The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of more than 1.7 million audio and video baby monitors in the wake of two infants’ deaths and the near-death of at least one other young boy. The monitors were made in China and sold under the brand name of Summer Infant Inc. 
To quote the official CPSC announcement of the monitor recall, “The cords can present a strangulation hazard to infants and toddlers if placed too close to a crib.” The pictures to left and right illustrate this danger to babies’ lives.
This recall marks the latest in a concerted two-year effort by CPSC to protect babies and toddlers from injuries and deaths caused by dangerous and defective products. Recalls have been issued for a number of window blinds whose cords pose strangulation risks, strollers whose hinges can trap and amputate children’s fingers and any number of toys containing lead or posing choking hazards.
Following nearly a dozen recalls of drop-side cribs because babies were falling out of them and suffering brain injuries or becoming trapped between the slats and suffocating, the federal government finally banned those types of infant beds altogether.
If you own and use one of the recalled monitors, contact CPC directly if you or your baby has experienced any problems with using the product. Even if you have not seen your child put at risk, check the monitor’s placement and installation. Make sure your infant cannot reach the electric cord and that the cord doesn’t hang over or into the crib. Also consider getting in touch with Summer Infant to obtain a new set of warning labels and instructions for use of the monitor.
Protecting their children is parents’ greatest responsibility. Federal regulators have stepped up to support parents in that mission, but too many companies continue to make and market products that threaten infants’ health and lives.
EJL