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BEWARE:
RECALLED CRIBS STILL BEING USED
AUBURN, JAN. 11---Before
you use a portable crib, especially one that has been handed down
from a friend or family member or bought at a yard sale, make sure
it is safe.
On Jan. 1, a 9-month-old
baby girl was killed when a recalled crib collapsed and asphyxiated
her. The baby died after her head got stuck in the v-shape created
by the collapsible sides of the crib. The crib was borrowed from a
friend. Unfortunately, neither family knew the crib was on a 1995
recall list until after the accident occurred.
During the 1990s, more
than a million playpens and portable cribs were recalled. Some of
the brands included in recalls by the Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) are Baby Trend, Evenflo, Century, Draco and
Kolcraft.
Parents, grandparents
and caregivers can check the CPSC Web site at www.cpsc.gov for an
entire list of recalled portable playpens, cribs, play yards and
many other items, including toys and clothes that present dangers to
children. If you don't have access to a computer, the CPSC will send
you a list of the most dangerous recalled children's products if you
send a request to Recall List, CPSC, Washington, D.C. 20207.
Consumers also may call the CPSC hotline at 800-638-2772 to hear
recorded recall information.
Another way consumers
can protect themselves and others from using a recalled crib or
other item is by filling out the warranty/product registration card
and mailing it back to the manufacturer immediately. If there is a
recall of the product, the manufacturer will notify you.
SOURCE: Donna
Reynolds, Editor, Extension Communications
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