In the second infant-product recall in as many months, Graco Children’s Products Inc. has announced a defective product recall of two million baby strollers after causing the deaths of four young children. Prior to the recall, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) received reports of five additional infants becoming entrapped in the strollers, with resulting cuts, bruises, and difficulty breathing.
Complaints were made when children who were not properly strapped into the strollers slid from the seat and were trapped in the space between the handrest bar or stroller tray and seat bottom, causing a potential for strangulation and suffocation. The danger is especially great for infants under 12 months old.
The recall applies to Graco Quattro Tour and MetroLite strollers sold between November 2000 and December 2007. The products were sold for between $90 and $250 at several major retailers including Babies R Us, Target, Wal-Mart, and Sears. This is not the first stroller trouble for Graco this year. In January, the company and CPSC recalled 1.5 million Passage, Spree and Alano strollers after reports of fingertip amputations due to design flaws in the hinges of the stroller’s canopy.
Graco has issued an alert about the recall, notifying consumers of the danger and urging them to do their part to avoid harm, warning that “serious injury or death can occur in strollers if children are not properly restrained.”
According to Dan Verakis, founder and CEO of recall monitoring service SafetyBook.org, the recall is indicative of the level of danger that may exist in some familiar household goods. “This recall involves strollers sold as long as ten years ago, demonstrating the ongoing need for families to remain vigilant about hazardous products lurking in their homes,” he said.
Source: Reuters, “Graco recalls 2 million baby strollers after 4 deaths”, Dhanya Skariachan, 20 October 2010
