The death of two infants has prompted the recall of almost a million bassinets in Canada and the U.S. It's one of the largest child-product safety alerts in years.
What follows is a report by CTV consumer reporter Chris Olsen on what caused this recall to happen and what every parent needs to know.
One of the two infants -- a six-month-old girl called Kennedy - strangled to death after she slipped between the mattress, and the side railing of a bassinet.
"My sister has said the "What ifs?" a thousand times," said the child's aunt Melissa Brotherton.
A second infant, four-month-old Katelynn Simon, died last year after getting caught in the same type of bassinet.
A bassinet or bassinette is a bed specifically for babies from birth to about four months, and small enough to provide a "cocoon" that small babies find comforting
The two deaths have prompted Health Canada to recall about 900,000 Simplicity 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 Convertible "Close Sleeper" Bassinets.
The danger is with Simplicity bassinets that were produced before April 1st (2008)
"You need to detach the fabric to turn it from a bassinet into a co-sleeper so that you may actually push the bassinet right up against the adult bed,'' said Jamie Schaefer-Wilson of Consumer Reports,
"The problem is it can create a dangerous opening which would actually allow a baby to slip through and become entrapped or strangle or suffocate," she said.
The Canadian importer is offering a free repair kit.
Newer Simplicity bassinets have a different design that alleviates the hazard.
The fabric is permanently attached to the lower metal bar in the frame.
So the dangerous opening is eliminated.
"Bassinets are only covered by voluntary safety standards. And there's actually no safety standards to cover them at all when they're used in co-sleeping mode," said Schaefer-Wilson.
Consumer Reports says it's best to use a full-sized crib.
Simplicity has voluntarily recalled a crib as well. It's the "Crib 'N Changer Combo."
Health Canada says over a thousand of these units were sold at Zellers in Canada between June 2005 and September 2008 . The issue is a faulty drop side.
This case shows again why it's important to register all children's products so you can be notified of any safety recalls.
Related links: Elfe Products Customer Care
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen
