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Crib recall...sadly i have one
NBC, msnbc.com and news services
updated 4:08 p.m. PT, Mon., Nov . 23, 2009
Government safety regulators say more than 2.1 million drop-side cribs by Stork Craft Manufacturing are being recalled, the biggest crib recall in U.S history.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the recall involves 1.2 million cribs in the United States and almost 1 million in Canada, where Stork Craft is based.
Nearly 150,000 of the cribs on recall carry the Fisher-Price logo.
The agency is aware of four deaths of young children who suffocated in the cribs, which have a side that moves up and down to allow parents to lift children from the cribs more easily.
The Stork Craft cribs have had problems with their hardware, which can break, or with assembly mistakes by the crib owner.
The danger is that a child's head can get caught between the mattress and the side railing, if it separates from the crib.
This is not the first time cribs have been recalled due to such fears. Nearly 5 million cribs by several manufacturers have been recalled over the past two years, including half a million from Stork Craft earlier this year, and the CPSC has considered banning drop-down sides altogether.
"Drop-side cribs, because of the amount of hardware that's involved, because it weakens the structure of the crib itself have been involved in numerous deaths and injuries, crib failures where the side may come loose or come off," said Nancy Cowles, of the advocacy group Kids in Danger.
Stork Craft is one of the most widely purchased brand names in baby cribs, with products sold at some of the biggest retailers in the country, including Target, WalMart, Sears and Kmart.
CPSC urges parents and caregivers to immediately stop using the recalled cribs, wait for the free repair kit and avoid attempting to fix the cribs without the kit. They should find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Consumers should contact Stork Craft to receive a free repair kit that converts the drop-side on these cribs to a fixed side.
The cribs, which were manufactured and distributed between January 1993 and October 2009, sold for between $100 and $400, and were made in Canada, China and Indonesia.
The manufacture date, model number, crib name, country of origin, and the firm's name, address and contact information are located on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board. The firm's insignia "storkcraft baby" or "storkling" is inscribed on the drop-side teething rail of some cribs.
The cribs’ drop-side plastic hardware can break or deform, or parts can become missing. In addition, the drop-side can be installed upside-down, which can result in broken or disengaged plastic parts. All of these problems can cause the drop-side to detach in one or more corners. When the drop-side detaches, it creates space between the drop-side and the crib mattress. The bodies of infants and toddlers can become entrapped in the space, which can lead to suffocation. Complete detachment of drop-sides also can lead to falls from the crib.
CPSC, Health Canada and Stork Craft are aware of 110 incidents of drop-side detachment; 67 incidents occurred in the United States and 43 in Canada. The incidents include 15 entrapments, 12 in the U.S. and three in Canada. Four of the entrapments resulted in suffocation: a 7-month-old in Gouverneur, N.Y.; a 7-month-old in New Iberia, La.; a 6-month-old in Summersville, W.Va.; and a 9-month-old in Bronx, N.Y. Another 20 babies have fallen from their cribs.
Meanwhile, safety experts caution that cribs often stay in homes for generations. If you have one of the cribs in your basement that's been recalled in recent years, fix it or get rid of it. The full list of crib recalls is on the CPSC Web site.
updated 4:08 p.m. PT, Mon., Nov . 23, 2009
Government safety regulators say more than 2.1 million drop-side cribs by Stork Craft Manufacturing are being recalled, the biggest crib recall in U.S history.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the recall involves 1.2 million cribs in the United States and almost 1 million in Canada, where Stork Craft is based.
Nearly 150,000 of the cribs on recall carry the Fisher-Price logo.
The agency is aware of four deaths of young children who suffocated in the cribs, which have a side that moves up and down to allow parents to lift children from the cribs more easily.
The Stork Craft cribs have had problems with their hardware, which can break, or with assembly mistakes by the crib owner.
The danger is that a child's head can get caught between the mattress and the side railing, if it separates from the crib.
