Cribs Recalled Due to Infant Deaths


. By Gordon Gibb

In a recent defective product case, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a recall of all Generation 2 Worldwide and "ChildESIGNS" drop side cribs due to a defect in the product hardware.

The problem occurs when the crib's plastic hardware breaks, causing the drop side to detach from a corner of the crib and creating a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and entrap herself. Stuck between the drop side and the crib mattress, the child is at risk for suffocation or strangulation. What's more, the crib's mattress support can detach from the crib frame, creating a hazardous space in which a child can become trapped.

CPSC received reports of 20 other drop side incidents, 12 of which involved the drop side detaching from a corner of the crib. There have been eight reports of mattress support detachments. The most serious reports detailed the deaths of three infants who suffocated in the small space between the drop side and the crib mattress when the drop side detached.

In July 2007 an eight-month-old child from Newark, Ohio, suffocated to death when he became trapped between the drop side and the crib mattress. In October 2003 an eight-month-old from Richmond, Indiana perished in the same fashion. And in September 2002 a six-month-old from Staunton, Virginia, suffocated after the lower drop sidetrack lost two screws, causing it to detach from the headboard post.

The recalled cribs were sold for $60 to $160 at numerous local furniture and retail stores nationwide, including Buy Buy Baby, Kmart and Wal-Mart stores.

The name "Generation 2 Worldwide" appears on a label affixed to the crib's headboard or footboard. Some labels identify the place of manufacture as Dothan, Alabama. Others identify China as the country of manufacture. The name "ChildESIGNS" appears on the teething rail of some of the cribs.

Some of the known model numbers are: 10-110X, 10-210X, 21-110X, 20-710X, 64-315X, 26-110X, 90-257X, 20-810X, 46-715X, 64-311X, 74-315X, 21-815X, 21-810X, 20815X, 308154 and 54915. (The "X" denotes where an additional and varying number may appear at the end of the model number.)

It should be noted that Generation 2 went out of business in 2005, so information is limited. It is believed about 500,000 of the cribs were sold to consumers.


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