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June 26, 2010

Seven crib manufacturers have recalled more than two million cribs, mainly drop-side models, due to entrapment, suffocation and fall hazards the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced.

The following cribs are included in this recall. Please click the link for model specific information.

Simmons Drop-Side Cribs by Simmons Juvenile Products – 50,000 Cribs – 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.

Million Dollar Baby Drop-Side Cribs by Bexco Enterprises, Inc. – 156,000 Cribs – 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.

Bonavita, Babi Italia and ISSI Drop-Side Cribs by LaJobi Inc. – 306,000 Cribs – 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.

Jardine Drop-Side Cribs by Jardine Enterprise Ltd. – 130,000 Cribs – 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.

Jenny Lind Drop-Side Cribs by Evenflo Inc. – 750,000 Cribs – 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.

Delta Drop-Side Cribs and all Fixed and Drop-Side Cribs using wooden stabilizer bars by Delta Enterprise – 747,000 Cribs – 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.

Child Craft Drop-Side Cribs by Child Craft Industries, Inc. – Quantity Unknown – 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.

Child Craft Crib ‘N’ Double Bed full size stationary-side cribs with dowel by Child Craft Industries, Inc. – 40,000 to 50,000 Cribs – CPSC has received four reports of children becoming entrapped between the dowel and the crib’s stationary front side. In two of those reports, the child was trapped by his/her head and was in danger of being strangled. In the other two reports, the child was trapped by his/her arm. This hazard can occur on both the front and back sides of the crib.

The CPSC strongly warns parents not to try to repair the recalled cribs themselves. The recalling companies are providing consumers with free repair kits to immobilize the drop sides or other remedies.

“The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a crib or bassinet depending on their age. If your crib has been recalled or it has missing, broken or loose parts, find an alternate safe sleep environment intended for a baby,” the CPSC release said.

The agency also warned parents and caregivers not put additional bedding such as pillows, thick quilts, comforters or anything plush into their baby’s sleeping space. More babies die every year from suffocation in plush sleeping environments than from defective cribs. Always place the baby on his or her back to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

The firms involved in these recalls are providing immobilization devices or other remedies as part of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) crib safety initiative. Consumers can visit JPMA’s website for a list of participating manufacturers and for downloadable materials about ensuring that children have a safe sleep.

Critics have called for a Federal ban on drop-side cribs which are have caused at least 32 infant and toddler suffocation or strangulation deaths since 2000. Nine million drop-side cribs have been recalled over the past five years. However, individual U.S. states are not waiting to the federal government to act, the sale of drop-side cribs is already prohibited in at least eight states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington. New York is set to join in the ban.

New York State Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. announced on Friday that both the New York State Senate and Assembly passed legislation he sponsors to enact a statewide ban on dangerous drop-side cribs. The legislation now goes to Governor Paterson for consideration.

“Children’s products that can kill or injure a child do not belong on store shelves. Drop-side cribs have proven time and time again that they can seriously injure or kill a child. They should be removed from the marketplace to help protect children from harm. I am pleased that both the Senate and Assembly have approved this common-sense measure and I urge Governor Paterson to sign it into law,” Senator Fuschillo said.

Two New York families who lost children to drop-side cribs, Michele & Henning Witte of Merrick and Robert & Susan Cirigliano of North Bellmore, testified about their experiences and strongly advocated for the proposed law at a public hearing Senator Fuschillo sponsored in February.

“While it’s great that the federal government is exploring action on a national level, New York State’s law would take effect before the CPSC changes. It’s important that we get these potentially dangerous products off store shelves as soon as possible, and that’s why this legislation should be signed into law,” Senator Fuschillo added.

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