When the drop side detaches, a hazardous gap is created between the drop-side rail and the crib mattress in which infants and toddlers can become wedged or entrapped, posing risks of suffocation and strangulation. In addition, children can fall out of the crib when the drop-side rail falls unexpectedly or detaches from the crib. Drop-side rail failures also can occur due to incorrect assembly or with age-related wear and tear.
The CPSC has received two reports of incidents involving drop-side malfunctions on Alexander Designs drop-side cribs. In one incident, which involved a crib that had been misassembled, the plastic hardware broke and the drop-side rail fell unexpectedly. In a second incident, a hardware failure caused the drop-side rail to detach from the crib. No injuries were reported.
This recall involves full-size cribs sold under the Alexander Designs brand name. "Alexander Designs Ltd." and the JCPenney catalog/item number are printed on a label on the crib's headboard. For a complete list of model numbers involved, see the link below.
The cribs were sold through JCPenney printed catalogs and online at JCPenney.com from March 2003 through April 2007 for about $200.