223,000 strollers recalled that do not meet current safety standards, one child death reported

Parents and child caregivers should be aware of strollers recalled yesterday due to a risk of child entrapment and strangulation.

Peg Perego USA Inc. has announced it is recalling Pliko-P3 Strollers and Venezia Strollers because they do not meet current safety standard and are related to the death of one child and the near death of another.

An unharnessed child can pass through the opening between the tray and seat bottom of these strollers. If this should occur, the tray may cause entrapment of the child’s head and neck, placing the child at risk of strangulation.

In 2004, this happened to a 6-month-old baby boy from Tarzana, CA while using a Peg Perego stroller and he died of strangulation. In 2006, a similar incident nearly took the life of a 7-month-old baby girl in New York, NY.

According to a release by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Peg Perego USA manufactured these strollers in Italy between January 2004 and September 2007, before enactment of a January 2008 voluntary industry standard requiring larger openings between the stroller’s tray and seat bottom to prevent entrapment and strangulation hazards.

Parents and child caregivers may have purchased the Pliko P-3 Stroller for $270-$330 or the Venizia Stroller for $350-$450 from retailers nationwide, including Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby, from January 2004 to September 2010. These strollers may currently be available on the secondhand market, for sale by individuals or at yard sales or flea markets. Consumers should not purchase these strollers unless the repair kit has been installed.

They can identify the recalled strollers by the words "Peg Perego" and "Venezia" or "Pliko-P3" printed on the side of the strollers and a tray with one molded cup holder. Strollers with a tray that has two molded cup holders or a bumper bar are not included in the recall. Recalled strollers will have a model number printed on a white label attached to the back of the Pliko P-3's stroller seat or on the Venezia stroller's footboard that begin with one of the following numbers:

Consumers should stop using these strollers immediately and call Peg Perego at (888) 734-6020 or visit the Peg Perego stroller recall website to request a free repair kit.

The CPSC warns that parents and child caregivers should always secure a child with the stroller’s safety harness and never leave a child unattended in a stroller. The agency has issued a safety alert about the risk of entrapment and strangulation hazards associated with strollers.