On February 6, 2014, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with BebeLove, announced the voluntary recall of the popular BebeLove Baby Walkers due to fall and entrapment hazards. It is reported that the walkers failed to meet federal safety standards.
The BebeLove baby walker has been sold at small retail stores in Arizona, California, and Utah, as well as online at Amazon.com and Overstock.com. The majority of the sales were between November 2011 and July 2013, at a sale price of approximately $25.
This recall involves BebeLove baby walkers bearing Model Nos. 358 and 368. The model number is located on the label on the rear, inside of the walker’s base.
This recall includes all BebeLove walkers that were sold for babies age 6 months or older. Model number 358 is not designed to stop at the edge of step as required by federal safety standard. Model number 368 contains leg openings that allow a child to slip down until the child’s head can become entrapped at the neck. Babies using these walkers can be seriously injured or killed.
Consumers are urged to immediately stop using any affected baby walkers, and to contact BebeLove toll-free at (888)-464-1218 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.bebeloveusa.com.
As a parent, child safety advocate and trial lawyer, I am continually troubled by the fact that manufacturers continue to sell products that endanger the lives of children. Manufacturers, in their zeal to get products on the market, often cut corners and overlook safety when designing and manufacturing products. Manufacturers have an obligation and opportunity to thoroughly assess product safety before the launch of a product. It should not take a child getting injured for a manufacturer to make a product safe.