Crib Recalls of the Past

Over the past month, parents everywhere have been dealing with the Delta Enterprise crib recall. With this recall, two groups of Delta cribs were involved due to problems with the safety or spring pegs holding the sides in place. This, however, is not the only crib recall the United States has ever seen. In fact, over the past several years, quite a few cribs have been recalled. If you purchase a crib second-hand, it is important to know about the recalls to ensure the product you use with your baby is safe.

In late 2007, the Wendy Bellissimo Collection Convertible Cribs were recalled for the first time due to a bolt coming loose. This created the potential for a gap where a baby could become entrapped. Just a few months later, more Bellissimo cribs were also recalled. This second group, part of the Hidden Hills Collection, has spindles that could become loose, creating another dangerous gap.

Slightly earlier, in September 2007, Simplicity issued a voluntary recall of around one million cribs. These cribs, which led to deaths and injuries of a number of children, had a problem with the drop-side part of the crib becoming detached, once again creating a gap. In addition, the design of the crib was such that many parents were accidentally installing the drop-side of the crib upside down, which weakens that side and created extremely dangerous situations, even for older children who aren’t typically in danger due to gaps. This was one of the largest crib recall to date, though Delta’s numbers have since exceeded these numbers. Earlier, Simplicity was involved in a recall of their Nursery-in-a-Box crib. In June 2007, the company recalled these cribs due to incorrect instructions, which led to improper crib construction. In addition, there were parts of this crib that could pop off and be swallowed by infants, creating a choking hazard.

There have also been a number of lesser-publicized recalls have also been issued over the past few years. Although these have not affected as many units, they are still important for parents, since thousands own these products. Here is just a sampling of the cribs that have been recalled:

• Mother Hubbard’s Cupboards full-sized wooden Enchantment, Hush a Bye, Once Upon a Time, and Rock a Bye cribs failed to meet federal crib safety standards and were recalled in August of 2008.
• Stanley Furniture’s Young America Natural Built to Grow wooden cribs also failed to meet federal standards due to crib dimensions. They were recalled in June of 2008.
• Munire Furniture wooden cribs were sold with brackets that were too long, creating an unsafe height for the mattresses. These cribs were recalled in February of 2008.

Some other cribs and related accessories recalled since January of 2007 include those sold by Babies R Us, NettoCollection cribs, Stokke crib mattresses, and Jadine cribs. Simply put, it is impossible to know, when you purchase a crib and accessories, whether those items will be recalled. It falls often to the parents to look for defects and dangerous situations, as well as to keep up-to-date with defective crib product recalls. Every year, hundreds of consumer products are recalled, including many baby products, so make sure the items in your house are safe.