Washington D.C. — We applaud the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for recalling 4 million Bumbo Baby Seats today. The recall, announced early this morning by the CPSC and Bumbo International follows a previous recall in 2007 and calls from us to recall the product last February.
In a letter sent to the CPSC on February 7, 2012, we expressed our serious concerns about the safety record of Bumbo International’s Baby Seat and urged CPSC to conduct a recall of the product. We stated:
“Because serious injuries are occurring when this product is used as intended, and since these injuries involve an alarming number of skull fractures we have grave concerns about the safety of Bumbo International’s Baby Seat. Unlike other products intended for the same age range such as bouncers and stationary activity centers, there are no safety standards or testing requirements covering this type of product. In addition, manufacturers of similar products have made design changes to address the safety concerns associated with these types of products– a step Bumbo International has refused to take to date.”
The product’s recent history of incidents and injuries shows that a recall was necessary. In today’s recall announcement, CPSC stated that CPSC and Bumbo International knew of at least 50 incidents after the October 2007 voluntary recall in which babies fell from a Bumbo seat while it was being used on a raised surface. Nineteen of those incidents included reports of skull fractures. CPSC and Bumbo International are aware of an additional 34 post-recall reports of infants who fell out or maneuvered out of a Bumbo seat used on the floor or at an unknown elevation, resulting in injury. Two of these incidents involved reports of skull fractures, while others reported bumps, bruises and other minor injuries.
We are also aware of 14 reports on SaferProducts.gov indicating injuries associated with this product.
We agree with the CPSC that consumers should stop using this product immediately, until they order and install a free repair kit, which includes: a restraint belt with a warning label, installation instructions, safe use instructions and a new warning sticker. The restraint, should always be used when a child is placed in the seat. Even with the belt secured, the seat should never be used on any raised surface. Consumers should also immediately stop using Bumbo seat covers that interfere with the installation and use of the belt.
We urge Bumbo International to use every means at their disposal to alert all Bumbo owners of the recall and important fix to the product. This recall will be effective in reducing injuries only if the millions of Bumbo seats currently in homes and child care facilities have the restraint added.
Too many children have been injured in these products and too many of those injuries occurred when the product was on the floor.
We congratulate CPSC on their important decision today to protect our nation’s infants.
Contact: Rachel Weintraub, CFA, 202 939 1012; Nancy Cowles, KID, 312 218 5593; David Butler, CU, 202 462 6262; Jon Fox, PIRG, 415 622 0039 x309; Christine Hines, PC, 202 454 5135
Consumer Federation of America www.consumerfed.org
Consumers Union www.consumersunion.org
Kids In Danger www.kidsindanger.org
Public Citizen www.citizen.org
U.S. PIRG www.uspirg.org