STORK CRAFT CRIB RECALL

On November 23, 2009, Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc., a British Columbia based maker and distributor of juvenile products, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), announced a recall of more than 2.1 million Stork Craft drop-side cribs. Approximately 1.2 million of the cribs were distributed in the United States and about 968,000 were distributed in Canada. About 147,000 of the cribs had the Fisher-Price logo.

The recall is for Stork Craft drop-side cribs with a one-hand-system drop-side hardware and a plastic trigger with manufacturing and distribution dates between January 1993 and October 2009. On some cribs, the company's insignia “storkling” or “storkcraft baby” can be found inscribed on the drop-side teething rail. On Stork Craft cribs with the Fisher-Price logo, the logo can be found on the teething rail, on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board, in the manufacturer's instructions, and on the end panels of the Crystal and Twinkle-Twinkle crib models. The manufacture date is located on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board.

The recall has come after 110 known incidents of drop-side detachment, 15 of which involved entrapments, and 20 of which involved falls from cribs. Four of the entrapments resulted in suffocation. The fall injuries ranged from bumps and bruises to concussion.

The Stork Craft cribs involved in these incidents had plastic drop-side hardware that was missing or had failed, and/or had the drop-sides installed upside-down, which led to broken or disengaged plastic parts. Some cribs had loose or missing metal spring clips. Others had missing, deformed or broken claws, flexible tab stops, tracks, or connectors.

All of these problems can lead to a detached drop-side that can create a space between the mattress and the drop-side. Infants and toddlers can become entrapped in this space and suffocate. Complete detachment of the drop-side can lead to falls from the crib.

Parents and caregivers should discontinue using the recalled cribs immediately. For a free replacement kit with new mattress support brackets, consumers should contact Stork Craft toll-free anytime at (866) 361-3321 or go to www.storkcraft.com.

If your or a loved one's child has been injured in a Stork Craft crib-related incident, you can report it by calling the CPSC hotline at (800) 638-2772. You may also be entitled to monetary compensation. To find out, contact a qualified personal injury attorney.