Huge Crib Recall
The CPSC announced today a recall of 985,000 Delta Enterprise Drop Side Cribs. Apparently there are missing safety pegs which can lead to entrapment and suffocation.
When the safety pegs in the base of each leg of the crib are missing from the lower track, the crib locks can disengage and detach if lowered below the peg hole, creating a hazardous gap. This gap can lead to the entrapment and suffocation of an infant or toddler.
CPSC staff is aware of a death of an 8-month-old child who became entrapped and suffocated when the drop side of the crib detached in a reassembled crib where the safety pegs were not installed. CPSC is also aware of two entrapments and nine disengagement incidents in cribs where the safety pegs were missing.
The recalled cribs have date codes ranging from 1995 though December 2005 and one model (4624) was made in 2007. The model numbers are located on the top of the mattress support board.
In addition, 600,000 Delta Enterprise Drop Side cribs have been recalled which were manufactured and sold between 2000 and 2007. The two notices can be here and here in their entirety.
With these recalls effecting an enormous volume of consumers, the CPSC announced that it is considering rulemaking with regards to crib defects.
Since the creation of the CPSC Early Warning System in fall of 2007, the agency has conducted five crib recalls where the hardware was broken, missing or otherwise failed to function. 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.
While the mandatory and voluntary crib standards have succeeded in preventing many deaths and injuries, the agency staff believes the performance requirements can be strengthened to deal with the problems identified by the Early Warning System. Therefore, agency staff will be recommending that the Commission vote to issue an Advanced Notice of Proposed (ANPR) rulemaking to examine and assess potential design and durability issues and possible mandatory performance requirements to prevent future entrapments and strangulations to children. If approved, the ANPR will seek input and information about hardware systems, other hardware issues, assembly and instructional problems and wood quality/strength issues for cribs with both stationary and drop side construction.
As these cribs fail, and caregivers are left unaware of the inherent dangers, the children are the ones who remain the victims. It would seem that more needs to be done with regard to the safety of the cribs which make it into the marketplace.
The CPSC offers the following as safety tips:
Safety Tips for all cribs:
- Parents should not use any crib with missing, broken or loose parts.
- Hardware should be inspected from time to time and tightened to keep the crib sturdy.
- When using a drop side crib parents should check to make sure the drop side or any other moving part operates smoothly on its track.
- Always check all sides and corners of the crib for disengagement. Any disengagement can create a gap and entrap a child.
- Do not try to repair any side of the crib without manufacturer approved hardware or with tape, wire or rope.
- Putting a broken side up against the wall does not solve the problem and can often make it worse.
