1.6 Million Cribs Recalled Due to Suffocation Risk

Almost 1.6 million cribs are being recalled because two potential defects in the cribs' "drop side" mechanism pose an entrapment and suffocation hazard for infants, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced Tuesday. CPSC is urging all parents to inspect their "drop side" cribs for hardware problems and missing or broken parts.

The affected cribs were manufactured by Delta Enterprise Corp. and sold at retailers throughout the U.S. -- including K-Mart, Target, and Walmart -- from 1995 to 2007, according to the CPSC. About 985,000 Delta "drop side" cribs are being recalled because missing safety pegs could pose a suffocation hazard to infants, and 600,000 more Delta cribs are being recalled because failure of the "spring peg" mechanism may present similar danger (see detailed recall information from CPSC, including affected model numbers on the recalls: Missing Safety Pegs | Spring Peg Failure). The Delta Enterprise crib recall was prompted by the suffocation deaths of two infants, and a number of infant entrapments reported to CPSC.

A CPSC Press Release issued Tuesday cautions parents and caregivers on potential problems with "drop-side" cribs: "Cribs with drop sides are the type most likely to experience hardware problems. They contain more moving parts and have more non-rigid connections than static, or non-drop side cribs. In many cases the drop side corners disengage from the tracks located on the crib ends, or safety stops become nonfunctional permitting the drop side to detach from the crib. These types of defects are often undetected by parents or caregivers and can worsen when the baby pushes or leans against the side of the crib."

• Detailed Information on the Crib Recall: Missing Safety Pegs | Spring Peg Failure (CPSC)
• Delta Children’s Products Crib Recall Website
• CPSC's Crib Warning and Advice for Parents
• Reuters: U.S. Manufacturer Recalls 1.59 Million Cribs
• Chicago Tribune: Latest Crib Recall Broadens CPSC's Focus
• More Recalls and Product Safety News (CPSC)
• CPSC Issues Warning on 'Simplicity' Bassinets; Recall Urged (FindLaw's Common Law Blog 8/29/08)
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• Defective Products FAQ (FindLaw)