SafetyCraft brand cribs recalled for risk to infants

Consumers should immediately stop using Generation 2 Worldwide "SafetyCraft" brand full-size and portable drop-side cribs because their plastic hardware breaks easily, posing a death risk to infants, the government said on Thursday.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a statement that the cribs appeared to use the same drop-side hardware as the Generation 2 Worldwide ChildESIGNS brand recalled a year ago.

"This hardware ... can fail and place infants and toddlers at risk of strangulation and suffocation," the CPSC said, warning against attempts to fix the cribs.

CPSC said it had reports of three infant suffocation deaths and 20 drop-side related incidents involving previously recalled models of Generation 2 Worldwide and ChildESIGNS cribs with plastic hardware similar to "SafetyCraft" cribs.

CPSC has limited information about the exact model numbers because the Alabama-based company ceased operations in 2005.

However, the cribs are known to have "SafetyCraft" on a label on either the head or foot boards. The cribs were used in homes and child-care facilities.

When the Alabama-based company stopped operations, the "SafetyCraft" trademark was purchased by Foundations Children's Products of Medina, Ohio. SafetyCraft cribs manufactured and sold by that company are not the subject of the new CPSC safety alert.

Consumers can identify the Foundations SafetyCraft crib by "Foundations" printed on the mattress support assembly instructions label under the crib mattress, the CPSC said.