RECALL: About 1 Million Simplicity-made (& Graco-labeled) Cribs After Multiple Infant Deaths

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is announcing today a voluntary recall with Simplicity Inc., of Reading, Pa., of about 1 million cribs.
The drop-side can detach from the crib, which can create a dangerous gap and lead to the entrapment and suffocation of infants.
The Commission is aware of two deaths in Simplicity manufactured cribs with older style hardware, including a 9-month-old child and a 6-month-old child, where the drop-side was installed upside down. Commission is also aware of seven infant entrapments and 55 incidents in these cribs.
Commission is also investigating the death of a 1-year-old child in a Simplicity crib with newer style hardware, in which the drop-side was installed upside down.
The Commission is warning parents and caregivers to check all Simplicity cribs to make sure the drop-side is installed right side up.
The drop-side failures result from both the hardware and crib design, which allow consumers to unintentionally install the drop-side upside down. This, in turn, can weaken the hardware and cause the drop-side to detach from the crib. When the drop-side detaches, it creates a gap in which infants can become entrapped.
Commission is also aware of two incidents that occurred when the drop-side was correctly installed with older style hardware, though the upside down installation greatly increases the risk of failure.
The recalled Simplicity crib models include:
Aspen 3 in 1
Aspen 4 in 1
Nursery-in-a-Box
Crib N Changer Combo
Chelsea and Pooh 4 in 1.
The recall also involves the following Simplicity cribs that used the Graco logo:
Aspen 3 in 1
Ultra 3 in 1
Ultra 4 in1
Ultra 5 in 1
Whitney
Trio.
The recalled cribs have one of the following model numbers, which can be found on the envelope attached to the mattress support and on the label attached to the headboard: 4600, 4605, 4705, 5000, 8000, 8324, 8800, 8740, 8910, 8994, 8050, 8750, 8760, and 8996.
The cribs, which were made in China, were sold in department stores, children’s stores and mass merchandisers nationwide from January 1998 through May 2007 for between $100 and $300.
As an immediate precaution, consumers should check to see if the drop-side is installed right side up. To do this, check to see that the slightly rounded rail with the decorative groove is installed at the top and the plain rail is on the bottom. Next, consumers should make sure the drop-side is securely attached to the tracks in all four corners.
If the drop-side is installed upside down or not securely attached, consumers should stop using the crib immediately. Incorrect installation can cause permanent damage to the hardware and re-installing the drop-side using the same hardware is unsafe.
Consumers should check to see if their crib contains the recalled hardware. Recalled hardware has a flexible tab at the bottom of the lower tracks and the top of the lower tracks are open. Newer hardware, which is not subject to the recall, has the flexible tab located at the top of the lower track, and a permanent stop at the bottom.
Consumers who have a crib with older style hardware can receive a free repair by immediately contacting Simplicity toll-free at 888-593-9274 between 8:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET on Friday, and between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, or by visiting www.simplicityforchildren.com
Consumers who have a crib with newer style hardware and have installed the drop-side upside down or have broken hardware, should also contact Simplicity immediately.