Leaving Children Unattended in Strollers and Failing to Use Restraint… — recall 23966

Reported risk: It is timely to remind parents and caregivers of how to help ensure their children's safety when using strollers. On October 20 th , the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission ( US CPSC ) announced a recall of several models of strollers due to four deaths by entrapment between 2003 and 2005. The affected strollers were manufactured prior to July 2007. Health Canada has received one report (in 2006) of a Canadian fatality in a stroller due to entrapment. In the Canadian incident, the child was not restrained and was sleeping unattended in the stroller. This incident was not attributed to product failure. As a result, no corrective action (such as a recall) has been requested by Health Canada. It is not safe to leave a child unattended in a stroller, especially if the child is sleeping. Failing to use the restraint system further increases the risk of injury. Leaving a child unattended in any stroller and failing to use the stroller's restraint system poses a risk of falls or entrapment. Stroller restraint systems are designed to retain children in the seats of strollers and must meet performance requirements established in the Carriages and Strollers Regulations . Failure to use the restraint system exposes a child to risks of falls and possible entrapment leading to death. The strollers being recalled in the United States today are no longer being manufactured. However, they may still be in use. Parents and caregivers may wish to contact the manufacturer for further information , including information regarding the retrofit kit that is being made available. It is important that all products are used safely and that the manufacturer's instructions are followed. Health Canada reminds parents and caregivers that children should not be left unattended in strollers, that a stroller's restraint system always be used, and that strollers are not considered to be safe sleeping environments for unattended infants and children. Health Canada will continue to promote safe sleep practices for infants through consumer education and the enforcement of Canada's legally binding regulations for cribs and cradles. The department will also continue to encourage industry to adopt voluntary safety standards that further enhance safety.