Recall of 500,000 drop-side cribs after 3 infant deaths

WASHINGTON - Government safety officials announced a recall Tuesday of more than 500,000 drop-side cribs sold at Buy Buy Baby, Kmart, Walmart and other stores after the death of three infants.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said plastic hardware on Generation 2 Worldwide and ChildESIGNS cribs can break and allow the drop side to become detached. In addition, the mattress supports can break away from the crib frames. Both defects create gaps in which a small child can be trapped and suffocate or strangle.

The agency has received three reports of children who died after getting trapped in gaps between the drop sides of their cribs and their mattresses.

An 8-month-old boy from Newark, Ohio, suffocated in July 2007 after the drop side of his crib came off because of a broken stop tab on the lower track. An 8-month-old boy from Richmond, Ind., suffocated in October 2003 after broken hardware allowed the drop side to be detached from his crib's headboard in one corner. A 6-month-old boy from Staunton, Va., suffocated in September 2002 after two missing screws allowed the lower drop side track of his crib to pull away from the headboard post.

Drop-side cribs have been banned in Suffolk County.

Consumer advocates have complained for years about the problems associated with drop-side cribs.

ASTM International, an organization that sets voluntary industry safety standards for everything from toys to the steel used in commercial buildings, approved a new standard in November that requires four immovable sides for full-size cribs.

The cribs were made by Generation 2 Worldwide, which went out of business in 2005. The CPSC believes that more than 500,000 cribs were sold.

Crib owners should contact the place of purchase for information on remedies including refunds, replacements and store credit. CPSC says owners should contact the agency if they have difficulty getting a remedy.