Crib Safety and Recalls

By Associated Press and WVEC-TV 13  -  4/29/2010

NORFOLK -- The death of a six-month old child prompted the recall of about 635,000 cribs sold by Kmart, Sears, Walmart and other stores.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall Tuesday of 20 models of Dorel Asia cribs with both drop-sides and fixed front rails.

The cribs are being recalled because the drop side can detach from the crib, creating a space where a child can be trapped and suffocate or strangle, and because a child can be trapped if one of the slats is broken or damaged.

A six-month-old child from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, strangled after getting trapped in the crib when the drop-side hardware broke.

CPSC and Barbados-based Dorel Asia SRL have received 31 reports of incidents involving drop-side cribs and 36 reports of broken slats.

"There are a lot of people out there with cribs that have been recalled, and people don't know about it," says Jim Schmidt, MD.

The pediatrician works in the Emergency Department of Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters. Schmidt is the co-founder of Child Safety House Calls, which helps parents find items to protect their children, provides safety information, and offers inspections of people's homes.

"All parents, when they get a new crib, need to send in that warranty card," Schmidt stresses, "'cause that's the way the company will find you if they discover that their crib is recalled."

If someone fails to send the card, gets a crib as a hand-me-down, or buys a used crib, the CPSC offers recall information about infant/child products (as well as other items) via email.

Potential dangers created by the Dorel Asia cribs include suffocation and strangulation which Schmidt tells 13News are the typical hazards that exist. This recall comes about two months after the largest in the history of the United States. That case involved products from Stork Craft.

"I think this is a testament to how vigilant the system is," Schmidt says. "It's a relatively small number of injuries that prompt this big response, because any case is too many." He continues, "This big response doesn't mean that it's happening to a lot of kids. It just means that we've got to prevent every single one."

With that in mind, Schmidt believes parents can try to eliminate some trouble at the time of purchase. He says to make sure posts on a crib don't stick up. A baby's clothing can get caught on them which can lead to strangulation. Parents also should check all hardware to make sure it's intact on the crib. If more than your fist can fit between slats on a crib, so can your child's head which is why that crib shouldn't be an option. Schmidt recommends limiting the amount of blankets and stuffed animals in the crib. Given the right circumstances, either can lead to suffocation.

"The crib is your baby's safe haven, so you need to make sure you have your crib set up safely."