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Saturday, September 06, 2008

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Home arrow Resources arrow Product Safety arrow Cribs Recalled After Deaths of 2 Children
Cribs Recalled After Deaths of 2 Children Print Email
09/22/07
One million cribs designed by Simplicity for Children, a manufacturer based in Pennsylvania, have been recalled after the suffocation deaths of at least two children, the government said yesterday. It was the company’s fourth recall in a little more than two years.

A faulty drop-rail side in several crib models made by the company can detach and create a small space where infants can become trapped, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The agency said the problem stemmed from a hardware and design flaw that allows for incorrect installation of the part.

Two infants, a 9-month-old and a 6-month-old, died after the drop-rail sides of their cribs were installed upside down, the agency said. It is investigating the death of a third child in a newer-style crib that is not part of the recall.

Simplicity, based in Reading, Pa., will offer crib owners a repair package to fix the problem. The company’s president, Ken Waldman, refused to say in a telephone interview yesterday whether customers who request a refund would be reimbursed.

The cribs, made in China and marketed under the Simplicity and Graco brand names, were sold from January 1998 until last May and cost $100 to $300, the government said. Several large retail stores, including Target and Wal-Mart, carry the company’s products, Mr. Waldman said.

This is the fourth federal recall since May 2005 for Simplicity, a family-owned business founded in 1988 that makes children’s furniture products, including bassinets and swings. Last June, a crib in the company’s Nursery-in-a-Box furniture set contained incorrect instructions for installing the crib’s drop-rail side, which created a similar hazard. That recall covered about 40,000 units, according to a government release.
Another recall in December 2005 affected about 104,000 cribs. Mattress screws on those products were found to be defective after reports of several injuries to children.
The announcement yesterday also cited two similar incidents that involved a correctly installed drop-rail side. The safety agency urged parents who own Simplicity products to check that their cribs were properly assembled. More than 50 additional incidents involving the company’s cribs were reported, the agency said.

Simplicity customers seeking a repair kit or further information can call (888) 593-9274.

Simplicity is a member of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, a national trade organization, and voluntarily submits to that group’s safety standards, according to a manager reached yesterday. Organization officials did not return several calls for comment.

One of the recalled cribs featured a motif of Winnie the Pooh, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. A Disney spokesman said the company did not renew its license with Simplicity after 2006.

What parents should know

MODELS RECALLED
-Simplicity : Aspen 3 in 1, Aspen 4 in 1, Nursery-in-a-Box, Crib N Changer Combo, Chelsea and Pooh 4 in 1
-Simplicity cribs using the Graco logo: Aspen 3 in 1, Ultra 3 in 1, Ultra 4 in 1, Ultra 5 in 1, Whitney and Trio
-Read the government recall notice.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
-Check whether the drop rail is installed right side up and is securely attached to the tracks in all four corners.
-Check the crib for the recalled hardware, which has a flexible tab at the bottom of the lower tracks and open tops on the lower tracks.
-Do not use the crib before new hardware is installed. Until then, experts urge caregivers not to take children to bed with them; use a portable crib instead.