Cribs Recalled for Suffocation Hazard; Lunch Bags for Lead

About one million cribs that pose a suffocation hazard are being recalled. And 300,000 soft lunch boxes touting healthy eating are being recalled because of possible lead contamination.

Three children have died in the cribs, which were made in China for Simplicity for Children Inc. and Graco, reports The Wall Street Journal. In all three deaths, parents had installed the hardware for the drop-down slide upside down, according to The Consumer Protection Safety Commission.

The easy-to-make mistake allows the slide to separate from the frame and create a gap that kids can get stuck in, reports the Journal. There have been seven infant entrapments and 55 other incidents with these cribs.

The CPSC warns that parents should not reverse the hardware, because it may have been damaged after being installed upside down.

The recalled canvas/vinyl lunchboxes, which also were made in China, were given out for free by California in an effort to promote it’s healthful eating program, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Lead was found in the vinyl and the yellow logo on 56,000 green bags. Below are the words “Eat Fruits & Vegetables and Be Active.” Maybe the slogan should be, “Eat Lead and Be Brain Damaged.”

An additional 245,000 blue bags, which were given out to needy parents, are being recalled as a safety measure. The “Eat 5 a Day” logo is not contaminated with lead, the Times reports.

“It’s unfortunate that an item we’re using hopefully to promote healthy behavior is discovered itself to be a potential health hazard,” Dr. Mark Horton, director of the state’s public health department and a pediatrician, tells the Times. “Kids have a habit of putting their hands in their mouth a lot, and the food inside the lunchbox possibly could be contaminated.”

As always, I wonder just how many of these bags and cribs will be returned or thrown out. More likely, they’ll be passed down a couple generations before being retired.

If you have one of the suspect lunch bags, return it to where you received them or take it to a household hazardous waste collection facility, reports the Times.

The recalled cribs are sold under the Simplicity and Graco brand names. Here’s the information from the CPSC on the models, which were sold from January 1998 through May 2007, that are affected:

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.

Consumers who have a crib with older style hardware can receive a free repair by immediately contacting Simplicity toll-free at (888) 593-9274 between 8:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET on Friday, and between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, or by visiting the firm’s Web site at www.simplicityforchildren.com

Comments

[KC]

Seems a little annoying to think that the problem is improper installation. Were the instructions poorly written?

[brettdl]

No idea since I've never seen the instructions.

The piece of hardware, though, can be put in either way, so it's being considered a design flaw, not a manufacturing problem. Usually, manufacturers put in some sort of impediment making it impossible to put hardware in wrong. It's easy enough to do.

[Grace]

I think ALL cribs are difficult to get "right" the first time around. I remember when we first put the Princess crib up. It took us almost 2 hours! By the time the Bear came along, we were pros at putting the crib together. So this situation with the cribs is the PARENTS' error, not the company/individuals who manufactured the crib. Interesting!

[brettdl]

Well, maybe. I'm sure you've read instruction manuals that say things like "put right socket clamp into hairy widget toe."