1.7 Million Video Crib Monitors Recalled

NEW YORK (MainStreet) — Summer Infant Inc. is voluntarily recalling 1.7 million video baby crib monitors after two infants were strangled to death by the electrical cords.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, who announced the recall on Friday, said the deaths of a six-month-old Conway, S.C., boy and a 10-month-old Washington, D.C., girl were reported within the last year. In the first incident, the monitor had been placed a top of the crib rail. In the second incident, it had been placed on a changing table that was attached to the crib.

The CPSC said it was also aware of a third near-strangulation incident in which a 20-month old boy from Pittsburg, Pa was found with the monitor’s electrical cord wrapped around his neck. The monitor camera had been mounted on the wall, but the child was still able to reach the cord.

CPSC and Summer Infant urge parents to immediately check the location of the video monitors, including cameras mounted on the wall, to make sure the cords are out of arm’s reach of their child.

Consumers aren’t being asked to return the product to stores for a refund. Summer Infant plans on updating the products warning label and revising the installation instructions to prevent further fatalities.

The baby monitors were distributed between January 2003 and February 2011 and were sold at major retailers, mass merchandisers, and juvenile products stores nationwide for between $60 and $300.

They come in more than 40 different models, including handheld, digital, and color video monitors. All video monitors include both the camera (placed in the baby’s room) and the hand held device that enable the caregiver to see and/or hear the baby from a specific distance. The brand “Summer” is found on the product.