SAFETY SQUAD BLOG

Maxi Cosi Recall: February 5, 2010

The Maxi Cosi Mico had been recalled again. We're well aware of this issue and will post a video soon showing you what's wrong.  Check out the recall information below. Safety Squad Home Clients being notified.

NHTSA Campaign ID Number: 10C001

Synopsis:
Dorel Juvenile Group (DJG) is recalling certain Maxi-Cosi Mico infant child restraint systems, models 22-371 HFL, JUC, LMD, PNG, and ORE; 22-372 TTH; and Maxi-Cosi Mico infant child restraint system - base only, model 22-515 BLK, produced from February 18, 2008 through June 28, 2008. Interference between the mounting bracket and the base caused by warping of the base or inadequate mating between the shell and the base mounting bracket can result in difficulty attaching or detaching the shell from the base. If the shell is improperly mounted to the base, the child could be injured in the event of a crash. DJG will notify all registered owners and will send a remedy kit consisting of two base springs, a hex wrench, and instructions for the base spring replacement. The repair kit is free of charge. The safety campaign is expected to begin on or about February 5, 2010. Owners may contact DJG at 1-877-657-9546.

For more information for this particular recall, please go to 10C001.

Previous Recall Post from July

How should I dispose of an expired car seat?

We received an email asking us what to do with a car seat once it has expired. This is a great question and is the perfect follow-up for the "Do car seats have expiration dates?" post.  Thanks Kim B. for the question.

It's important to ensure that the seat is not reused by any parent for their child.  One effective way to do this is to remove the harness and dispose of it separately. Remove the padding, break it up and throw it out separately, as well.  Finally, use a permanent marker to write NOT SAFE FOR USE in large print in several locations on the shell. 

We have heard some people suggest that parents break up the shell with heavy tools. Safety Squad doesn't recommend this. We don't want anyone hurting themselves trying to destroy car seats. Seats can be difficult to destroy and tools can take high levels of skill to use safely. Not to mention, flying metal and plastic can cause serious injury.

Perhaps, you can drop the shell off at a recycling center in your community.  We checked in Chicago and car seats are not listed among their accepted items.  Maybe your community actually has a plan to accept retired car seats. Call your local government's information line for answers.

If you are so inclined... the best way to ensure that the seat is totally destroyed is to watch the garbage truck crush it on trash day.  Short of that, double bag it with heavy duty trash bags and tie it securely before throwing it in the garbage.  The idea is to make it hard for people picking through the trash to resurrect your dead seat.

We realize this seems like a lot of work...and it is, but your efforts can actually save a child's life. 

 

Is your bassinet a safe sleep environment for baby?

Unlike cribs.. cradles, bassinets, and co-sleepers are not regulated by the federal government. During the past 13 months, more than 1,000,000 bassinets by 3 different  manufacturers have been recalled. The latest re-issued recall involved the Simplicity close sleeper or bedside sleeper.  This particular recall was preceded by the death of more than one child.  In fact, Simplicity has been involved in many recalls over the past few years. 

What can parents do to ensure their newborns's safety while sleeping?

• Be proactive and sign up for a recall notification system.  Do not wait for the manufacturer to notify you of a recall.  In fact, the Consumer Products Safety Commission states that "recalled products" are one of the 5 hidden home hazards. We suggest the monthly newsletter from Chicago-based Kids in Danger.  It is concise, easy to read, and offers action steps for parents. 
• Evaluate your bassinet in many of the same ways you would for your crib.  See Safety Squad's previous post on crib safety.  Be sure the mattress fits tight, use a bassinet without drop down sides, avoid bumpers, blankets, and stuffed animals/toys in the bassinet.
• Use a blanket alternative.  The Halo sleep sack keeps baby warm and snug.  The guardian sleeper for bassinets keeps baby warm, helps with reflux, and keeps baby properly aligned to prevent baby from moving into a compromising position.
• Be the one who doesn't use a bassinet. There is no "rule" that newborns have to sleep in a bassinet.  It is perfectly fine to return a newborn to his/her crib to sleep or nap. Are you breastfeeding and want to room share with your baby?  Sleep in your baby's room for the first few months or move the crib into your room.  The round crib by Stokke fits through standard doorways. It also converts to a toddler bed and now accomodates a nicer organic mattress.
• Follow other SIDS precautions.

