Recalls: the Bumbo 'baby sitter' seat and another Britax car seat

Reports of three children fracturing their skulls after falling out of the popular foam Bumbo seats have prompted the Consumer Product Safety Commission to recall one million of the so-called "baby sitter" seats. The CPSC has received reports of 28 babies falling out of the seats including the three who were seriously injured. Those accidents occurred when the seats were placed on raised surfaces such as tables or countertops instead of on the floor. The CPSC notice says: "If the seat is placed on a table, countertop, chair or other elevated surface, young children can arch their backs, flip out of the Bumbo seat, and fall onto the floor, posing a risk of serious head injuries."

Made in South Africa, the chairs are constructed from a single piece of molded foam and come in a variety of bright colors. The seat wraps completely around the back of the baby and a crotch post at the center front forms two leg openings. The bottom is round and flat. The recalled seats were sold over the past four years, beginning in August 2003, at Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, USA Babies and at other toy and children's stores nationwide, including online retailers, for about $40.

On its Web site, Bumbo touts the seat as "a snug and cozy environment for your baby" and recommends the seats for infants as young as six weeks, who can hold up their own heads without assistance, up to babies 14-months-old or weighing as much as 22 pounds. A warning appears on the back of the seat that says:  "Never use on a raised surface. Never use as a car seat or bath seat. Designed for floor level use only. Never leave your baby unattended as the seat is not designed to be totally restrictive and may not prevent release of your baby in the event of vigorous movement."

As a remedy, Bumbo is offering parents new instructions and a more-strongly worded warning label sticker that says: "WARNING – Prevent Falls; Never use on any elevated surface." The company says the seats do not have to be returned. However, they are being temporarily removing them from store shelves until the packaging can be updated.

In our view, it was completely foreseeable that parents or caregivers would place this seat on a chair or table.  Similar-looking booster seats often have straps to attach them to the chair and a belt to secure the child.  This has neither.  A warning label placed on the product itself may not solve the problem.  We hope that the CPSC will closely follow injuries associated with the Bumbo to see if a simple sticker will significantly reduce the number of falls.

"With 28 such incidents of children falling out of this chair, a warning is necessary," said Julie Vallese, a spokeswoman for the CPSC. "The agency is requiring the company to make the warning stronger and larger and the instructions clearer."

"The product shouldn't be used on an elevated surface no matter how tempting and pictures that may show babies in social settings on raised surfaces will be removed from the company's marketing," she added.

For more information contact Bumbo International at (877) 932-8626 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's Web site at www.bumbosafety.com.

Britax Marathon recall
In another child-safety recall, Britax annouced the recall of a batch of Marathon child restraint seats because the top tether hook may open and release under certain circumstances when the seat is being used by a child weighing 50 pounds or more. (Consumer Reports listed this seat as one suitable for obese children in an earlier report.) The seats in question were made between May 23, 2006 and July 28, 2006 and have the model numbers E9L06, E9W06 and E906. The top tether hook is stamped with lot number KGR 01 A.

Britax is sending all registered owners of the seat a top tether replacement that is suitable for children weighing up to 65 pounds. Parents who own the seat but did not send in the registration card can register online. On its Web site, Britax is also offering a video and visuals to help parents install the replacement tether correctly. Parents can also call Britax at 800-683-2045.