Infant death attributed to highly unusual circumstances

MONTREAL, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ - In cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Dorel Asia is voluntarily recalling several models of cribs to replace slatted panels and drop-side hardware. A total of 635,000 units are involved. Dorel Asia is offering free repair kits to our customers. The recall is motivated by isolated reports of broken crib slats and drop-side hardware. In total, 67 incidents were reported and 10 children were bruised or scratched. Because the safety and satisfaction of Dorel Asia's customers is our top concern, Dorel Asia is offering repair kits, free of charge.

Infant death

Also referenced in today's press release is an infant death that reportedly occurred in a Dorel Asia crib. Although tragic, it is important for consumers to understand that the circumstances of this fatality were highly unusual.

The CPSC investigator's synopsis of the incident, referring to the six month old infant death, states: "He had fallen out of his crib a month earlier. The crib was known to be broken before that when it was used with an older child. After this incident, they put "duct tape" on the crib to hold it together. Both parents were arrested for "child endangerment with death" and the father had additional drug charges".

The report also indicates the child was put to sleep with a thick afghan in the crib. Dorel Asia's instructions strongly warn against this practice because thick bedding is a known hazard to children.

The recalled cribs meet and exceed all applicable safety standards. Hundreds of thousands of Dorel Asia cribs have been properly assembled and used safely without incident. At Dorel Asia there is nothing more important than a baby's health and safety. It is our goal to provide parents with the safest sleep environment for their baby.

    Media Contacts:
    ---------------

    U.S.:
    Julie Vallese
    202-530-4680

    Canada:
    Rick Leckner
    Maison Brison
    514.731.0000

SOURCE DOREL ASIA