Dorel Crib Recall After Infant Death; Several Injuries
A crib strangulation death and 10 crib injuries prompted a recall of 635,000 cribs distributed by Dorel Asia SRL of Barbados.
The drop side crib recall was announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) after reports of a Cedar Rapids, Iowa infant death and nine infant crib entrapments–three of which resulted in bruises on the child’s body.
Dorel Asia and the CPSC have also received 36 reports of crib slats breaking. In seven of these reports, children suffered bruises and scratches. The recalled cribs were sold at K-mart, Sears and Wal-Mart stores nationwide from 2005 through 2009. The recall includes the following models:
| Model Number | Front Rail | Description |
|---|---|---|
| WM1633 | Drop side | 3-1 Sleigh Crib – Cherry |
| WM1633-0 | Drop side | 3-1 Sleigh Crib – Cherry (no castors) |
| WM1676BC | Fixed | 4-1 Bethany James Crib – Walnut |
| WM1676BCR-DC | Fixed | 2-1 Crib – Walnut |
| WM2163 | Fixed | 4-1 Crib – Manhattan Walnut |
| WM2163DC | Fixed | 4-1 Crib – Manhattan Walnut |
| WM1633-0-DC | Fixed | 3-1 Sleigh Crib (no castors) |
| GP004B3EGR | Drop side | 3-1 Convertible – Espresso |
| GP004B3WGR | Drop side | 3-1 Convertible – White |
| GP006BCEGR | Drop side | Single – Espresso |
| GP006BCWGR | Drop side | Single – White |
| DA1615B3 | Drop side | 3-1 Convertible Crib – Natural |
| DAKM5132 | Drop side | 3-1 Convertible Crib – White |
| DASE5005 | Drop side | Cottage Hill Single Crib – White |
| DASE5009 | Drop side | Vintage Estate 3-1 Sleigh Crib – Cherry |
| DA0504KMC-1N | Drop side | 3-1 Heritage Crib – Natural |
| DA0504KMC-1W | Drop side | 3-1 Heritage Crib – White |
| DA1614B3 | Drop side | 3-1 Lexington Crib – Cherry |
| DAKM5152 | Drop side | Single Jenny Lind Crib – Walnut |
| DASE5015 | Drop side | 3-1 Convertible – Toffee |
Crib Safety: Drop-side Cribs
The hazards these cribs present have to do with their design–they are known as drop side cribs because while three sides are static, one side is designed to move up and down to make it easier to lift children out of the crib. Hardware on the drop side of these types of cribs (not just this brand) can fail easily, causing the dropside rail to partially detach from the rest of the crib, which creates a space between the side rail and the mattress, just large enough for an infant’s head to become trapped.
Crib recalls have grown to about 5 million since 2007, according to the CPSC.
Drop side cribs have been so heavily recalled that media reports suggest the CPSC has considered banning them completely.
Some retailers no longer carry dropside cribs and ASTM International, which regulates voluntary industry standards, has voted to no longer certify drop side cribs for sale in the United States.
Tags: Baby Suffocation, Crib Entrapment, Crib Lawsuit, Dropside Crib
