500,000 Cribs Sold At Walmart (WMT) And Other Retailers Recalled

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a recall of all Generation 2 Worldwide and “ChildESIGNS” drop side cribs because of a "risk of serious injury or death due to strangulation and suffocation hazards presented by the cribs."

The CPSC has received reports of three infants who suffocated because of the design flaw.

Over 500,000 of the cribs are believed to have been sold at stores like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT), Sears Holdings Corporation subsidiary Kmart (Nasdaq: SHLD) and Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. subsidiary buybuy Baby (Nasdaq: BBBY) before the manufacturer, Generation 2 Worldwide, went out of business in 2005.

According to the CPSC, "the crib’s plastic hardware can break which can cause the drop side of the crib to detach from a corner of the crib. When the drop side detaches, it creates a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped. When a child is entrapped between the drop side and the crib mattress, it creates a risk of suffocation or strangulation. In addition, the crib’s mattress support can detach from the crib frame, creating a hazardous space in which an infant or toddler could become entrapped and suffocate or strangle."

"Consumers should contact the store from which they purchased the crib for remedy information, which will vary between a refund, replacement crib or store credit, depending on the retailer," according to the CPSC press release. "Consumers are urged to contact CPSC and report any difficulties in obtaining a remedy from their place of purchase."

CPSC's recall hotline: (800) 638-2772