This month marks the 10thanniversary of Kennedy’s death. Kennedy was killed in August 2008 when her neck became caught in an uncovered gap in the side of her bassinet. She was only 6 months old.
Kennedy’s parents were only a room away while Kennedy slept in her bassinet. Afterward, Kennedy’s parents discovered that the same Simplicity for Children bassinet had killed a 4-month-old baby but had not been recalled. Soon after Kennedy’s death, CPSC finally acted. Unfortunately, all they could do was issue a safety alert, not a recall. SFCA INC., the company that acquired Simplicity’s assets following bankruptcy, denied responsibility for the product and would not agree to a voluntary recall. Retailers stepped up to refund customers for the dangerous product.
However, there has been much progress since this incident. That same August in 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was passed. The CPSIA established a new mandatory safety standard for bassinets which went into effect on April 14, 2014. You can read more about that standard here.
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