New Car Seat Blanket for Cold Weather

We do most of our car seat business in Chicago. It shouldn't be a surprise to learn that most of the year it's very cold. There are very few infant car seats that include robust cold weather accessories (one notable exception is the Teutonia T Tario ). In response, endless aftermarket manufacturers have created solutions for keeping baby warm in the car seat. 

The problem with nearly all these products is that they solve one problem, then cause another. We don't like to see products that add padding behind the head, neck or back, restrict airflow or integrate with the harness.  At the very least, they are not tested by your car seat manufacturer. Nearly all carseats forbid use of these products.

Recall Notice: Maxi-Cosi Mico July 1, 2007-February 17, 2008

Additional RECALL NOTICE: February 2010

Dorel Juvenile Group has announced a recall for their Maxi-Cosi Mico car seat for certain manufacture dates. Here is the link to the Office of Defects Investigation entry for the recall. Click here to go to Dorel Juvenile Group's website for information. Safety Squad is in the process of notifying all its clients.  We have included the recall vitals below:

NHTSA Campaign ID Number: 09C005

Synopsis:
Dorel Juvenile Group (DJG) is recalling certain Maxi-Cosi Mico infant child restraint systems, models 22-371 and 22-372, and Maxi-Cosi Mico infant child restraint system - base only, model 22-515, produced from July 2007 through February 17, 2008. Interference between the mounting bracket and the base caused by warping of the base or inadequate mating between the shell and the base mounting bracket can result in difficulty attaching or detaching the shell from the base. If the shell is improperly mounted to the base, the child could be injured in the event of a crash. DJG will notify all registered owners and will send a new Mico base to owners of the affected seats free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about July 24, 2009. Owners may contact DJG at 1-877-657-9546.

For more information for this particular recall, please go to 09C005.

Urgent - Another drop-side crib recall

Yesterday, the last of the Simplicity drop-side cribs were recalled (400,000 units).  This is the model that parents were told was a "safe" replacement for earlier Simplicity recalls.  Are you still using a drop-side crib?   Check to be sure that your's was not recalled at www.cpsc.gov.  Are you wondering how to tell if your drop-side crib is safe?  Nancy Cowles, executive director, of Kids in Danger, shared these tips with us:

• check for recalls, not just upon purchase, but periodically.  Sign up for an e-alert process that will keep you informed of recalls (Safety Squad likes the monthly newsletter from Kids in Danger; sign up at www.kidsindanger.org)
• Check your crib against the product manual.  Is is assembled correctly?  Is all the correct hardware in place?  Are all the connections, bolts, nuts, tighted down correctly and not protruding?  This inspection should be performed periodically.  Cribs are not tested for durability and "routine" use can degrade the integrity of the product. If you do not have the owners manual, contact the manufacturer for a replacement.
• Does the drop-side rail lock properly and securely when in raised position?
• Have you ever had problems with your drop side crib, such as the side lowering on its own and feeling loose, or insecure.  If so, do not use the crib.

New Recaro Signo Recall: Feb-September 2008

We are receiving this information from a NHTSA Alert. It should be said that while NHTSA needs an overhaul in many of its operations, alerts like this work well. 

As of 8 a.m., there is no information on the Recaro website regarding this recall. There were two previous notifications on the Recaro site: one "Consumer Advisory" and one previos recall. It is not clear yet what action will be taken to correct this issue.

RECARO North America, Inc. is recalling certain Signo child restraint assemblies manufactured from February through September 2008. The central front adjuster strap on some seats may slip within the metal adjuster (A-Lock) that controls tightness of the harness, thereby preventing the harness from being properly tightened. If this condition existed and a vehicle crash occurred, the child would not be properly secured in their child restraint system and may sustain injury. RECARO will notify owners and replace any defective child restraint system free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during March 2009. Owners can contact RECARO customer service toll-free at 1-888-473-2290.

We are in the process of notifying all Safety Squad clients.

