Photo courtesy of CPSC.gov.
Drop side hardware failures are the problem behind the latest crib recall. This time, 635,000 cribs from Dorel Asia are recalled because the hardware failure causes a gap between the side and the rest of the crib. That gap can allow a baby to become entrapped and at risk of strangulation.
A second safety issue is that damaged crib slats can also allow entrapment and strangulation.
The company warns that slat damage can happen during shipping, regular use or when the crib is disassembled for storage and later reassembled.
One death has been reported as a result of broken drop-side hardware. The company has received reports of 31 additional hardware failures, including six entrapments. There have been an additional 36 reports of slats breaking, which resulted in seven injuries.
The crib models listed below are included in the recall. All styles are drop-side unless otherwise indicated.
| WM1633 | 3-in-1 Sleigh Crib |
| WM1633-0 | 3-1 Sleigh Crib - Cherry (no castors) |
| WM1676BC | 4-in-1 Bethany James Crib - Walnut (fixed side) |
| WM1676BCR-DC | 2-in-1 Crib - Walnut (fixed side) |
| WM2163 | 4-in-1 Manhattan Walnut (fixed side) |
| WM2163DC | 4-in-1 Manhattan Walnut (fixed side) |
| WM1633-0-DC | 3-in-1 Sleigh Crib (no castors, fixed side) |
| GP004B3EGR | 3-in-1 Convertible - Espresso |
| GP004B3WGR | 3-in-1 Convertible - White |
| GP006BCEGR | Single - Espresso |
| GP006BCWGR | Single - White |
| DA1615B3 | 3-in-1 Convertible Crib - Natural |
| DAKM5132 | 3-in-1 Convertible Crib - White |
| DASE5005 | Cottage Hill Single Crib - White |
| DASE5009 | Vintage Estate 3-in-1 Sleigh Crib - Cherry |
| DA0504KMC-1N | 3-in-1 Heritage Crib - Natural |
| DA0504KMC-1W | 3-in-1 Heritage Crib - White |
| DA1614B3 | 3-in-1 Lexington Crib - Cherry |
| DAKM5152 | Single Jenny Lind Crib - Walnut |
| DASE5015 | 3-in-1 Convertible - Toffee |
These cribs were sold at Wal-Mart, Sears and K-Mart between Jan. 2005 and Dec. 2009. If you own one of the recalled cribs, you can visit dorel-asia.com to order a repair kit. You should not use the recalled crib until the repair kit is installed. CPSC warns that the infant who died as a result of one of these crib hardware failures was in a crib that the parents attempted to repair on their own.