Graco Children’s Products issued a 2 million stroller recall following four infant deaths from strangulation and five instances of entrapment that resulted in cuts and bruises and, in one case, breathing difficulty.
According to The New York Times:
The strollers were deemed dangerous, especially to children under 1 year of age, because when left unharnessed, they can crawl through the opening between the seat and stroller tray and become trapped.
Following the initial deaths in 2003, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) did not think the risk of harm was strong enough to warrant a recall, since the stroller was fine when used properly – for transporting children.
However, after a couple more incidents, a recall has been issued.
“Our intent was, without any shadow of a doubt, with or without the harness use, to make it impossible for the child to slide down in the stroller,” Mr. McGraw said. Even without the repair kit, Graco said it was still safe to use the strollers as a travel system, meaning with an infant car seat attached.
The defective strollers were distributed between November 2000 and December 2007 and were sold at numerous retailers, including Babies “R” Us, Kmart, Navy Exchange, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart.
The affected model numbers are posted on the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Web site (www.cpsc.gov) and on Graco’s Web site at www.gracobaby.com. The model numbers are on a label just above the rear wheels or underneath the stroller. To order a repair kit, owners can call Graco at (877) 828-4046.
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