Yet another nationwide recall of cribs following an infant fatality and several serious injuries from the cribs’ defectively designed door.
“In a story appearing on at least 177 news websites, The Associated Press (1/19) reported, “Barbados-based company [Dorel Asia] on Tuesday recalled about 635,000 cribs sold by Kmart, Sears, Wal-Mart and other stores after the death of a 6-month-old boy and multiple reports of injuries. The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of 20 models of [the] with both drop sides and fixed front rails. Some of the Chinese- and Vietnamese-made cribs were recalled because their drop sides can detach, creating a space where a child can be trapped and suffocate or strangle.”
The Los Angeles Times (1/20, Chang) reports, “The safety commission said a 6-month-old from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, became trapped and died in one of the cribs after the drop-side hardware broke. The agency and Dorel Asia received 31 reports of drop-side incidents and 36 of slat breakage; a total of 10 injuries were reported. In a separate statement, Dorel Asia said it had learned from a safety investigator that the 6-month-old’s crib had been previously broken and that the parents had used duct tape to hold it together.” CNNMoney.com (1/19, Ellis) reported that Dorel “said the circumstances of the infant’s death were ‘highly unusual.’” “ Source: American Association for Justice
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that Dorel Asia cribs pose suffocation and strangulation hazards to infants and toddlers.
The cribs sold from January 2005 to December 2009, and cost between $120 and $700 apiece. To see whether your crib is on the recall list, look for the model number on a bottom rail of the crib.
Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the 6-month’s old tragic death, Dorel Asia foresaw greater risk in keeping the product on the marketplace, than recalling over half a million cribs.
On its website, Dorel proclaims to be the world leader in juvenile products: “Dorel is the largest juvenile products distributor in its categories in the world. Its products are well-recognized brands that have gained wide consumer acceptance for their high quality, safety and innovative designs [emphasis added] that incorporate state-of-the-art features and up-to-date fashion. Dorel’s disciplined, consistent approach to product development is underlined by the commitment of the various teams dedicated to innovation, quality and safety. This dedication has led to an uninterrupted flow of exciting new products.” Dorel produces products under the brand name, Dorel Asia, among other names as well.
Additional Sources:
The Homemade Baby Food Recipes Blog
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