Stork Craft Recalls More than 500,000 Cribs Due to Risk of Entrapment Injury and Suffocation/Death
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Hundreds of parents in the Hampton Roads area have been looking under their babies’ mattresses lately, checking the serial numbers. Stork Craft issued a massive recall of over 500,000 cribs earlier this month, citing faulty mattress support brackets, which could result in entrapment and suffocation of the child. The Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, is aware of ten incidents in which one or more of these mattress support brackets broke. In several of these cases, the break caused the mattress to collapse, which created a perilous gap between the mattress and the crib rails. One toddler fell, sustaining bruises to his forehead. Another baby fell and became entrapped between the mattress and crib rails, but luckily did not receive any injuries.
The CPSC strongly urges all parents whose children use the affected Stork Craft cribs to “immediately stop using the recalled cribs” and to “find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby.” They should also contact Stork Craft to receive a free replacement kit, which includes new mattress support brackets.
The crib, which is manufactured in Canada, China, and Indonesia, is sold in the U.S. at J.C. Penney, Kmart, Walmart, Amazon.com, Babiesrus.com, and Cosco.com. The CPSC advises that the “manufacture date, model number, crib name, country of origin, and the firm’s name, address, and contact information are located on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board. The firm’s insignia ‘Storkcraft baby’ or ‘storkling’ is inscribed on the drop side teething rail of some cribs. In the product that contains the Fisher-Price logo, this logo can be found on the crib’s teething rail, in the manufacturer’s instructions, on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board, and on the end panels of the Twinkle-Twinkle and Crystal crib models.”
As a personal injury attorney, cases involving serious injuries to young children are always hard; as a parent, they are gut-wrenching. Although my kids are not infants now, these types of recalls always remind me of how important it is to keep our kids safe. Even if you don’t use the Stork Craft crib, there are some general guidelines you can follow to keep your baby safe in his or her bed at night. Always lay your baby down on his or her back, and use a one-piece sleeper instead of a blanket to prevent suffocation. Check the crib’s teething rail regularly for cracks or breaks. Also, be sure to adjust the height of any mobiles or crib gyms as your baby gains mobility. And never, ever hesitate to ask your pediatrician if you have any concerns for your baby’s safety.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm (VA-NC law offices ) edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, as well as the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono service to consumers. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY, who handle car, truck, railroad, and medical negligence cases and more.