The recall comes after months of pressure from consumer groups, such Public Citizen, US PIRG, Kids in Danger, Consumer Federation of America, and Consumers Union, to make such a move, and nearly five years after a recall of 1 million Bumbo Baby seats over similar safety concerns. By October 2007, there had been at least 50 fall-related incidents reported, with 19 of them involving skull fractures.
The 2007 recall was issued so that an additional warning could be included with the product cautioning against using it on elevated surfaces. Since then, however, there have been at least 34 incidents involving babies falling out of Bumbo seats. If you are someone whose child was injured in a Bumbo seat accident, please contact our products liability lawyers at The Gilbert Law Group® right away.
Made of molded foam, until now the Bumbo seat has had no safety restraint, which made it easy for a baby to roll or fall out. While this has understandably been a problem when the infant seat has been placed on elevated surfaces, falls are also resulting when the Bumbo seats were used on the ground. The repair kit for this recall will provide a strap that can be used to secure the babies. Beginning today, new Bumbo seats will come with either an already installed restraint belt or a repair kit.
According to an article published in Medscape.com, trauma is a leading cause of child deaths and at least 80% of child injuries involve head trauma. The majority of child head injuries are secondary injuries stemming from car crashes, fall accidents, recreational activities, and abuse. In regards to infants, a 2003 article on ScienceBlog reports that per research involving University of Pennsylvania investigator Susan Margulies, babies are at higher risk of serious head injury when involved fall in accidents than what was previously thought. Margulies reportedly discovered that rotational forces created when an infant’s head strikes a hard surface can lead to serious traumatic brain injury, internal bleeding, tissue damage, and nerve cell damage.
Types of Skull Fractures:
Simple skull facture: A break in the skull that doesn’t damage the skin around it.
Linear skull fracture: a break in the skull shaped in the appearance of a thin line; no damage to the bone.
Compound skull fracture: The bone has been splintered.
Depressed skull fracture: the fractured part of the skull is pressing towards the brain’s direction.
Penetrating skull fracture: An external object has entered into the skull.
Please contact our child injury law firm and ask to speak with an experienced head injury attorney.
Baby Seats Recalled for Repair by Bumbo International Due to Fall Hazard; Consumers should order free repair kit, CPSC, August 15, 2012
Infants More Vulnerable to Brain Injury From Falling Than Previously Thought, Science Blog, August 12, 2003
Pediatric Head Trauma, Medscape, August 2, 2012
Safety agency recalls popular Bumbo infant floor seat, USA Today, August 15, 2012
