The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), with the cooperation of seven firms, is announcing voluntary recalls of more than two million cribs to address drop-side hazards and other hazards that affect the safety of young children. The recalling firms are providing consumers with free repair kits to immobilize the drop sides or other remedies and are asking that parents not attempt to fix these cribs with homemade remedies.
The concern is that cribs’ drop sides can malfunction, detach or otherwise fail, causing part of the drop side to fall out of position, creating a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped, which can lead to strangulation or suffocation. A child can also fall out of the crib. Drop-side incidents can also occur due to incorrect assembly and with age-related wear and tear.
The drop-side and fixed-side crib recalls announced today are of units manufactured between 2000 and 2009 by the companies listed below.
- 747,000 Delta drop-side cribs; and all fixed and drop-side cribs using wooden stabilizer bars – The wooden stabilizer bars on some Delta drop-side and fixed-side cribs can be installed upside down, which puts extra stress on the crib and can cause the mattress platform to collapse, creating a gap in which an infant or toddler can become entrapped and posing a risk of strangulation or suffocation.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.This recall involves Delta drop-side cribs with three different types of drop-side hardware and Delta cribs with wooden stabilizer bars that support the mattress platform. Consumers should visit www.cribrecallcenter.com for photographs and models of the affected hardware types and instructions on correct assembly of the stabilizer bars.
Mattress Support Remedy: Consumers who have cribs with wooden stabilizer bars supporting the mattress should inspect the stabilizer bars to ensure they are correctly installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and inspect the joints of their crib for any damage. If the stabilizer bars are installed upside down, stop using the crib immediately and contact Delta toll-free at (877) 342-3418 between 9 a.m. and 5p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled drop-side cribs and contact Delta to receive a free repair kit that will immobilize the drop side. In the meantime, find an alternate, safe sleep environment for the child, such as a bassinet, play yard or toddler bed depending on the child’s age.
for a free repair kit that will immobilize the drop side. In the meantime, find an alternate, safe sleep environment for the child such as a bassinet, play yard or toddler bed depending on the child’s age.
- An unknown number of Child Craft brand drop-side cribs – 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.This recall involves drop-side Child Craft brand cribs using the style of drop-side hardware shown below. “Child Craft” appears on a label on the crib’s frame and identifies the place of manufacture as Salem, Indiana or New Salisbury, Indiana.Child Craft ceased operations in July of 2009 and sold the “Child Craft” name to Foundations Worldwide Inc., of Medina, Ohio) Although Foundations Worldwide did not manufacture or sell any of the recalled cribs, it has agreed to provide Child Craft owners with a rebate towards the purchase of a new, fixed-side Child Craft brand crib manufactured by Foundations Worldwide Inc.For additional information, contact Foundations Worldwide toll-free at (866) 614-0557 anytime or visit the firm’s website at www.cribsafetyinfo.com
- Between 40,000 and 50,000 Child Craft brand “Crib ‘N’ Double Bed” full size stationary-side cribs with dowel – The cribs’ stationary side can be assembled upside-down but still appear to be assembled correctly. If assembled upside-down, the crib side contains a hazardous five-inch gap at the top of the crib. Infants or toddlers can become entrapped in this gap (as depicted in the photo below), which can lead to entrapment, strangulation or other injuries.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 name “Child Craft” appears on a label on the crib’s frame and identifies the place of manufacture as Salem, Indiana or New Salisbury, Indiana. These cribs were manufactured by Child Craft Industries, Inc., which is no longer in business.The CPSC staff urges parents and caregivers to examine these cribs immediately and determine whether they have been assembled properly. The best way to do this is to measure the gap between the front and back sides of the crib and the dowel that runs parallel to the sides. The gap should be no more than two and three eighths inches (2 3/8″), as shown in the images below. If the gap is greater than 2 3/8″, the side has been installed upside-down and needs to be re-assembled. Another indicator that the side has been installed improperly is the appearance of the barrel nut, as is visible in the image above showing an incorrect assembly. The barrel nut should be at the bottom of the side, not the top. If either of these conditions are present, the side of the crib has been installed upside-down and needs to be re-assembled so that the barrel nut is not visible from the top and the gap between the dowel and the side is no greater than two and three eighths inches (2 3/8″). Consumers with these cribs should contact Foundations Worldwide, Inc., at (866) 614-0557 anytime, or visit the firm’s website at www.cribsafetyinfo.com to obtain instructions and decals to affix to the stationary sides of the crib to ensure proper assembly in the future.
