Infant Entrapment and Suffocation Prompts Stork Craft to Recall More Than 2.1 Million Drop-Side Cribs

The CPSC in conjunction with Health Canada have officially released the details on the biggest crib recall in history. This is the same information we were being told from our sources yesterday but we wanted to wait for the CPSC announcement. On the eve of this announcement and as precautionary measure Kids Stuff Superstore decided to pull all drop side cribs off the sales floors until having official notice of what cribs were affected. For those who have purchased or are thinking of purchasing a crib from Kids Stuff Superstore, we don't carry the Stork Craft or Fisher Price by Stork Craft brand of Cribs.

Thanks,
Kids Stuff Superstore


OFFICIAL RELEASE FROM THE CPSC.
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10046.html


_____________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 23, 2009
Release # 10-046 Firm's Recall Hotline: (877) 274-0277
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
HC Media Contact: (613) 957-2983
Infant Entrapment and Suffocation Prompts Stork Craft to Recall More Than 2.1 Million Drop-Side Cribs

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc., of British Columbia, Canada, today announced the voluntary recall of more than 2.1 million Stork Craft drop-side cribs, including about 147,000 Stork Craft drop-side cribs with the Fisher-Price logo. The recall involves approximately 1,213,000 units distributed in the United States and 968,000 units distributed in Canada.

CPSC urges 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. Consumers should contact Stork Craft to receive a free repair kit that converts the drop-side on these cribs to a fixed side.

The 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.

CPSC, Health Canada, and Stork Craft are aware of 110 incidents of drop-side detachment; 67 incidents occurred in the United States and 43 in Canada. 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.

This recall involves Stork Craft drop-side cribs and Stork Craft drop-side cribs with the Fisher-Price logo. This recall does not involve any cribs that do not have a drop-side. This recall does not involve any cribs with metal rod drop-side hardware. It involves only those cribs with plastic trigger and one-hand-system drop-side hardware.

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.

Major retailers in the United States and Canada sold the recalled cribs 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 from January 1993 through October 2009 for between $100 and $400.

The cribs were manufactured in Canada, China and Indonesia.

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

Important Message from CPSC:

CPSC would like to remind parents not to use any crib with missing, broken, or loose parts. Make sure to tighten hardware from time to time 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. Always check all sides and corners of the crib for disengagement. Any disengagement can create a gap and entrap a child. In addition, do not try to repair any side of the crib, especially with tape, wire or rope.

Note: Health Canada’s press release can be seen at http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=888

For more information on Crib Safety, visit CPSC's Crib Information Center

Satellite Coordinates (C-Band) All Times Eastern

Video feed with b-roll of Stork Craft drop side cribs, a detached drop side and the free repair kit being installed.

Date: Tuesday, November 24
Time: 10:30am – 11:00 am
Satellite: AMC 3C Transponder 22
Freq: DL 4140V

Date: Tuesday, November 24
Time: 2:30 pm - 3:00 p.m. ET
Satellite: AMC 3C Transponder 22
Freq: DL 4140V

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CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

On eve of "massive" Drop Side Crib Recall announcement, JPMA Responds to Recent Safety Concerns of “Drop Side” Cribs.

At Kids Stuff Superstore we continue to monitor this situation and will update you as we find out more information. Lots of phone calls and have been placed today for clarification, we will wait for the official CPSC announcement tomorrow.

Stay Tuned,

Kids Stuff Superstore

Here is the official release from JPMA.

http://www.jpma.org/pdfs/drop_side_cribs_11.23.09.pdf

__________________________________________________________________________

Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, Inc.

15000 Commerce Parkway, Suite C  Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054  856.638.0420  856.439.0525

Email: jpma@jpma.org  Web site: www.jpma.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Linda Woody

Communications Manager

(856) 642-4420

lwoody@ahint.com

JPMA Responds to Recent Safety Concerns of “Drop Side” Cribs

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. November 23, 2009 – To alleviate confusion that is in the media

regarding the recently announced recall of certain drop-side cribs, the Juvenile Products

Manufacturers Association (JPMA), the not for profit trade association that promotes infant

safety and the development of recognized ASTM International product safety standards,

reassures the public regarding the safety of properly used, drop side cribs.

