The CPSC said Friday it was recalling older-style Simplicity cots because the drop-side could became detached creating a gap which could either trap or suffocate a child.
A nine-month-old California baby died in April 2005 when the drop-side of their cots were installed upside down and collapsed, the commission said . A 6-month-old also died in one of the cribs that were listed as part of Friday's recall. Another 1-year-old child died in a newer model of the cribs, which has not been recalled but is being investigated by the safety agency.
In all three deaths, the drop-rail side of the crib was installed upside down that created a gap in the crib that children can slide into and suffocate.
Warning the parents about the potential hazards of the Simplicity, the CPSC said, "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."
Seven other infants have been reported to be entrapped in the cribs, according to the commission. There have been 55 reports of the cribs' drop sides detaching or the hardware failing to hold the side to the crib.
The recalled cribs were sold in department stores nationwide from January 1998 through May 2007 for between $100 and $300 dollars. Simplicity Inc., of Reading, Pa., manufactured all the cribs, which were made in China.
Denying any wrongdoings with the latest model of crib, Simplicity President Ken Waldman told the Associated Press, "We feel comfortable that our products are safe."
Friday's 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 recalled cribs with the Graco logo are the Aspen 3 in 1, Ultra 3 in 1, Ultra 4 in 1, Ultra 5 in 1, Whitney and the Trio.
