Ohio parents with a baby in their home should be aware of a recall of 600,000 baby monitors by Angelcare. Two infants were strangled after getting tangled with the cord that runs to the monitor’s sensor pad. The company is recalling several models that currently don’t have cord covers. Recalled model numbers include AC201, AC1100, AC300, AC601, AC401 and 4925.
A California toddler and a baby from Oregon were the two victims of strangulation. The monitor has a sensor pad that parents are supposed to place underneath their child’s crib mattress. Babies can pull the cord into the crib and get it wrapped around their necks.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said that monitors are being recalled so that they can have a cord cover added to them. The models were sold from October 1999 until September 2013 at large retailers and specialty stores. Customers who own the product are supposed to contact the company through its website or by calling to be sent a free repair kit.
The risk of strangulation is present in many similar products. Parents are encouraged to ensure that the cords of baby monitors and other electrical devices are placed out of their child’s reach. A safety website recommends that parents place all cords and monitors at least three feet away from wherever their child is sleeping.
Parents who have children who are killed or injured due to a defective or unsafe product designed for their children may have a product liability case against the manufacture. The law allows those who are damaged by an unsafe product to seek compensation from a person or business who may be responsible for those damages.
Source: CBS News, “Angelcare recalls 600,000 baby monitors due to 2 strangulation deaths“, Ryan Jaslow, November 21, 2013
