Natasha T. Metzler
Two more infants killed in Simplicity bassinets
WASHINGTON — Government safety officials warned parents Thursday about Simplicity bassinets after two more infants were killed when they became trapped.
Two young children died after getting trapped in previously recalled Simplicity close-sleeper/bedside sleeper bassinets, the Consumer Product Safety Commission disclosed.
The company’s 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 convertible bassinets contain metal bars spaced farther apart than federal standards allow. If the Velcro-fastened fabric covering the metal bars of the bassinets is not properly adjusted, it can be dangerous.
In September 2008, a two-month-old girl in Demorest, Ga., suffocated when she became trapped in a pocket of fabric, which was not properly secured to the bassinet. In January 2009, a six-month-old girl in Fort Worth, Texas, died when the fabric flap was undone and she got trapped between the exposed bars.
Asked about the time gap between the deaths and the re-announcement of the recall, the new chairman of the safety commission told The Associated Press the death in Georgia did not come to the agency’s attention until this year. In a telephone interview, Inez Tenenbaum said she could not comment further on the Texas death because it is under investigation.
The CPSC warned against these Simplicity bassinets in August 2008, when it reported the deaths of two infants who also got trapped.
Tenenbaum, who was confirmed to the position in June, said she is learning daily that the public might not hear about recalls when they are first announced.
“We want to step up in the future our education and advocacy so that consumers are better informed,” she said.
The commission has been contacting child care facilities, state governments and consumer groups about the bassinet recall.
All of the bassinets manufactured before May 18, 2008 have been recalled. This includes some sold under the Graco brand, some with a Winnie the Pooh motif, as well as other bassinets.
Recalled bassinets can be returned to the retail stores where they were purchased. For details on the affected products, visit: tinyurl.com/lr4gwf
Associated Press writer Ann Sanner contributed to this report.
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