As expected, the largest crib recall in U.S. history has been announced by the U.S Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). The recall involves 2.1 million drop side cribs made by Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc. that pose an entrapment and suffocation hazard to infants. These cribs have proven to be extremely dangerous, and children have been injured, and even killed after becoming entrapped following detachment of the cribs’ drop side.

The Stork Craft crib recall involves 1,213,000 units distributed in the U.S. and 968,000 units distributed in Canada. Approximately 147,000 of the recalled cribs were sold with a Fisher-Price logo.

According to the CPSC, the recalled Stork Craft cribs’ drop-side plastic hardware can break, deform, or parts can become missing. 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. When the drop-side detaches, it creates space between the drop-side and the crib mattress. The bodies of infants and toddlers can become entrapped in the space which can lead to suffocation. Complete detachment of drop-sides can lead to falls from the crib.

According to the CPSC, there have 110 incidents of drop-side detachment; 67 of which occurred in the U.S.. The incidents include 15 entrapments; 12 in the U.S. and three in Canada. Four of the entrapments resulted in suffocation: a 7-month-old in Gouverneur, N.Y.; a 7-month-old in New Iberia, La.; a 6-month-old in Summersville, W.Va.; and a 9-month-old in Bronx, N.Y.

Included in these incidents are 20 falls from cribs; 12 in the U.S. and eight in Canada. Fall injuries ranged from concussion to bumps and bruises. The cribs involved in these incidents had plastic drop-side hardware that had broken, missing, or deformed claws, connectors, tracks, or flexible tab stops; loose or missing metal spring clips; stripped screws; and/or drop-sides installed upside-down.

Consumers should contact Stork Craft to receive a free repair kit that converts the drop-side on these cribs to a fixed side. The CPSC is urging parents and caregivers to immediately stop using the recalled cribs, wait for the free repair kit, and do not attempt to fix the cribs without the kit. They should find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby.

This recall includes Stork Craft cribs with manufacturing and distribution dates between January 1993 and October 2009. This recall also includes Stork Craft cribs with the Fisher-Price logo that have manufacturing dates between October 1997 and December 2004. The Stork Craft cribs with the Fisher-Price logo were first sold in the U.S. in July 1998 and in Canada in September 1998.

The cribs were sold in various styles and finishes. The manufacture date, model number, crib name, country of origin, and the firm’s name, address, and contact information are located on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board. The firm’s insignia “storkcraft baby” or “storkling” is inscribed on the drop-side teething rail of some cribs. In Stork Craft cribs that contain the “Fisher-Price” logo, this logo can be found on the crib’s teething rail, in the manufacturer’s instructions, on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board, and on the end panels of the Twinkle-Twinkle and Crystal crib models.

The recalled Stork Craft cribs were sold through major retailers in the U.S and Canada, including BJ’s Wholesale Club, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Meijer, Sears, USA Baby, and Wal-Mart stores and online at Amazon.com, Babiesrus.com, Costco.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com. They were available from January 1993 through October 2009 for between $100 and $400.

For additional information, consumers should contact Stork Craft toll-free at (877) 274-0277 anytime to order the free repair kit, or log on to www.storkcraft.com.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 7:14 pm and is filed under Defective Products, Product Recalls.