About two dozen children are the latest to be injured by drop-side cribs, causing three more recalls of about 35,000 cribs and pushing federal regulators to get serious about crib safety.
Ethan Allen, Angel Line and Victory Land Group recalled about 35,000 cribs this week because the drop-side rail can detach from the crib itself. This creates two main hazards: A child can roll over and fall out of the crib, or they can fall into the gap between the drop-side and the mattress and become trapped and possibly suffocate.
The recalls are just the latest in a spate of drop-side crib problems dating back at least two years. There have been 44 separate crib recalls since February 2008 affecting more than 7 million cribs, and earlier this month, Alexander Designs recalled 11,000 of its JCPenney drop-side cribs for the same reason.
Consumer Product Safety Commission on Friday launched the “Safe Sleep for Babies” campaign to help educate new and expectant parents on the do’s and don’ts of crib safety. The agency released a video:
All three companies are offering free repairs kits for the cribs that will immobilize the drop-side. Visit the CPSC website for more information on these recalls.
