Massachusetts's consumers should be aware that the Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning consumers about the dangers associated with recalled Simplicity drop side cribs manufactured by Simplicity, Inc. and CFCA Inc. of Reading, PA. The CPSC also is aware of as many as 11 deaths and an additional 25 incidents involving the drop side detaching from the crib.
To date, CPSC has recalled over 2 million Simplicity drop side cribs due to problems with the crib's plastic hardware. The plastic hardware can break or deform, causing the drop side to detach. When the drop side detaches, it creates a space between the drop side and the crib mattress. Infants and toddlers can roll into this space and become entrapped which can lead to suffocation. All Simplicity drop side cribs have been recalled. The recalled drop side cribs were sold in department stores, children's stores, and mass merchandisers nationwide from January 2005 through June 2009 for between $150 and $300.
The agency says caregivers should check their cribs to see whether they have a recalled Simplicity crib. If they do, consumers should stop using them immediately and should not attempt to fix the cribs.
Federal regulators have approved a new rule that will require manufacturers of durable infant and child products to maintain a registration list of customers, making it easier to notify parents about dangerous and defective products. The new safety rule, will require manufacturers of cribs, high chairs, gates, strollers and other infant and toddler furniture to provide registration cards with each product and maintain a list of registered consumers. The registration would be used to alert as many consumers as possible if there is a product recall.
CPSC officials hope that the new rule promulgated on December 16 will allow the commission to quickly and efficiently contact a large number of purchasers immediately when a problem with the products have been detected, as opposed to having to rely on media, word-of-mouth, or non-uniform methods which may vary from company to company.
