Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc. of British Columbia, Canada, is recalling 1.2 million drop-side cribs manufactured and sold between 1993 and 2009. This recall is due to the fact that the cribs may pose an entrapment and suffocation hazard. The affected cribs were sold in both the USA and in Canada. If this recall affects you, keep reading to find out how to get your free repair kit. In the meantime, the company is advising consumers to stop using the cribs immediately.
The recall announcement, which came out yesterday, states that "this recall does not involve any cribs that do not have a drop-side. This recall does not involve any cribs with metal rod drop-side hardware. It involves only those cribs with plastic trigger and one-hand-system drop-side hardware."
The announcement goes on to outline the structural defects of cribs containing drop-side plastic hardware:
The hardware can break, deform, or parts can become missing. In addition, the drop-side can be installed upside-down, which can result in broken or disengaged plastic parts. All of these problems can cause the drop-side to detach in one or more corners. When the drop-side detaches, it creates space between the drop-side and the crib mattress. The bodies of infants and toddlers can become entrapped in the space which can lead to suffocation. Complete detachment of drop-sides can lead to falls from the crib.
CPSC, Health Canada, and Stork Craft are aware of 110 incidents of drop-side detachment; 67 incidents occurred in the United States and 43 in Canada. Four of the entrapments resulted in suffocation. The cribs involved in these incidents had plastic drop-side hardware that had broken, missing, or deformed claws, connectors, tracks, or flexible tab stops; loose or missing metal spring clips; stripped screws; and/or drop-sides installed upside-down.
Stork Craft is offering a free repair kit that will transform the crib from a drop side crib to a fixed side crib. For additional information, contact Stork Craft toll-free at (877) 274-0277 anytime to order the free repair kit, or visit the Stork Craft website.
Update: As of the afternoon of Tuesday, November 24th, news outlets are reporting that, due to traffic volume, Stork Craft's phone lines have been busy and its website has been unresponsive.
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Comments (7)
Yeesh. That's the crib I had for my kids, and my sister-in-law had before me with her daughter. Kind of glad now that we both co-slept and completely neglected the crib..
This is the second time I've gone through a recall with this crib (we have a Storkcraft dropside one.) The first time was for the four brackets that hold the base of the bed up......took FOREVER for them to send those to us, but we finally replaced them. Now this is for the actual dropside part and the company is completely un-contact-able (not a word, but gets the point across...) I'm due in three weeks with our second child and am scrambling to either secure the side of the crib or get another. Definitely not buying a Storkcraft product anymore, especially since they've been so hard to contact. Hoping that we can get a refund, because at this point, I'm not interested in "replacement parts."
(The link on your site to their website didn't work for me, but thanks for posting.)
This is why cribs should not have drop-down sides. The Ikea cribs are definitely the way to go.
suffocated babies kind of puts the whole maclaren finger tip fiasco into perspective.
After a crib entrapment with our youngest child (who is alive and fine today, thank goodness), I am a big advocate of the low, fixed-side Ikea cribs, thin mattresses, and a lack of clutter in cribs.
While the recall is limited to Storkcraft products, I have a Sorelle Glenda and I've had problems with the drop-rail mechanism popping out since my son was a baby, 2.5 years ago. I called Sorelle back then and they sent me a replacement part that I didn't know how to install. They seemed wholly unconcerned, but I knew it was trouble.
I'm going to have to duct tape the rail to the crib post to safely put my daughter in it.
I'm planning on using a futon instead of a crib. People think I'm crazy but I think it's a lot safer.