The Consumer Products Safety Commission has announced a voluntary recall of Simplicity and Graco cribs after three infant deaths.
According to the CPSC news bulletin announcing the recall,
"The drop-side can detach from the crib, which can create a dangerous gap and lead to the entrapment and suffocation of infants... The drop-side failures result from both the hardware and crib design, which allow consumers to unintentionally install the drop-side upside down. This, in turn, can weaken the hardware and cause the drop-side to detach from the crib. When the drop-side detaches, it creates a gap in which infants can become entrapped.
In addition to the deaths, there have been 55 incidents, including seven cases of children becoming entrapped in the drop-side according to the CPSC.
The cribs were sold nationwide from January 1998 through May 2007 for prices ranging between $100 and $300.
Here are the crib models affected by the recall, according to Simplicty's website:
"The recalled Simplicity crib models include: Aspen 3 in 1, Aspen 4 in 1, Nursery-in-a-Box, Crib N Changer Combo, Chelsea and Pooh 4 in 1. The recall also involves the following Simplicity cribs that used the Graco logo: Aspen 3 in 1, Ultra 3 in 1, Ultra 4 in1, Ultra 5 in 1, Whitney and the Trio. The recalled cribs have one of the following model numbers, which can be found on the envelope attached to the mattress support and on the label attached to the headboard: 4600, 4605, 4705, 5000, 8000, 8324, 8800, 8740, 8910, 8994, 8050, 8750, 8760, and 8996."
Simplicity's website is giving the following instructions to Simplicty and Graco crib owners:
"Consumers should immediately check the crib to make sure the drop side is securely fastened and correctly installed. Consumers with affected drop side cribs will receive a drop side replacement track kit. As an immediate precaution, consumers should check to see if the drop-side is installed right side up. To do this, check to see that the slightly rounded rail with the decorative groove is installed at the top and the plain rail is on the bottom. Next, consumers should make sure the drop-side is securely attached to the tracks in all four corners."
For more information on this subject matter, please review our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.