Massive Recalls on Baby Floats and Cribs

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is voluntarily recalling two products that are considered a risk to children.

Inez Tenenbaum, chairman of the CPSC, spoke on "The Early Show" about what is being recalled and why.

Four million inflatable baby floatsare being recalled because they are easy to tear.

Tenenbaum said, "...Parents need to be aware, if you have a plastic float, that the child's weight really cannot be handled by just this little simple plastic part (holding the child above the water)."

She added if the child weighs more than the float can handle, the child "is going to go through."

"I think parents just need to never leave a child unsupervised," she said, "and be very, very careful with any kind of float with children."

Another recall involves 400,000 baby cribs for fear children may be caught in the large space when the side is dropped.

Tenenbaum said the Simplicity brand crib has killed 10 children.

"In all," she said, "we have recalled two million of these in the past few years because the company would change the hardware, but it never worked," she said.

Tenenbaum added that one 8-month-old child in Houston, Texas, recently suffocated because the child became wedged between the crib's parts.

The company is no longer doing daily business, Tenenbaums said, but added parents should be aware of their baby's crib brand and not use any crib made by Simplicity Inc.

Recalls From CPSC:

Inflatable baby floats
Company: Aqua-Leisure Industries, of Avon, Mass.
Hazard: The leg straps in the seat of the float can tear, causing children to unexpectedly fall into or under the water, posing a risk of drowning.
Incidents/Injuries: There have been 31 reports of float seats tearing, causing children to fall into or under the water. No injuries have been reported.
Description: The recalled inflatable baby floats were sold in a variety of styles and colors. The names and model numbers are located on the packaging. A date between 08/02 and 07/08 is molded on the valves of recalled products. Products not included in the recall can be identified with the lettering "NP" molded on the valve. The following names and model numbers are included in this recall:
Sold at: Juvenile product and mass merchandise retailers nationwide, including Target, Toys "R" Us, Wal-Mart, Kmart, Walgreens, Ace Hardware, and Bed, Bath & Beyond from December 2002 through June 2009 for between $8 and $15.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using these recalled inflatable baby floats and contact Aqua-Leisure for a full refund.

Simplicity Drop Side Cribs
Company: Simplicity Inc. and SFCA Inc. of Reading, Pa. (The firms appear to no longer conduct day to day operations.)
Hazard: The crib's plastic hardware can break or deform, causing the drop side to detach. When the drop side detaches, it creates space between the drop side and the crib mattress. Infants and toddlers can roll into this space and become entrapped which can lead to suffocation.
Incidents/Injuries: CPSC is aware of one death involving an 8-month-old child from Houston, Texas who became entrapped and suffocated between the drop side and the crib mattress when a plastic connector on the drop side broke. The child's death was previously reported by CPSC. CPSC also is aware of an additional 25 incidents involving the drop side detaching from the crib. In six of these incidents, the drop side detached because the plastic flexible tab deformed or broke. In four of the drop side detachment incidents, other plastic parts, including connectors or tracks, deformed or broke. In two of the incidents, two children became entrapped between the drop side and the crib mattress. There were no reported injuries.
Description: This recall involves all drop side cribs with a different or "newer" style of plastic hardware from those cribs recalled in September 2007. This newer style of Simplicity hardware can be identified by a flexible plastic tab at the top of the lower tracks. The recalled model numbers include but may not be limited to: 8050, 8325, 8620, 8745, 8748, 8755, 8756, 8765, 8778, 8810, and 8994, 8995, 8996.
Sold at: Department stores, children's stores, and mass merchandisers nationwide from January 2005 through June 2009 for between $150 and $300.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled cribs and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Consumers should immediately return the crib to the place of purchase for a full refund, replacement or store credit.