All new cribs on the market today must meet minimum government requirements. In addition,

there are consensus performance standards, which are established by ASTM with involvement of

the government and recognized experts, to which JPMA certifies cribs and other durable infant

products. JPMA also reminds parents and care givers, that when you assemble a crib to the

manufacturer's instructions and use it properly, a crib provides the safest sleeping environment

for baby.

Recent media reports notwithstanding, cribs are intended to last for years (or multiple births)

when properly cared for. Crib instructions which are attached to cribs include information on

assembly, maintenance, cleaning, storage and use.

“JPMA believes that instead of alarming parents, we should work together to educate them about

the importance of the proper use, assembly and reassembly of cribs and how to provide the safest

sleep environment for a child,” said Mike Dwyer, JPMA Executive Director. “The safest place

for a child is in a fully functional, properly assembled crib. Parents are urged to closely inspect

the hardware and stability of their cribs to ensure all parts are in place and secure when

assembling and re-assembling cribs.”

The Consumer Products Safety Committee has NEVER said that a properly assembled crib with

fully functional hardware should not be used. Each year hundreds of deaths occur when children

are placed in a sleep environment that is not specifically designed for children. Parents should

continue using properly assembled cribs in good condition as it provides the safest sleep

environment for children.

-more-

Page 2 of 3, Safe Sleep Practices

JPMA suggests the following safety tips to sustain the proper lifespan of your crib:

 Parents should not use any crib with missing, broken or loose hardware parts. Crib slats

or spindles should be spaced no more than 2 3/8 inches apart, and none should be loose or

missing. Also NEVER use a crib with corner posts over 1/16 of an inch above the end

panels (unless they’re over 16 inches high for a canopy).

 NEVER place infants to sleep on pillows, sofa cushions, adult beds, waterbeds, beanbags,

or any other surface not specifically designed for infant sleep. NEVER place the crib near

windows, draperies, blinds, or wall mounted decorative accessories with long cords.

 When using a drop side crib parents and care givers should check to make sure the drop

side or any other moving parts operate properly. Parents should be sure that hardware is

installed properly. When assembling and disassembling drop side cribs, parents should

always confirm that the parts are reassembled following the manufacturers guidelines as

listed in the instructions.

 Always check all sides and corners of the crib to assure proper assembly with no

openings that may entrap a child. The crib mattress should fit snugly with no more than

two fingers width, one-inch, between the edge of the mattress and the crib side.

Otherwise, the baby can get trapped between the mattress and the side of the crib.

 Do not try to repair any side of the crib without manufacturer approved hardware.

 Putting a broken side up against the wall does not solve the problem and can often make

it worse.

JPMA is pleased to note that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recognizes the

importance of urging parents and caregivers to closely inspect the hardware and stability of their

cribs to ensure all parts are in place and secure when assembling and re-assembling cribs.

Recent recalls of juvenile products highlights the importance of proper assembly and use of

cribs. Many older cribs do not meet all current safety standards. Even if you are on a tight

budget, you should not purchase an old crib at a garage sale or accept a hand-me-down crib that

may not meet current Federal and ASTM standards.

For additional tips on how to keep baby safe, including a list of JPMA Certified cribs, please

visit www.jpma.org .

-more-

Page 3 of 3, Safe Sleep Practices

“We are all committed to making sure that baby’s sleep environment is as safe as possible,” said

Amy Chezem, JPMA Communications Director and mother of two. “We have consistently

promoted safe sleeping practices and the importance of ensuring proper assembly and use of

products that have long provided the safest place to sleep for babies.”

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association is a national trade organization of more than

250 companies in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. JPMA exists to advance the interests,

growth, and well-being of North American prenatal to preschool product manufacturers,

importers, and distributors marketing under their own brands to consumers. It does so through

advocacy, public relations, information sharing, product performance certification, and business

development assistance conducted with appreciation for the needs of parents, children, and

retailers.

For more information, please visit www.jpma.org.

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