220,000 Travel Cribs Recalled Following New York City Infant Death

An Illinois company has issued a recall for approximately 220,000 infant travel beds following the death of a five-month-old child in New York City. KidCo Incorporated announced the recall in cooperation with the nation's Consumer Product Safety Commission after the company determined the Pea Pod Travel Crib posed a suffocation and entanglement hazard to infants who were placed inside. The crib reportedly includes an air mattress that was designed to be inserted into a zippered pocket. If the mattress is instead placed on the floor of the tent, a child's head may become trapped between the mattress and the fabric sides of the bed. Unfortunately, this can lead to suffocation.

The Pea Pod Travel Crib has been on the market since 2005. According to Ken Kaiser, President of KidCo, this is the first recall issued for the product. The child who died was reportedly placed inside of a travel crib with his twin sister while visiting relatives. He is believed to have suffocated while taking a nap. A family friend, Natalie Diaz, stated the child's parents assumed the product was safe because it was sold in stores for several years.

As part of the recall, KidCo is offering the estimated 220,000 consumers who purchased the travel bed at issue a retrofit kit designed to address the suffocation hazard associated with the product. The kit reportedly includes a thinner air mattress and tent wall supports. Kaiser stated the two pieces work together to prevent a pocket in which a child may become entrapped from forming. Inez Tenenbaum, Chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission stated it is important for parents to obtain the kits prior to using the product during any holiday travel.

Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of consumer safety group Kids in Danger, said KidCo should offer parents who purchased the travel bed a refund instead of safety kits. She believes parents should be warned that travel cribs are not safety tested like ordinary cribs and bassinets. Cowles stated refunds would allow parents to purchase products that have passed infant sleeping safety tests.

It is vital for parents to remain vigilant about the safety of any product designed for use by their infant or other child. Too often, car seats, strollers, cribs, and other products are not as safe as many parents believe. Parents should always bear in mind that any product can potentially pose a danger to an unattended child. In addition, a retrofitted safety attachment may not provide your baby with enough protection from an unsafe product. If your infant was hurt or killed by a travel crib or other product designed for use by children, you are advised to contact a quality personal injury attorney.

Contact the knowledgeable attorneys at Korngut Paleudis LLC today if your child was harmed or killed by a dangerous or defectively designed product. At Korngut Paleudis LLC, our skilled New York City personal injury attorneys are available to help parents and other individuals who were hurt by an unsafe product receive the compensation they deserve. Our dedicated attorneys have more than 45 years of experience assisting clients located in New York and New Jersey. To speak with a hardworking lawyer about your injury or wrongful death claim, please contact Korngut Paleudis LLC through the law firm's website or give us a call at (212) 835-6768 in New York City.

Additional Resources:

Death spurs recall of infant travel beds, by Michele Salcedo, news.msn.com