It's happened again. There has been yet another crib recall. In fact it's the biggest crib recall in U.S. history and it is linked to four suffocation deaths. More than 2 million drop-side cribs made by Stork Craft Manufacturing of Canada are being recalled. Sales of the cribs in question date back to 1993 and nearly 150,000 of the cribs carry the Fisher-Price logo.
The manufacturer is going on the defensive by saying said the four deaths linked to the recall happened a long time ago and were found to be a result of improper use. A company spokesperson said all parents need to do to fix the crib is to install a free kit from the company that converts the drop-side to a fixed, immovable side, but that does little to put parents at ease, especially since these cribs pose a potentially dangerous situations for innocent children.
This is far from the first time a large amount of cribs have been recalled. In fact, in January, Stork Craft recalled about 500,000 cribs because of problems with the metal brackets that support the mattress. This past July, Health Canada expanded its recall of Simplicity drop-side cribs to include three model numbers when the CPSC announced the recall of the brand's drop-side cribs by retailers.
ASTM International, an organization that sets voluntary industry safety standards for everything from toys to the steel used in commercial buildings, approved a new standard last week that requires four immovable sides for full-size cribs — a big step toward eliminating the manufacture of new drop-side cribs since the industry group won't certify them.
In Suffolk County, N.Y., legislation was signed into law Tuesday that bans the sale of any crib with a side that moves up and down. The law takes effect in February and is believed to be a first ban of its kind. Hopefully it will save lives.
Child injuries are very serious and can leave a parent feeling helpless. If your child has suffered a crib injury, please contact child injury attorney Jeffrey Killino at 877-875-2927.
