State Consumer Agency Flags ‘Largest Crib Recall In History’

HARTFORD — With the largest single crib recall in history underway this week, Department of Consumer Protection inspectors are visiting stores across the state to ensure that the recalled products are taken off sale, while parents are being urged to take appropriate measures within their homes.

On November 21, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc of British Columbia, Canada, announced the voluntary recall of more than 2.1 million Stork Craft drop-side cribs, including about 147,000 with the Fisher-Price logo. The recall involves approximately 1,213,000 units distributed in the United States and 968,000 units distributed in Canada.

“For your child’s safety, please stop using the recalled cribs immediately, and contact Stork Craft to receive a free repair kit that converts the drop-side on these cribs to a fixed side,” Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr, said. “Don’t try to fix the crib without the kit.”

The plastic hardware used on these cribs can break, warp, or lose parts. 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, creating space between the side and the crib mattress, posing severe hazards.

Families who have this crib should find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby while waiting for the repair kit.

There have been 110 incidents of drop-side detachment causing entrapments, and four children in the United States have suffocated and died as a result. Twenty children have fallen out of their crib when the drop side detached completely.

This recall involves Stork Craft drop-side cribs with plastic trigger and one-hand-system drop-side hardware. Stork Craft drop-side cribs with the Fisher-Price logo are included in this recall. These cribs were manufactured and sold between 1993 and 2009. This recall does not involve any cribs with metal rod drop-side hardware.

Major retailers that sold the recalled cribs include BJ’s Wholesale Club, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Meijer, Sears, USA Baby, and Walmart stores and online at Amazon.com, Babiesrus.com, Costco.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com from January 1993 through October 2009 for between $100 and $400.

For additional information, contact Stork Craft toll-free at 877-274-0277 anytime to order the free repair kit, or log on to www.storkcraft.com. For more information on crib safety, visit CPSC’s Crib Information Center

Aside from the Stork Craft recall, Commissioner Farrell pointed out that this is a good opportunity to remind parents about crib safety.

Remember:

*Before you put your child in a crib that’s not your own -– such as at a relative’s house, a hotel, or other outside-the-home situation — check to make sure that the crib has not been recalled by logging onto www.cpsc.gov.

*Make sure that your child’s crib is assembled properly, using all the parts that came with it. If in any doubt, call the manufacturer.

*Make sure that the crib mattress is firm and tight fitting, so no gap exists between the mattress and the crib itself.

*Every day, check your child’s crib to make sure that parts are not loose or missing.

“Any consumer product can become hazardous if parts come loose or go missing,” the commissioner said. “Your child’s safety depends on your vigilance. Make it part of your daily routine to check the safety of your child’s crib.”