Bumbo, CPSC Recall Baby Seat Linked To Skull Fractures

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Bumbo, maker of a baby seat linked to at least 21 skull fractures, have announced a repair recall to install a free safety belt. U.S. PIRG and other consumer groups had pressured them to act.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Bumbo, maker of a baby seat linked to at least 84 incidents involving at least 21 skull fractures since a previous 2007 recall to add labels, have announced a broader repair recall. Consumers should stop using the seat until they request and install a free safety belt. U.S. PIRG (previous blog) and other consumer groups had pressured CPSC and Bumbo to act with both a strong coalition letter in February and media releases and appearances.

One million Bumbo seats were recalled in 2007 to add safety warning labels. Four million are subject to the current recall. According to the CPSC:

The bottom of the Bumbo seat is round and flat with a diameter of about 15 inches. It is constructed of a single piece of molded foam and comes in various colors. The seat has leg holes and the seat back wraps completely around the child. On the front of the seat in raised lettering is the word “Bumbo” with the image of an elephant on top.

CPSC and Bumbo International know of at least 50 incidents after the October 2007 voluntary recall in which babies fell from a Bumbo seat while it was being used on a raised surface. Nineteen of those incidents included reports of skull fractures. CPSC and Bumbo International are aware of an additional 34 post-recall reports of infants who fell out or maneuvered out of a Bumbo seat used on the floor or at an unknown elevation, resulting in injury. Two of these incidents involved reports of skull fractures, while others reported bumps, bruises and other minor injuries.”

You can see pictures of the Bumbo seat as repaired here.

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Authors

Ed Mierzwinski

Senior Director, Federal Consumer Program, U.S. PIRG Education Fund

Ed oversees U.S. PIRG’s federal consumer program, helping to lead national efforts to improve consumer credit reporting laws, identity theft protections, product safety regulations and more. Ed is co-founder and continuing leader of the coalition, Americans For Financial Reform, which fought for the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, including as its centerpiece the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He was awarded the Consumer Federation of America's Esther Peterson Consumer Service Award in 2006, Privacy International's Brandeis Award in 2003, and numerous annual "Top Lobbyist" awards from The Hill and other outlets. Ed lives in Virginia, and on weekends he enjoys biking with friends on the many local bicycle trails.

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