Following an infant death and nine other reports of distressed or trapped children, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced a mass recall of a portable sleep tent model.
KidCo Inc., a children’s safety equipment manufacturer, recalled 220,000 Pea Pod Travel Cribs after the CPSC determined an infant could be caught between the fabric sides of the tent and the air mattress, making breathing difficult and increasing the risk of suffocation. This is the company’s first recall.
Prior to the recall, CPSC received reports of nine children that were trapped between the mattress and wall, or were distressed.
Unfortunately, one infant died in the portable tent in December 2011, prompting the recall. A 5-month-old baby was in the travel crib with his twin sister for a nap while traveling. While the cause of death is undetermined, the risk of suffocation is apparent enough to warrant the recall.
KidCo Inc. has sold 220,000 of the units since they were introduced in 2005. To repair the risky beds, the manufacturer is providing repair kits that include a thinner air mattress and braces that will stabilize the sides of the tent and make it harder for the an infant to slide down into the gap.
“The concern was more of a design issue as to how the product mechanically works. The kit adequately addresses that,” said KidCo President Ken Kaiser. The kits will be available for use in mid-December.
The CPSC encourages all parents who purchased the units to order a repair kit.
“We believe that having the inflatable mattress much smaller reduces the chances of entrapment between the mattress and the fabric side of the tent. We want to make sure the suffocation risk is removed,” said Inez Tenenbaum, chairwoman of CPSC.
The units were manufactured in China and sold at a variety of specialty stores and Amazon.com for $70 to $100. They were marketed for children from birth to 3+ years, with different models for different ages. The model number is on a small tag on the underside of the unit. The recalled models are listed below:
- P100 – Teal
- P101 – Red
- P102 – Lime
- P103 – Periwinkle
- P104 – Ocean
- P201 – Princess/Red
- P202 – Camouflage
- P203 – Quick Silver
- P204 – Sagebrush
- P205 – Cardinal
- P900CS – Green
If you own one of the PeaPod or PeaPod Plus units listed in the above recall, immediately stop use of the product and contact the manufacturer to request a complimentary repair kit. Have your model number ready, as the repair kits vary depending on the model. Contact Kidco via phone at (855) 847-8600 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 pm central time, Monday-Friday. You can also request a kit at the company’s website via www.kidco.com.
The official CPSC report is available at www.cpsc.gov.
If your child was injured because of a travel bed or any other child product, you may be entitled to compensation. Please fill out the form below to have your case evaluated at no cost.
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