In 2008, the Consumer Products Safety Commission was informed that an eight-month-old girl was killed when the sliding side of her drop side crib entrapped and suffocated her. The crib, manufactured by Delta Enterprise had been re-assembled without the safety pegs that are designed to keep the crib side from disengaging with the track on which it travels. In October of 2008, the CPSC issued a recall of nearly one million unsafe cribs.
In January of this year, the CPSC and the manufacturer, Delta, learned that another infant was entrapped and suffocated by the dangerous product. This time a seven month-old infant was killed by the drop side in the crib. Once again the crib had been re-assembled and the safety pegs were not in place. Because of this new fatality, the CPSC has re-issued its recall announcement.
In this most recent tragedy the crib was purchased second-hand. While buying items second-hand is thrifty and even a good ecological practice, some products such as cribs or car seats may carry with them a safety risk. The Chairman of the CPSC points out that used cribs may not have all of the necessary pieces required to ensure that they are safe. The safety pegs at the center of this recall are tiny plastic pieces, smaller than a thumbnail. But without them the crib can present a fatal risk.
The cribs subject to the recall were sold between 1995 and 2007 at many retailers including Kmart, target and Wal-Mart. Delta’s name and address appears on the mattress support boards. The CPSC urges anyone using one of these cribs to immediately stop using it and inspect it to be certain that all of the safety devices are in place. Free repair kits are available from Delta for cribs that are missing the safety pegs. A link to the recall notice is below.
Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission “Second Infant Death Prompts Re-Announcement of Delta Enterprise “Safety Peg” Drop-Side Crib Recall to Repair Missing Safety Pegs Create Risk of Entrapment and Suffocation” March 22, 2011