After Two More Infant Deaths, CPSC Re-Issues 2008 Simplicity Bassinet Recall

Nearly a year after the recall of nearly a million Simplicity 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 bassinets was first announced, the recent deaths of two more infants in the defective beds have prompted officials to re-issue the recall.

In August 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of about 900,000 of the infant beds, including some carrying a Graco logo and “Winnie the Pooh” motif. When a fabric flap attached with Velcro to the sides of the convertible beds is lowered, an opening with a horizontal metal bar running across it is exposed. There is enough room between the bar and the mattress for a child’s head to become trapped, creating a risk of strangulation and choking.

Just a month after the recall was first announced, in September 2008, a two-month-old girl in Georgia suffocated and died after she became trapped in the exposed opening. Then, in January 2009, a six-month-old girl in Texas is suspected of having been trapped and strangled in the same opening on a recalled Simplicity crib. The investigation into that death is continuing, but authorities suspect the defective infant bed was responsible.

A total of three infants are believed to have died in Simplicity convertible bassinets that have now been recalled, officials said.

In addition to the two reports of infant deaths since the recall was announced, the CPSC said it has received two other reports of newborns becoming trapped in the opening on the beds. The infants, ages 10 weeks and three months, were found and freed by caregivers before they were injured, the CPSC said.

Recall Reissued Due to Continuing Risk to Children

Given the ongoing reports of deaths and entrapments involving the recalled Simplicity convertible bassinets, the CPSC today is taking the unusual step of reissuing the earlier recall. The agency is concerned that not all consumers got the word about the recall and that some of the defectively dangerous infant beds may still be in use, putting an unknown number of newborns and infants at risk of death and serious injuries.

Recently, the CPSC included the Simplicity recall on its Top 10 list of recalled children’s products. That list included recalls dating back a decade or longer and covered recalled children’s products that might still be in use in homes or for sale in second-hand retail locations.

Consumers are urged to check their bassinets to ensure they are not using one of the recalled Simplicity bassinets. All of the recalled bassinets can pose a danger to infants.

To determine whether your bassinet has been recalled, please check for the model number and the manufacture date code pictured below. Bassinets manufactured prior to 21st week of 2008, “2108” (before May 18) are recalled. For a complete list of the model numbers and other details on the recalled bassinets, visit the CPSC website.

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