Update: CPSC has also reannounced the recall because of the severity of the newly reported injuries. CPSC chairwoman Inez Tenenbaum says, “I do not want any more children to suffer such a serious injury, so I urge consumers to protect the fingers of young children & get the free repair kit.”
Original story: This week, Maclaren USA, Inc. provided a follow-up announcement which warns consumers, again, about the potential hazard of stroller hinges to children. In November 2009, Maclaren announced a recall with CPSC to notify consumers that the strollers’ hinge mechanisms pose a risk of fingertip laceration and amputation for children. Before the recall, CPSC received 15 incident reports, including 12 instances of child fingertip amputations. Read KID’s blog post on the 2009 recall.
Since the November 2009 recall, Maclaren has received 37 additional reports of injuries. Maclaren’s most recent announcement serves to provide a follow up to the corrective actions already taken, and to remind consumers of the hinge covers required for Maclaren strollers sold prior to 2010. Maclaren is offering free hinge covers upon request to any consumers who bought the old-style hinge strollers. Consumers may contact Maclaren USA, Inc. at (203) 354-4400 between 8am-5pm (EST) Monday-Friday, or request covers by email from hingecovers@maclaren-usa.com.
Maclaren stresses that nearly all umbrella-fold models of strollers pose the same danger. The CPSC records approximately 11,500 stroller-related injuries each year, about 500 of which relate to finger injuries, including hinge-related ones. The new CPSC database already has reports of additional lacerations and fingertip amputations from other brands.
Kudos to Maclaren for re-announcing the recall and reporting new injury data. Too often, injuries after a recall are never publicized at all.
KID is working through ASTM International to strengthen the existing voluntary standard to address this and other issues. The current voluntary standard will be the basis of the mandatory standard due out in 2012.
For more information on stroller safety, see the CPSC Safety Alert and KID’s Stroller Safety Tips. Remember to file reports with CPSC if you have any incidents or injuries related to a stroller or any other product.