Recalls: Britax Frontier

Britax Frontier

CHARLOTTE, NC (December 12, 2008) - Britax Child Safety, Inc. announced today that it is conducting a voluntary safety recall on the FrontierT combination Harness-2-BoosterT child restraints. The recall includes Frontier child restraints manufactured between April 1, 2008 and September 14, 2008 for Model #s E9L54E7, E9L54H6, E9L54H7 and E9L54M6 and between April 1, 2008 and September 17, 2008 on Model # E9L5490.

If the harness straps are repeatedly loosened one strap at a time, then the harness strap(s) may become detached from the metal yoke located on the back of the child seat. If the harness strap(s) becomes loose or detached then the condition can be corrected by inspecting the back of the child seat and reattaching the harness straps. If this condition occurs, the child may not be properly restrained, and in the event of a vehicle crash there could be an increased risk of injury. 

To address this issue, Britax will provide two rubber caps that can be easily placed on the yoke slots to prevent the harness straps from detaching. The rubber caps have been specifically designed for the Frontier yoke to provide a secure fit and have been tested to verify their effectiveness. 

No later than January 7, 2009, the rubber caps will be mailed with an instruction sheet to all registered Frontier child restraint owners with manufacturing dates prior to September 15 or 18, 2008. Additional caps will be made available to retailers with affected inventory of Frontiers manufactured prior to September 15 or 18, 2008. All Frontier child restraint owners should confirm whether their Frontier is affected by verifying the date of manufacture. Detailed instructions for locating this information can be found at www.FrontierRecall.com

Until consumers receive their remedy kit, they should confirm that their harness system is properly attached to the metal yoke and they may continue to safely use their child restraint.

Owners of the Frontier child restraint who have not registered their product or need to verify existing registration should contact the Britax information line, toll free at 1-800-683-2045 or visit www.FrontierRecall.com

Recall Notice: Graco ComfortSport

This is the second of two Graco Comfort Sport recalls since 2007. Read Carefully.

Synopsis: Graco is recalling 43,994 Comfortsport(TM) convertible car seats, in the Frazier(TM) Fashion, manufactured from November 1, 2006 through October 8, 2007. 

These seats were equipped with a large sized, supplemental pad or body pillow that partially obscures the child airbag warning label which is on the seat pad. The partial obscuring of this label fails to conform with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213, Child Restraint Systems. Serious injury could occur to the child should the seat be improperly placed in the vehicle. Graco will notify owners and instruct them to discard the supplemental pillows. The pillows are provided for comfort only and do not affect the seat's ability to protect your child in the event of a crash. 

The recall is expected to begin during December 2008. 

Owners may contact Graco at 1-800-345-4109 or by e-mail at [email protected]. 

NHTSA Campaign ID Number: 08C009

Safety Notice: Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 30/30 manufactured between 7/07 and 3/08

Peg Perego has issued a safety notice for Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30 car seats manufactured between July 2007 and March 2008.  The actual notice from the Peg Pergo site can be found here.  All Safety Squad Clients affected by the notice have been emailed.

The following is from their site.

"Peg Perego has taken this voluntary action because mold flash may exist on less than 0.25% of plastic car seat adjuster covers manufactured between July 2007 and March 2008. (Mold flash is a situation where excess plastic leaks from the mold and creates an unintended edge on the component.) Although this part passed the Sharp Edge Test as mandated under federal safety testing procedures, the mold has been redesigned to eliminate the problem on subsequent production runs.

The part in question has scratched the heels of some bare-footed infants. In the reported incidents,   professional medical attention was not required, nor were the children seriously injured.

A new, skin-safe adjuster cover has been sent to all customers whose registered Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30 car seats fall within the July/March manufacturing window. To ensure no one is missed, Peg Perego will send a skin-safe adjuster cover free of charge to any customer who requests one by calling Peg Perego toll-free at 1-800-671-1701.

Child safety and comfort is Peg Perego's top priority.  To ensure that it remains as such, Peg Perego is providing an Online Associate to facilitate customer interaction on the web. It is Peg Perego's goal to effectively and proactively communicate with the public through this medium."