This is not the first time cribs have been recalled due to such fears. Nearly 5 million cribs by several manufacturers have been recalled over the past two years, including half a million from Stork Craft earlier this year, and the CPSC has considered banning drop-down sides altogether.
"Drop-side cribs, because of the amount of hardware that's involved, because it weakens the structure of the crib itself have been involved in numerous deaths and injuries, crib failures where the side may come loose or come off," said Nancy Cowles, of the advocacy group Kids in Danger.
Stork Craft is one of the most widely purchased brand names in baby cribs, with products sold at some of the biggest retailers in the country, including Target, WalMart, Sears and Kmart.
CPSC urges parents and caregivers to immediately stop using the recalled cribs, wait for the free repair kit and avoid attempting to fix the cribs without the kit. They should find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Consumers should contact Stork Craft to receive a free repair kit that converts the drop-side on these cribs to a fixed side.
The cribs, which were manufactured and distributed between January 1993 and October 2009, sold for between $100 and $400, and were made in Canada, China and Indonesia.
The manufacture date, model number, crib name, country of origin, and the firm's name, address and contact information are located on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board. The firm's insignia "storkcraft baby" or "storkling" is inscribed on the drop-side teething rail of some cribs.
The cribs’ drop-side plastic hardware can break or deform, or parts can become missing. In addition, the drop-side can be installed upside-down, which can result in broken or disengaged plastic parts. All of these problems can cause the drop-side to detach in one or more corners. When the drop-side detaches, it creates space between the drop-side and the crib mattress. The bodies of infants and toddlers can become entrapped in the space, which can lead to suffocation. Complete detachment of drop-sides also can lead to falls from the crib.
CPSC, Health Canada and Stork Craft are aware of 110 incidents of drop-side detachment; 67 incidents occurred in the United States and 43 in Canada. The incidents include 15 entrapments, 12 in the U.S. and three in Canada. Four of the entrapments resulted in suffocation: a 7-month-old in Gouverneur, N.Y.; a 7-month-old in New Iberia, La.; a 6-month-old in Summersville, W.Va.; and a 9-month-old in Bronx, N.Y. Another 20 babies have fallen from their cribs.
Meanwhile, safety experts caution that cribs often stay in homes for generations. If you have one of the cribs in your basement that's been recalled in recent years, fix it or get rid of it. The full list of crib recalls is on the CPSC Web site.
Well they need someone to blame it on. Why do the other cribs not have assembly problems. & if they know consumers are having a hard time putting it together correctly why are they still selling it. And how after something is broken enough to KILL a baby how can you tell if it was assembly or just rotten parts. Did they go and check everycrib or are they just "guessing"
Exactly - plus who knows how long it will take for this "kit" to arrive, anyway, right?
I heard this morning that apparently the president of Storkcraft is saying that the 4 infant deaths were due to inproper use/installation of the hardware. What else is he supposed to say, though, I guess.
I heard this morning that apparently the president of Storkcraft is saying that the 4 infant deaths were due to inproper use/installation of the hardware. What else is he supposed to say, though, I guess.
I know that is how i feel. I know it is assembled right but I am not taking any chances or care to have to use a repair kit.
We have one, too. DS slept in it for 2 years without incident and it's in PERFECT condition.
We aren't going to take any chances - we'll be buying a new crib, probably even this weekend.
Still, a part of me has to wonder how people wouldn't notice warping, cracked, broken plastic on a crib or not realize they'd assembled a crib incorrectly. The dropside cribs really are very practical, but we'll make the switch - I'd never be able to live with myself if we didn't heed the warnings and something happend to baby no. 2 because of it.
We aren't going to take any chances - we'll be buying a new crib, probably even this weekend.
Still, a part of me has to wonder how people wouldn't notice warping, cracked, broken plastic on a crib or not realize they'd assembled a crib incorrectly. The dropside cribs really are very practical, but we'll make the switch - I'd never be able to live with myself if we didn't heed the warnings and something happend to baby no. 2 because of it.
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