Summer Infant Recalls to Repair Baby Bathers Due to Fall and Head Injury Hazard

Consumers should order free repair kit

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.  It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20030904/USCSCLOGO)

Name of product: Mother's Touch/Deluxe Baby Bathers

Units: About 2 million in the United States and an additional 65,000 in Canada

Manufacturer: Summer Infant Inc., of Woonsocket, R.I.

Hazard: When the bather is lifted and/or carried with an infant in it, its folding wire frame can suddenly disengage from the side hinge, dropping the baby out of the bather, posing a fall hazard and a risk of serious head injury to infants.

Incidents/Injuries: CPSC and Summer Infant have received seven reports of incidents in the U.S., including five reports of infants suffering head injuries from falls from the bathers. Four children between two weeks and two months old received skull fractures, including one that required intensive care for bleeding on the brain.  The fifth child received a bump to the head requiring emergency room treatment.  

Description: This recall involves Summer Infant baby bathers with a small, nearly square blue or pink plastic base measuring about 13 ½ inches long by 12 ½ inches wide and with the following model numbers listed below. Model numbers are located either on the side of the baby bather near the warning label or on the front near the wash instructions. Some units have multiple model numbers. Model numbers with an additional letter at the end of the model number are also included in this recall.

The bathers have adjustable side hinges with five rivets each and a white wire frame with a mesh fabric sling seat and two or three positions for the seats. Some also have a head support cushion. The fabric seat comes in various colors including white, blue, green, yellow and orange with fish, turtles, butterflies, frogs, flowers and duck patterns. Bathers manufactured since July 2007 include the warning "Never lift or carry the bather with infant in it."

Sold at: Mass merchandise stores nationwide and on the Web from September 2004 through November 2011 for between $15 and $30.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy:  Consumers should immediately stop using the bathers and contact Summer Infant for a free repair kit that includes a locking strap and instructions. Note: Even with the new locking strap installed, the baby bather product should never be used to lift and carry an infant.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Summer Infant at (800) 426-8627 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's website at www.summerinfant.com/batherrepairkit.  Do not return to stores as the retailers will not have the repair kit.

Note: Health Canada's press release is available at http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=1675.

Photos available at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12262.html                         

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on SaferProducts.gov.

Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 426-8627
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
HC Media Contact: (613) 957-2983

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission