Graco Stroller Recall Issued After Four Infant Deaths

About 2 millon Graco Quattro Tour and MetroLite strollers have been recalled after at least four children died when they became entrapped between the stroller’s tray and seat bottom. 

The Graco stroller recall was announced on Wednesday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) after the commission and Graco Children’s Products Inc. determined that four children had strangled to death in the strollers between 2003 and 2005. The CPSC said it was also aware of at least five other incidents where infants became entrapped, which resulted in minor injuries and one child who had difficulty breathing after the incident.

The CPSC stated that the danger occurs when children are not harnessed properly, especially if they are under a year old. The child’s body can slip through the opening between the stroller’s tray and the seat bottom, but the head can become entrapped. This puts them at risk of strangling.

In January 2008, the stroller industry agreed to a new standard that increased the height of the opening between the seat bottom and the stroller tray so that infants’ heads would not get trapped. The Graco recall involves strollers that predate this standard.

The recall affects about two million Graco Quattro Tour and MetroLite strollers. The model numbers for the strollers are on a label above the real wheels or underneath the stroller and the word “Graco” appears on a label on the stroller tray and headrest. A full list of the model numbers is available in the CPSC recall notice.

The Quattro strollers were manufactured before November 2006 and distributed between October 2002 and December 2007 for $100 to $250. The MetroLite strollers were manufactured before July 2007 and distributed between November 2000 and December 2007 for between $90 and $250. The strollers were sold at a number of national chains nationwide, including AAFES, Babies R Us, Burlington Coat Factory, Meijers, Sears, Target, Wal-Mart and others.

The CPSC recommends that consumers who have a recalled Graco stroller stop using it as a stroller immediately and contact Graco for a free repair kit. If the strollers are part of a travel system that can be used as a car seat, they are still safe in their car seat mode. Consumers with questions can contact Graco at www.gracobaby.com.