One Type Of Widely-Sold Baby Stroller Caused Child Death And Serious Injury
Baby Trend’s Sit N’ Stand Double and Ultra Strollers, widely sold at retailers like BuyBuy Baby, Walmart, and Amazon, were involved in an incident that caused one child to die and one to suffer neck bruising. Parents are being urged to take great caution as a result, but no official recall has been implemented.
New parents love getting all the gear they know (or think) they may need to navigate parenthood and child-rearing. And one of the most popular items purchased is a baby stroller. However, recent news of a baby’s death may make some parents think twice about which brand they purchase.
There is not officially a recall on the baby stroller in question, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a serious warning on Thursday. Recently, a popular stroller caused one child to die and another to get injured. But there is no indication of when exactly the incident took place.
The CPSC warned parents to use caution with Baby Trend’s Sit N’ Stand Double and Ultra Strollers. However, the commission and the company stopped short of issuing a recall due to the nature of the accident. Instead, they warned that children risk neck or head entrapment if they climb on the stroller or remain improperly secured.
According to NBC News, “A 14-month-old child who wasn’t sitting in the stroller was fatally asphyxiated after its neck became entrapped in the space between the front of the canopy tube and armrest of a Baby Trend Sit N’ Stand double stroller, the CPSC said. The other child, a 17-month-old, was partially secured in the stroller and became entrapped in the space between the back of the canopy tube and the seat back of the front seat, resulting in neck bruises.” The group also noted that while the dad was nearby, he could not see the kids in the stroller.
Baby Trends noted that the baby strollers that fall within the warning guidelines are model numbers starting with SS76 and SS66. Concerned parents can find the model number on the rear inside part of the frame on the left-hand side. If you have one of those strollers, the CPSC and company recommend removing the canopies when not in use.
But they also strongly urged two other safety steps. Fully secure your child in the provided 5-point safety harness whenever they are in the stroller. And they warned against children playing or climbing on the frame of the stroller.
Parents have purchased both baby strollers involved in the CPSC warning since 2009. BuyBuy Baby, Walmart, and Amazon are a handful of retailers that sell them. The Baby Trends brand is incredibly popular among parents and has been so for over 30 years.
Unfortunately, this is not the only safety concern involving baby strollers. Multiple recalls have recently made news, including one two months ago. Mockingbird recalled a baby stroller after its cracking frame resulted in children falling and sustaining injuries.
And another stroller recalled occurred just three months before that. 14,000 UPPAbaby strollers fell under that recall due to the possibility of limb amputation. It came about after a child stuck their fingers in the brake area and received severe injuries.
While no products will remain perfect 100% of the time, some companies have better safety track records than others. So, if you are in the market for new baby products, research before you buy. And keep your eyes on the CPSC, just in case.
