Simplicity Inc, a supplier of baby furniture to Wal-Mart Stores Inc and other big retailers, is recalling about 1 million Chinese-made baby cribs that have been linked to at least two infant deaths, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Friday.
The drop-side can detach from the crib, which can create a dangerous gap that leads to an infant being trapped and suffocated, the safety agency said in a statement. It urged parents to check all Simplicity-made cribs to ensure the drop- side is installed correctly.
The cribs, priced between $100 and $300, were sold by US retailers and chains, including Target Corp's Web site, Big Lots Inc and family-owned Meijer Inc. "The drop-side failures result from both the hardware and crib design, which allow consumers to unintentionally install the drop-side upside down," the safety commission said. "This, in turn, can weaken the hardware and cause the drop-side to detach from the crib. When the drop-side detaches, it creates a gap in which infants can become entrapped."
Two separate infant deaths involving a 9-month-old and a 6-month-old occurred when cribs with older-style hardware had the drop-side installed upside down, the agency said.
The CPSC said it was also investigating a third death that had newer-style hardware. The agency has received reports of seven infant entrapments involving the recalled products. "CPSC is also aware of two incidents that occurred when the drop-side was correctly installed with older style hardware, though the upside down installation greatly increases the risk of failure," the agency said.
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