Cribs sold at Ethan Allen and Kmart recalled amid safety push

Tens of thousands of dangerous drop-side cribs are being recalled, including those sold at furniture chain Ethan Allen, a group of online baby product sellers and discount retailer Kmart, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

If you have one of the recalled cribs detailed below, you are urged to stop using it until receiving a kit to immobilize the drop side of the crib.
The CPSC timed the announcement of the recalls, which involved injuries to eight infants in 23 incidents, to the launch of a new campaign to get parents and caregivers to create a safe sleep environment for babies. Deaths in cribs and other sleep settings have been an ongoing issue and have resulted in the recall of more than 7 million cribs in the past two years, as well as other infant sleep products.

Drop-side cribs, once the standard in nurseries across the country, are essentially banned now after being blamed for as many as 46 deaths since 2001. The danger of drop-side cribs, whether through wear and tear or poor construction or design, is that the child can get wedged in openings between the mattress and the side of the crib that drops.

Part of that picture, though, is a lack of awareness among many caring for children about some warning signs of problems in sleep environments and some safety practices preached by safety advocates as well as the medical community. The initiative features a new video. You can see an abbreviated version here:



Ethan Allen recall

The recalled Ethan Allen crib, made in the U.S. and China, was blamed in five incidents in which three children were hurt, the CPSC said. About 3,200 of the recalled cribs were sold from January 2002 until December 2008 for $550-$900 and have the following item numbers printed on the headboard or foot board: 14-5650, 15-5650, 16-5650, 26-5650, 35-5622, 36-5620, 36-5622 and 38-5622.

For more information and to get a repair kit, call Ethan Allen at (888) 339-9398 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. Eastern Time or get in touch with any Ethan Allen store.

Heritage Collection (Kmart)

Heritage Collection cribs sold at Kmart from February 2007-October 2008 for about $130 were blamed in 17 incidents that included three injuries. About 34,000 of the Vietnamese-made cribs were sold. They are model numbers 07-1248 and 07-1252. The number is either on the headboard or foot board.

For more information, call the importer, Victory Land Group, at (866) 499-2099 weekdays between 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. or go to the recall site.

Angel Line (online)

The Angel Line Longwood Forest cribs were blamed in one incident in which a drop side detached from the crib. About 3,400 of the Chinese-made cribs are being recalled. They have model numbers 6103S, 6105S, 6106S, 6108S, 6109S, 8025P, and 8029P. Ababy.com, Babyage.com and other sites sold them online from December 2004 through January 2009 for about $140.

For more information or to get repair kit, contact Angel Line at (800) 889-8158 anytime, visit the recall site or email parts@angelline.com.

Safety recommendation

The safety video, which is being featured in hospitals and the American Academy of Pediatrics, offers the following safety recommendations:

• Place infants to sleep on their backs
• Use a firm, tight-fitting mattress
• Never use extra padding, blankets or pillows under the baby
• Remove pillows or thick comforters
• Do not use positioning devices – they are not necessary and can be deadly
• Regularly check cribs for loose, missing or broken parts or slats
• Do not try to fix a broken crib
• Place cribs or playpens away from windows and window covering cords to avoid fall and strangulation hazards
• Place baby monitor cords away from cribs or playpens to avoid strangulation