivers are urged not to try to fix the cribs. Do not risk your children's life. Do not let your babies sleep in them again. Find another (safe) sleeping arrangement for your child.
Unfortunately, the Generation 2 cribs are not the only cribs that have been recalled. More than seven million cribs have been recalled since 2007. There have been a shockingly long string of similar announcements citing problems with cribs made by Dorel Asia and Storkcraft.
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