Repair kit for drop-side cribs called inadequate

OTTAWA – The head of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Tuesday told North American parents the repair kit offered in the largest Canadian crib recall is only made of plastic and recommended they purchase a new crib altogether.

The comments were immediately contradicted by Health Canada and went against the commission’s statement issued late Monday, when it announced the recall of more than 2.1 million cribs, including nearly one million in Canada, dating back to 1993.

The drop-side cribs, linked to the deaths of four babies in the United States and three non-fatal entrapments in Canada, were manufactured by Richmond, B.C.-based Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc. Some of the cribs were also sold under the Fisher-Price logo.

When asked about the reliability of the repair kit offered by the B.C. company to affix the drop-side of Stork Craft cribs, Inez Tenenbaum challenged the reliability of the repair kit touted by both the commission and Health Canada to fix the potentially deadly problem.

"It is made of plastic, so if you can afford another crib that does not have a drop-side, or even if you can’t afford it, there are many charities in communities that can provide you with a new crib. That really is the safest way to handle this situation," Tenenbaum told NBC’s Today show.

She also said a formal ban of all drop-side cribs is likely coming in the United States now that the global standards body, ASTM International, is set to publish new standards that no longer allows movable side rails on full-sized cribs.

"We’re in the process of rule-making," said Tenenbaum. "In the future, these cribs will be banned."

Health Canada was not immediately available to comment on Tenenbaum’s statements, but its recall alert issued Tuesday is only adding confusion about the integrity of the Stork Craft repair kit and the safety of drop-side cribs. Health Canada recalled about 500,000 other Stork Craft drop-side cribs in January because of a different problem with the movable rail.

Health Canada on Tuesday said not all parents will need the repair kit offered in this latest recall and should only be concerned about the safety of the crib if the plastic drop-side hardware shows any signs of damage or if the drop-side is installed up-side down.

"If there is reason for concern, consumers should immediately stop using the recalled cribs and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby."

Consumers should not return the crib to Stork Craft or any retailer, the department added. Instead, Stork Craft is offering a free repair kit that converts the drop-side of the crib to a fixed side, Health Canada said.

Parents interested in reaching Stork Craft’s office in Richmond, B.C., could not get through Tuesday, as the company was inundated with calls from anxious parents throughout North American.

Health Canada had an opportunity to propose a ban of drop-side cribs when the department put forward tougher crib regulations in April, but the government opted against coming down against drop-side cribs – responsible for more than five million crib recalls in the U.S. and Canada since 2007.

However, retailers and crib manufacturers are already moving away from drop-side cribs after ASTM International indicated last March that these type of cribs will no longer be certified for sale in Canada and elsewhere.

Retail giant Toys ‘R’ Us, anticipating the change in cribs standards, already stopped ordering drop-side cribs from manufacturers in March "out of an abundance of caution." Company spokeswoman Jennifer Albano added she expects inventory to be gone from all Canadian and U.S. stores by next month.

Meanwhile, almost every drop-side crib that has been shipped to Sears Canada since October by its main supplier, Stork Craft, has been modified so that all drop sides are permanently fixed in the up position, unable to move up and down.

Spokesman Vincent Power said the chain continues to sell one model of a drop-side crib by another supplier, but Sears Canada expects the inventory to be sold by year’s end and no more have been ordered. Also, all cribs profiled in the next spring catalogue will be non-drop side.

ASTM International’s new standards, approved officially on Nov. 15, are considered voluntary safety guidelines, but manufacturers are expected to follow them because the major industry players were involved in their development and signed off on the proposal in March.

Drop-side cribs have been popular with parents over the years, especially with people who are short or people with bad backs. But government regulators, charged with investigating the deaths of babies in these cribs, have noticed a problem with the rail that moves up and down, designed to help parents place their child in the crib or to take them out.

Kiley Johnstone and her husband, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., liked the drop-side feature of the Stork Craft crib they purchased over a year ago in anticipation of the arrival of their first child.

They stopped using it Monday night for their 13-month old son after hearing word of the massive recall. And until the family can sort out the recall details, Johnstone said her son will sleep in his portable crib.