Why Thousands Of Popular Cribs Are Being Recalled

On Wednesday, the Consumer Products Safety Commission recalled nearly 12,000 DaVinci cribs throughout the United States and Canada following reports of entrapment, falling, and cutting hazards. Though the DaVinci brand, which is owned by the manufacturer Bexco, makes many crib models, the recall affects four: Reagan, Emily, Jamie, and Jenny Lind cribs made between May and December 2012. Luckily, no injuries or deaths have been reported in connection to the cribs, though 10 incident reports were filed.

According to the CPSC's press release, the concern has to do with the metal bracket that connects the mattress support to the crib, which has been found in some cases to break, resulting in an uneven sleeping surface for babies, or a wide gap. "If this occurs," warns the CPSC, "a baby can become entrapped in the crib, fall or suffer lacerations from the broken metal bracket." The press release names Target and and Amazon as two of the biggest retailers to sell the cribs between May 2012 to December 2013, but notes that other smaller juvenile product stores nationwide may have also sold them during this time.

If you, or someone you know, owns any of the following cribs included in the recall, the CPSC urges you to stop using it immediately and contact Bexco for a free replacement mattress support (which includes replacement brackets). In the meantime, the CPSC also asks that you find another, safer sleep solution for your child — whether that be another crib, bassinet, play yard, or toddler bed, depending on their age.

The Reagan Crib (Model #M2801)

The Emily Crib (Model #M4791)

The Jamie Crib (Model #M7301)

The Jenny Lind Crib (Model #M7391)

While the DaVinci recall is alarming, it's actually nowhere near the largest crib recall to ever happen. Back in 2009, some 2.1 million cribs made by Stork Craft were pulled from stores and homes throughout the U.S. and Canada. At the time, the issue had to do with the cribs' drop-side feature, which allowed parents to more easily access the child by lowering the side rail. The feature led to more than 7 million recalls between 2005 and 2010 alone, when drop-side cribs were finally outlawed in the U.S.

Still, smaller recalls like the DaVinci one aren't uncommon. Just this May, Baby's Dream recalled 4,600 cribs and furniture pieces over concerns that their vintage grey finish violated lead paint standards. And last summer, popular nursery furniture brand Oeuf made headlines for recalling 14,000 of their Sparrow Cribs, also due to fears over detachable parts like the DaVinci cribs.

To learn more about this recall or to report an incident, you can read the CPSC's full press release, or call DaVinci toll-free at (888) 673-6652 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

Images: Stefan/Flickr (1); CPSC (3)