More drop-side cribs recalled due to safety hazards

Drop-side cribs manufactured by Shermag, Incorporated, and sold in The Land of Nod specialty stores and other US and Canadian children’s retail stores, are being recalled due to the potential for multiple safety hazards. Approximately 2,300 units in the USA and another 800 cribs in Canada are being taken off the market in response to evidence that entrapment, suffocation, and fall hazards may exist. No child-involved injuries have occurred, but there have been twenty-one reports of the drop-side rails failing or detaching from the crib frame.

As of June 28, 2011, traditional drop-side cribs were banned and stronger safety and testing requirements are mandated. This historical decision was made as a result of a comprehensive study of crib-related infant deaths reported to CPSC between January 2000 and early 2010. Shermag, located in Quebec, Canada, sold the high-end cribs from September 2004 and through December 2008 at a retail price of $400 to $800.

According to the September 29^th CPSC recall, “The drop-side rail hardware on the cribs can break or fail, allowing the drop side to detach from the crib. When the drop side detaches, a hazardous gap is created between the drop-side rail and the crib mattress in which infants and toddlers can become wedged or entrapped, posing risks of suffocation and strangulation. In addition, children can fall out of the crib when the drop-side rail falls unexpectedly or detaches from the crib. Drop-side rail failures can also occur due to incorrect assembly or with age-related wear and tear.”

The wooden Shermag drop-side crib styles involved in this recall include:

• Model 202647
• Model 211047
• Model 272547

The model number is labeled on the crib’s headboard or footboard.  For more details go to Shermag’s website at http://www.shermag.com.  You can also call them at (800) 567-3419.  They are offering a no-cost repair kit that will immobilize the movable side.

Canadian consumers can view Health Canada's press release here.  

To see if your crib has been subject to a safety recall, go to www.cpsc.gov.

Improved Crib Safety Rules Start June 28, 2011

     It’s June, and that means that the new federal crib regulations will be enforced in just a few weeks.  As of June 28, 2011, all infant cribs manufactured to be sold in the USA, must meet the new stricter federal safety standards. All infant cribs sold, or resold, in the USA must also comply with the new regulations as of this June deadline. If you are in the market for an infant crib, you’ll want to make sure that you ask the right questions before you make the purchase.   

     The new regulations also effect cribs used in childcare and hotel facilities (private, corporate and in-home), although the timeline for compliance differs.  By December 28, 2012, these types of facilities must use only compliant cribs that meet the new standards. 

Full-size Poster found at:  CPSC

     The heftier standards were developed in response to increasing reports of infant deaths and serious injuries that could be directly connected to a defective or incorrectly assembled crib. In addition to more intense compliance testing steps, sturdier manufacturing requirements were also set in place for crib slats, mattress support systems, and crib hardware.  Both drop-side and stationary, full and non-full size cribs are included in these new standards. 

     You won’t be able tell if the crib is compliant just by looking at it, so you’ll want to be equipped with the right questions to ask before you purchase, or before you leave your infant in the hands of a caregiver. Do the cribs they use comply with 16CFR1219 (full-size crib), or 16CFR1220 (non-full size) federal safety regulations?  You may want to ask them the date that their cribs were purchased, since this could also give you an idea of the likelihood of their compliance.  If they were purchased prior to April or May 2011, you might have some cause for concern.  It would be wise to ask them to show you the test report, or manufacturer Certificate of Conformity, that shows that the cribs comply with either of the federal regs mentioned above.  

     As a consumer who may already have a drop-side crib in your home, you can check the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recall site to be sure that your crib has not already specifically been recalled due to a known defect.  The CPSC website will provide you with instructions for replacement of those cribs.

     Very few companies have drop-side crib retrofit kits approved by CPSC, but you can check here to see if your crib’s manufacturer is among them.  However, one important note, even adding this retrofit kit to your crib does not bring it into full compliance with the new regulations. Therefore, if you decide to continue to use this crib, be sure to check the crib regularly.

Tips for in-home crib maintenance might include:

·  All hardware is secure and tight (check the bottom of the crib as well)

·  All connections/joints are secure (including the crib bottom, rails, sides & ends)

·  The drop-side rail works smoothly & locks easily in place when pulled up

·  No chipping or cracking seen on teething rail

·  No cracks or splinters on any of the wood surfaces (accessible or not)

·  Plastic tracks are not be damaged in any way

·  No holes or cracks appear in the mattress or the mattress support board

·  If the crib has see-through end panels, no cracks are present

  

     In the past most cribs were handed down though the generations, or from friend to friend. It has become apparent that this is a very dangerous tradition that should stop! The older the crib is, the more likely it will not meet even the minimal crib safety regulations that are in force today.

 Caregiver vigilance and knowledge about crib safety are both critical factors in keeping infants safe and healthy.

