Although drop side cribs have been taken out of stores, sleep areas for babies are still not considered secure. In recent weeks, the CPSC decided to reevaluate the safety of crib bumpers for suffocation hazards, and Summer Infant recalled 1.7 million baby monitors over suffocation-related deaths. Two more recalls of bassinets and car seats came directly after.
Burlington Bassinet Co. and Dorel recalled 500,000 bassinets and 800,000 car seats, respectively, over the past week. Burlington bassinets, which are primarily sold at Wal-Mart, have inefficient hardware; if rails at the bottom are not fully in place, the bassinet can collapse and injure the baby. Burlington, however, is not issuing a refund, but hardware kits to address the issue will be available. Dorel car seats, which are sold under well-known manufacturer names like Safety 1st, Quinny, Maxi-Cosi, Disney, and Eddie Bauer, have a faulty button.
With this slew of recalls spanning from cribs to monitors, parents are confused, as this piece from WBALTV.com shows. Although secondhand products are one option for saving money, the product could have been recalled before. To find out if a product was taken off shelves years earlier, find the model number and search for it on the CPSC website. Parents, additionally, wonder what they will do if a crib, stroller, or other baby furniture is recalled.
Many baby products, however, end up being recalled for poor assembly or cheaply-made hardware. If you are checking for hazards, examine the hardware first. Drop side cribs, for example, were a reliable designed until the past decade. The plastic rails and locks used to hold the drop side in place began to break more frequently, causing this movable portion to fall onto the baby. Additionally, when you are putting together the product, see that all instructions are followed to make a sturdy crib or bassinet.
