July 14, 2010: Pottery Barn Kids Recalls Drop-Side Cribs

Recall Reason

Many styles of the drop-side cribs are included in this recall. Image here represents just one.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Pottery Barn Kids, a division of Williams-Sonoma, Inc., of San Francisco, California, has recalled about 82,000 drop-side cribs. The cribs' drop-sides can detach when hardware breaks, creating a space into which a young child can become entrapped, which can lead to suffocation. A child can also fall out of the crib. Drop side incidents also occur due to incorrect assembly and with age-related wear and tear.

CPSC and Pottery Barn Kids have received 36 reports of drop sides that have malfunctioned or detached, resulting in seven minor injuries when children fell out of the cribs or got their legs caught between the mattress and the drop side. One child became entrapped at the head between the drop side and crib mattress but was freed without injury.

Do You Own This Product?

Click here to see the official recall.

This recall involves all Pottery Barn Kids drop-side cribs regardless of the model number. Pottery Barn Kids is printed on a label attached to the crib headboard or footboard.

The cribs sold exclusively through the Pottery Barn Kids catalog, www.potterybarnkids.com, and at Pottery Barn Kids retail stores nationwide from January 1999 through March 2010 for between $300 and $600.

The cribs were manufactured in Canada, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Italy.

Whom to Contact

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled cribs, inspect the hardware to make sure it is not broken, and contact Pottery Barn Kids to receive a free fixed-gate conversion kit that will immobilize the drop side. For additional information, contact Pottery Barn Kids at (877) 804-3847 between 7 AM and midnight, seven days a week, or visit the firm's website at www.potterybarnkids.com.

Important Message from CPSC

CPSC reminds parents not to use any crib with missing, broken, or loose parts. Make sure to tighten hardware from time to time to keep the crib sturdy. When using a drop-side crib, parents should check to make sure the drop side or any other moving part operates smoothly. Always check all sides and corners of the crib for disengagement. Disengagements can create a gap and entrap a child. In addition, do not try to repair any side of the crib. Babies have died in cribs where repairs were attempted by caregivers. Age is factor in the safety of any crib. At a minimum, CPSC staff recommends that you not use a crib that is older than 10 years. Many older cribs may not meet current voluntary standards and can have numerous safety problems.