Delta Drop-Side Crib Recall Reissued After Another Child Dies

A second infant death has prompted re-announcement of <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/product_liability">Delta Enterprise’s prior “Safety Peg” drop-side crib recall, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just reported.

The re-announcement is for the 2008 recall of more than 985,000 drop-side cribs, said WebMD, with “Crib Trigger Lock and Safety Peg” hardware. In January 2011, CPSC and Delta learned of a 2009 death in which a seven-month-old girl from Colorado Springs, Colorado became entrapped and suffocated between the detached drop-side and mattress of her recalled crib. The crib was purchased secondhand and re-assembled without safety pegs in the bottom tracks. Missing safety pegs can create a situation in which the crib’s drop-side rail disengages from the track, which can create a hazardous space in which an infant can become entrapped and suffocate.

The CPSC banned all drop-side cribs in 2010 over continuing safety issues, said WebMD. The agency unanimously voted to adopt tough new crib safety standards that would stop the sale, re-sale, manufacture, and distribution of drop-side cribs and would also prohibit drop-side cribs at motels, hotels, and childcare facilities. According to a statement from Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) this past December announcing the CPSC vote, she indicated that the deadly children’s products have been implicated in the deaths of at least 32 infants since 2001. They are a suspect in another 14 deaths.

At the time of the October 2008 recall, CPSC notified consumers about the death of an eight-month-old girl who became entrapped and suffocated when the drop side of the crib detached. The crib involved in this incident also was re-assembled without safety pegs. At the time of the October 2008 recall announcement, there were reports of two entrapments and nine detachments in cribs without safety pegs.

“Buying or accepting cribs second hand can be risky,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “Second-hand cribs may not come with all of the necessary parts that are needed to make sure your baby is safe. We urge parents and caregivers to use caution and to be aware that new rules established by CPSC will bring safer cribs to the market this summer.”

This re-announcement involves cribs made in Taiwan and Indonesia and sold at major retail stores including Kmart, Target, and Walmart between January 1995 and December 2005 (through September 2007 for model 4624) for about $100. Delta’s name and address is printed on the mattress support boards and the Delta logo is on the crib’s top teether rail. Model numbers are located on the top of the mattress support board. The following 49 crib models with “Crib Trigger Lock with Safety Peg” drop-side hardware are involved in the product recall:

• 4320, 4340;
• 4500, 4520, 4530, 4532, 4540, 4542, 4550, 4551, 4580;
• 4600, 4620, 4624 – production dates 01/06 thru 11/07, 4640, 4660, 4720, 4735, 4742, 4750 – production dates 01/95 thru 12/00;
• 4760, 4770, 4780, 4790;
• 4820, 4840, 4850, 4860, 4880, 4890, 4892; and
• 4900, 4910, 4920, 4925-2, 4925-6, 4930, 4940, 4943, 4944, 4947, 4948, 4949, 4950, 4958, 4963, 4968, 4969, 4980.

CPSC urges parents and caregivers to immediately stop using cribs that are missing a safety peg on either leg of the drop side and contact Delta to receive a free, easy-to-install repair kit. Delta can be reached, toll-free, at 1.800.816,5304 anytime or at its website at www.cribrecallcenter.com to order the free repair kit.

Parents and caregivers are also encouraged to find a safe, alternative sleep environment for their child until the repair kit, with new safety pegs, is safely installed on the recalled cribs, said the CPSC, which also provided the following, important message: “CPSC reminds parents not to use any crib with missing, broken or loose parts. Make sure to tighten hardware from time to time to keep the crib sturdy. When using a drop-side crib, parents should check to make sure the drop side or any other moving part operates smoothly. Always check all sides and corners of the crib for parts separating that can create a gap and entrap a child. In addition, do not try to repair any side of the crib. Babies have died in cribs where repairs were attempted by caregivers. Crib age is a factor in safety. At a minimum, CPSC staff recommends that you do not use a crib that is older than 10 years old. New, mandatory federal crib rules take effect on June 28, 2011. All cribs manufactured and sold after that date must meet new
and improved safety requirements. Older cribs do not meet the new standard and can have a variety of safety problems. Check if your crib has been recalled at www.cpsc.gov.”

Drop-side cribs became popular because they allow caregivers to easily access the beds. Unfortunately, poor design, poorly written assembly directions, or broken pieces can all cause the side rail to fall unexpectedly, or separate from the rest of the bed, creating an entrapment hazard, which can lead to strangulation or suffocation. Over the years, crib makers moved from metal to plastic hardware and cheaper wood, only worsening the problem. Last May, the CPSC warned parents to stop using such cribs.