December 18, 2009
The warning is
increasingly urgent. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is
telling parents not to use the recalled Simplicity drip side crib after
the report of yet another infant who became trapped and suffocated.
The death toll is now 11, the agency says.
The crib is made by Simplicity Inc. and SFCA of Reading, Pa. The CPSC says the firm has ceased day-to-day operations and presumably has gone out of business.
In September the agency recalled about 600,000 Simplicity drop-side cribs because of an entrapment and suffocation hazard. At the time, two infant deaths had been attributed to the beds.
The recall notice said that, due to sizing problems with the crib's hardware, the drop side can come off the tracks. When the drop side detaches or partially detaches, it creates a hazardous gap, which can lead to infant entrapment and suffocation.
CPSC said it is also is aware of an additional 25 incidents involving the drop side detaching from the crib. To date, CPSC has recalled over 2 million Simplicity drop side cribs due to problems with the crib's plastic hardware.
At this point, CPSC says all Simplicity drop side cribs have been recalled. Some of the model numbers include but are not limited to: 4600, 4605, 4705, 5000, 8000, 8050, 8324, 8325, 8620, 8740, 8745, 8748, 8750, 8755, 8756, 8760, 8765, 8778, 8800, 8810, 8910, 8993, 8994, 8995, 8996. The recalled drop side cribs were sold in department stores, children's stores, and mass merchandisers nationwide from January 2005 through June 2009 for between $150 and $300.
Though the dangerous cribs have been recalled, many may still be in homes, whether in use or in storage. Officials are urging parents to double check to make sure one is not in use in their home.
"Parents need to be especially careful when purchasing products for their young children," said Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, who issued an alert to parents in his state Thursday. "While it's absolutely critical to do your homework before making a purchase, it's just as important to pay close attention to recalls. I strongly urge parents to sign up for regular notifications from the CPSC on recalled products."
