Bumbo Baby Seats Recalled

(CBS)  A popular baby seat is also potentially dangerous and being recalled.

The Early Show consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen reports the Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the voluntary recall of about a million Bumbo "Baby Sitter" Seats, made by Bumbo International of South Africa.

The CPSC says, "If the seat is placed on a table, countertop, chair, or other elevated surface, young children can arch their backs, flip out of the Bumbo seat, and fall onto the floor, posing a risk of serious head injuries."

The agency says it's had 28 reports of young children falling out of the seats, and sustaining injuries that included three skull fractures suffered when kids fell out of Bumbo seats that had been placed on tables.

The seats were sold by Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, Kmart, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, USA Babies, and various other toy and children's stores nationwide, as well as numerous online vendors, from August 2003 through October 2007, the CPSC says. They cost $40.

Consumers should never use the infant seat on a table, countertop, chair, or other elevated surface, the agency warns.

It adds that consumers can contact Bumbo to obtain warning label stickers and instructions, free of charge. The new warning label will state: "WARNING -- Prevent Falls; Never use on any elevated surface."

Consumers should use the Bumbo seat at ground level, but should never leave a child unattended when the youngster is in the seat, the CPSC points out.

Consumers can contact Bumbo International at [phone] between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.bumbosafety.com.

For more on the recall, including complete details on the particular units involved, click here.

[AmandaVega1]

Just a quick update - the chair has had a recall reminder as of late as the injuries due to the lack of straps has increased to well over 50 injuries to children. If you have a Bumbo chair and would like it replaced for free, Prince Lionheart who is a competitor to Bumbo, has a safer version of the chair (with straps to prevent wiggling out of the chair) is doing a campaign to replace up to 1,000 Bumbos with their bebePOD. If you want more info you can email us at [e-mail]. Disclaimer: we are Prince Lionheart's PR agency for this promotion.

[MoraJunction]

I am shaking with anger over this whole thing. What happened to plain 'ol common sense? http://morajunction.com/bumbo-seat-recall-and-a-note-to-parent/

[emmitotter]

Is this serious? What happened to common sense! Why would any reasonable parent put a child in ANY baby seat and then put it on a high surface! Makes me wonder how anyone survived previoous generations! Whats next - strollers because some idiot didnt realize it would roll on an incline!!! Get a grip people

[jaimer6]

does any one know if this has happened with the bebe pod? my daughter has the bebe pod and she''s only recently bean able to get out of it & she''s 1. not that i would leave her on high surfaces, but I''m a single mom, & in the past i would put her in that on the bathroom floor while i showered or put her in it in arms reach on the counter in the kitchen while i cleaned. if she even looked like she was going to get out i was right there. i have also used it at restaurants on the booth table again right next to me. i have never had a problem, are people putting there kids on high surfaces and leaving the room? how is this happening? how are you not in an arms reach of your kids? i guess they should recall baby baths too, because if you leave the room your child could drown!

[minouz]

I understand that not all blame should be on parents BUT come one!
THIS is what''s wrong with the world....people sueing for EVERYTHING! People pointing fingers at companies, parents, and everyone else but themselves.

WHO cares if your kids don''t like the bumbo and try to get out? Then don''t use them! Use your judgement! One of my twins loved the seat but the other one didn''t so we stopped sitting the 2nd one in it, end of story. It''s not made for all and every baby. Deal with it!

Yes, they advertise about hands-free ect ect. But they also have clear warnings. It''s not like they lied!! It does work, just not for everyone.

Will this be another "walker" incident??? I hope not because that''s another one where a small percent of people overreacted and ruined it for everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!

[prytygrneyz]

ANYONE claiming to wish me luck need not waste their wishes. I need no "luck" when it comes to my daughter and perhaps if you read what I said, you would see that all on your own. I "quoted" the MAUNFACTURER''S WEBSITE in mentioning the "hands free" benefits" and the claim at "independence" while using this seat.

Not that I need to explain myself, but my daughter was never UNATTENDED while ON THE FLOOR in the Bumbo seat. I never said that I thought a recall was just - I simply stated that the advertising of the product is MISLEADING and it was a shame that the finger is always pointed at a parent. YES, parents are neglectful, and YES a watchful eye needs to be held over those not paying closer attention! I am not lacking common sense, just simply stating my opinion of advertisting tactics & the lack of interest in using the product again, as well as my disgust in anyone so quick to point the finger!

Please READ before you decide to bash, MrMom!

[mrmom3682]

to prytygrneyz who wrote
"I am apalled by consumers of this product who point the finger at parents!
I have a daughter who is now 7 1/2 months old & had found her way out of the Bumbo seat, and the saet was ON THE FLOOR, and NOT ELEVATED!!..." Wow, all I can say is I really wish you alot of luck with your kids. Your going to need it.

[mom238759348593485]

YOU'RE going to need help when it comes time to teach YOUR kids how to spell, so good luck.

[aprilnr]

I will admit that I am not a perfect parent. Nobody is. But I take fault for anything I do wrong. I don''t lay the blame somewhere else. My common sense told me that that seat would not restrain my kid, and there is no way that I would ever put him on a table or countertop with him in it. But it was great to set him in it to read, play with toys, play patty-cake or ten little pigs until he was able to sit by himself. If I was not going to play with him while he was in it, he didn''t use it. All the parents had to do was read the warning labels and it could all have been avoided.

[ciamia1212]

My 6 month old Grandson was given a Bumbo when he was born. As he got older, we would place him in the seat, ON THE FLOOR, to assist him with learning to sit up. We NEVER left him unattended. At age 4 months, my Grandson was already stiffening up his legs and bowing back in the Bumbo with us watching. We caught him, SEVERAL TIMES, from falling out of the Bumbo.

While this product was created to help in assisting a baby learn to sit upright, we put the Bumbo away when it was proved that even while we were watching him, hands on, he was going to fall out of the seat. Even if he was on the floor, he still could have injured himself.

The Company can publish all of the warning signs that they wish to but we will never use their product again. As with any product made for a baby, Parents should use precautions to keep their child safe and that includes never leaving a infant/toddler unattended. This product, however, is simply not safe.

[aprilnr]

The reason so many people are pointing the finger at the parents is because they were using the seat incorrectly. The newscast stated that they were placing them on a high surface and the babies were falling out. The same thing could happen if they put the baby in a car seat and it fell off of the table. Do you see them recalling those seats everytime that it happens? No, because parents are warned against it. The seat is supposed to used for one-on-one play time with your child and to help strengthen their back muscles. When I used it, I was right there playing patty-cake or reading to him. If he was being played with he would not try to squirm out of it. The company has no control over how the parents use the product. If they use it in another way then on the label, whose fault is it? Both me and my sister used it, but when our babies were able to sit up on their own, we no longer used it. I feel that some parents were using it as a seat to keep their child restrained while they went and did something else. And that is not what it is supposed to be used for. Out of all the videos that they played on the news this morning, I only saw one where the parent was right next to the child. The parents were video taping while their child fell out of it in all of the others. I do agree that this product is not for everybody. However, if you are not going to use it correctly as stated on the packaging, then you have only yourself to blame if something happens to your child.