Safe Use of Infant Slings

Baby slings have been used for generations all over the world.  I know I used one with my kids. If used properly, a baby sling can be a lifesaver for a busy mom (or dad) who needs both hands free to get chores done while keeping baby close. They can create a wonderful bonding time between baby and caregiver. However, remember that babies must be carefully positioned in the sling to avoid suffocation or bodily harm to the child.  Suffocation can occur in as little as one-two minutes!

Do not use a sling with babies under 4 months old, pre-mature or low-weight babies or infants with respiratory problems (cold, asthma, etc.)  CPSC issued a a safety alert last year emphasizing the proper use of slings.  This alert was based on reports of 14 infant deaths (since 1990) that can be directly attributed to the use of an infant sling. Most of these deaths occurred with infants in fragile conditions as mentioned earlier. 

If you are selecting a sling for an older baby (over 4 months old and between 7 to 25 lbs), consider your child’s size and the size of the sling. If the child is small and the sling is large – the child could settle too far down into the sling and suffocate. Don’t allow baby’s chin to drop too far toward to his/her chest.  This too could make breathing difficult for baby. If the sling is too tight, this could also make it hard for the child to breathe.

Be sure baby is strong and healthy when using a sling, keep baby’s face uncovered at all times while in the sling, and check baby’s position frequently.

Infant slings currently have no mandatory safety regulations, but I recommend that you look for slings that meet the current voluntary standard - ASTM F 2236-10 Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Soft Infant Carriers.  There will likely be new federal requirements for these slings in the near future.

IMPORTANT Crib Safety Alert!

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) has issued several safety alerts (recalls) for the Generation 2 Worldwide baby cribs.  In February/March 2010 they issued warnings on the  “ChildESIGNS” drop-side cribs.

This most recent safety warning warns consumers that the "SafetyCraft" brand full-size and non-full-size drop-side cribs also manufactured or distributed by Generation 2 Worldwide, contains the same plastic drop-side hardware as that found in the “ChildESIGNS” brand recalled in 2010. 

The plastic hardware securing the crib’s drop-side rail can break which could result in the drop side rail detaching at the corner of the crib.  This creates a gap between the crib frame and the mattress.  This gap presents a safety hazard in which an infant could slide into the opening and be unable to free itself from this life-threatening situation. CPSC has received information showing three infants suffocated to death after being trapped between the mattress and a broken side panel of the crib. In addition, twenty more incidents involved the crib's drop side detaching from the crib. Five reports indicated children fell out of the cribs due to a drop side rail detaching.

CPSC also stresses the need for parents and caregivers to stop using these cribs immediately and replace the crib as soon as possible with a crib that complies with the new federal requirements (See my earlier post on Baby Crib Safety - Part 1.)   Consumers should NOT attempt to repair the crib.  No repair kit will be offered.  Generation 2 Worldwide went out of business in early 2005. The SafetyCraft name was later purchased by Foundations Children's Products of Medina, OH.  “SafetyCraft “cribs manufactured and sold by Foundations Children's Products are not the subject of this recall. You can identify a new Foundations SafetyCraft crib by looking for Foundations name printed on the assembly instructions attached to the mattress support board under the crib mattress.

Generation 2 Worldwide’s ChildESIGN cribs were sold at large retailers that include K-Mart, Buy Buy Baby and Wal-Mart. However, because Generation 2 Worldwide is no longer in business, it is likely that other smaller retailers also sold their cribs. The cribs cost between $60 and $160.  Specific retail information is not available for the SafetyCraft cribs.

According to CPSC, you can use the following guidelines to check your crib to see if it falls within the scope of this recall. 

• The name “Generation 2 Worldwide” shows on a label applied to the crib’s headboard/footboard.
• Some labels identify Dothan, Ala as the place of manufacture
• Others identify country of manufacture as China.
• The name “ChildESIGNS” may be printed on the teething rail
• The name "SafetyCraft" shows on a label on the crib's headboard or footboard.
• Labels on the crib may identify the place of manufacture as Indonesia or Dothan, Alabama.
• The latest warning involves all SafetyCraft drop-side cribs, including model 92-8112, manufactured and/or sold by Generation 2Worldwide.

Some of the model numbers on the ChildESIGN cribs include: 0-110X, 10-210X, 21-110X, 20-710X, 64-315X, 26-110X, 90-257X, 20-810X, 46-715X, 64-311X, 74-315X, 21-815X, 21-810X, 20815X, 308154 and 54915.  (NOTE:  the "X" is inserted to show any number)

The latest warning involves all SafetyCraft drop-side cribs, including model 92-8112, manufactured and/or sold by Generation 2 Worldwide.

If you identify your crib as one involved in this recall, contact the retailer from whom you purchased the crib.  You should be able to receive a refund, a replacement crib, or store credit.

The CPSC requests that any consumer who has difficulty in resolving this with the place of purchase should advise CPSC at their recall hotline (800) 638-2772.