Stroller Reviews

Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc. has announced that they will be voluntarily recalling millions of their drop-side cribs. Included in the more than 2.1 million drop-side cribs set to be recalled are about 147,000 Stork Craft cribs bearing the Fisher-Price Logo. Approximately 1,213,000 of the faulty units are distributed throughout the United States. The other 986,000 are distributed in Canada.

The recall comes as a result of the 110 incidents of “drop-side detachment” documented by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Health Canada and Stork Craft. According to the CPSC, drop-side detachment occurs as a result of the cribs plastic hardware breaking and/or deforming. Important parts of the hardware may also become missing.

In addition to the problems with the cribs’ plastic hardware, the drop-side itself may be accidentally installed upside-down, resulting in broken and/or disengaged parts. All of these problems can cause the drop-side to break loose from one, or more, of its corners. When the drop-side detaches, it creates a space between itself and the crib mattress. Infants and toddlers can become trapped in this space, leading to suffocation. Complete detachment can lead to falls from the crib.

Of the 110 known incidents of drop-side detachment, 67 occurred in the United States and 43 in Canada. 15 of the incidents involved entrapment, with four resulting in suffocation. Falls from the crib occurred in 20 cases, leading to injuries ranging from concussions to bumps and bruises.

The cribs involved in said incidents had plastic drop-side hardware that had broken off or gone missing, as well as deformed claws, connectors, tracks, or flexible tab stops. Other problems included loose or missing metal spring clips, stripped screws and/or accidental upside-down drop-side installation.

The CSPC recommends that parents and caregivers stop using these cribs immediately and wait for the free repair kit to arrive. Do not attempt to fix the cribs without the kit. An alternative, safe-sleeping environment for your child should be found. If you have not already done so, please contact Stork Craft to receive a free repair kit that converts the drop-side on these cribs to a fixed side. Call Stork Craft toll-free at (877) 274-0277 anytime, or log on to www.storkcraft.com.

If your Stork Craft crib has a manufacturing and distributing date between January 1993 and October 2009, it is included in this recall. Stork Craft cribs with the Fisher-Price logo that have manufacturing dates between October 1997 and December 2004 are also included in the recall. The cribs were sold in various styles and finishes. The manufacture date, model number, crib name, country of origin, and the firm’s name, address, and contact information are located on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board. The firm’s insignia “storkcraft baby” or “storkling” is inscribed on the drop-side teething rail of some cribs. In Stork Craft cribs that contain the “Fisher-Price” logo, this logo can be found on the crib’s teething rail, in the manufacturer’s instructions, on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board, and on the end panels of the Twinkle-Twinkle and Crystal crib models.

Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)