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Children's items recalled
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February 21, 2001: 12:20 p.m. ET
Simmons cribs, Barbie sunglasses, Graco high chairs affected
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Nearly 1 million products were ordered recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission Wednesday because of the health and safety risks they pose to children.
The recall includes a Simmons crib, Barbie sunglasses and a Graco highchair. No deaths have been reported in connection with their use although several children have suffered serious injuries because of the defects in the products.
"These products can really hurt. We're talking a major recall," CPSC Chairman Ann Brown said.
 The cribs, sold by Simmons Juvenile Products under the name "Little Folks," have defective brackets that hold the mattress in place. Brown called the Simmon cribs "a good old crib name" but a defect in the brackets allows them to become brittle and break. If the brackets break, the mattress can collapse and trap babies, posing the possibility of suffocation. More than 68,600 cribs are involved in the recall.
There have been reports of more than 800 bracket hooks breaking, and in one case a six-month-old baby hit his chin on the side rail when the mattress fell.
The cribs were manufactured in 1998 and were sold at discount, mass merchandise, juvenile product and department stores. Sears sold the cribs from January 1998 through December 2000. The models sold there were manufactured in 1998, 1999 and 2000, and sold for $200 to $600.
The cribs are made of maple or ash and are painted in more than twelve different colors, including natural, golden and white. "Simmons" is written on the top rail and "little Folks" is on a label affixed to the headboard.
Consumers should stop using the cribs immediately and contact Simmons to receive free replacement brackets.
 Approximately 70,000 Barbie Sunglasses are being recalled because they contain petroleum distillates that are harmful to children's eyes and skin and could be fatal if swallowed. The sunglasses can break, allowing petroleum distillate and the floating glitter to leak.
"These are very cute in the frame but they are very hazardous if they leak," Brown said.
There has been one report of a six-year-old child who was burned in her right eye as a result of the leaking fluid.
The glasses are pink, have floating glitter and say "Barbie" and "Mattel" on the left side of the earpiece and "China" on the right side.
Children should stop wearing the glasses immediately and consumers should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. The glasses were sold at Target, Walgreen's and Bradlee's from June 1999 through August 2000 for about $6.
 More than 850,000 Graco high chairs are being recalled because the chairs' legs can come out, causing the chair to collapse. There have been 108 reports of the chairs' legs coming out and 105 injuries, including a mild concussion, two broken noses, six cuts requiring stitches, black eyes, and bumps and bruises.
When pressure is put on the leg's ledge and a child leans back, the chairs' legs become dislodged from the seat and the chair and child fall.
The recalled models 3170, 36051 or 74001 were manufactured from Jan. 1, 1995, through Dec. 8, 1997. They were sold at mass merchandise, juvenile products and discount department stores nationwide. The model number and date of manufacture can be found on a sticker under the seat. The highchairs are made of white plastic with white metal legs and "Graco" is printed on the front tray.
Consumers are urged to discontinue use of the chair and contact Graco for a free repair kit. Graco is part of Newell Rubbermaid (NWL: Research, Estimates), whose shares rose 17 cents to $26.55 at midday Wednesday.
Brown said parents need to "check their attics, their basements. They need to check their products, make sure they don't have these items lurking in their homes."
The CPSC is responsible for the testing and safety of more than 15,000 products. A complete list of recalled products and what consumers can do to protect themselves can be found at the agency's website at www.CPSC.gov. 
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