IKEA Crib Matress Recall Issued Due to Entrapment, Suffocation Hazard

Nearly 170,000 IKEA crib mattresses are being recalled after reports that indicate at least two infants became entrapped between the ends of the crib and the mattress. 

The IKEA mattress recall was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on January 13, indicating that the cribs may pose an entrapment and suffocation risk for infants. In both cases where infants became entrapped, caregivers were able to remove the child from the crib and no injuries were sustained.

The recall includes IKEA VYSSA style crib mattresses sold under brand names VACKERT, VINKA, SPELEVINK, SLOA, and, SUMMER. The recalled mattresses were manufactured on May 4, 2014 or earlier and can be identified by locating the label attached to the mattress cover where the manufacture date is displayed in Month-DD-YYYY format next to the VYSSA name.

The mattresses were manufactured in Mexico under IKEA North America Services LLC, of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, where they were sold exclusively at IKEA stores nationwide and online at www.ikea-usa.com from August 2010 to May 2014 for about $100.

Federal regulation on the specifications of cribs and mattresses have progressed greatly since the enactment of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in 2008 but further efforts by the CPSC have led to even more specific regulations.

In June 2013, the CPSC worked jointly with the International Sleep Production Association (ISPA) and the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) to set size requirements for cribs and mattresses. The standard also requires that crib mattresses include a label with safety warnings to advise consumers to make sure their crib mattress properly fits within a crib and warnings to help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Simple guidelines for consumer to follow are to try and stick two fingers between the mattress and crib end. If the space allows more than two fingers width, the CPSC considers it as an indication of a defective mattress and the child can become at risk of entrapment.

Customers with recalled mattresses allowing a two inch gap should stop using them immediately and contact IKEA toll-free at 888-966-4532 or visit them online at www.ikea-usa.com and navigate to the recall link. If the gap allows more than two fingers width, customers should return the mattress to and IKEA store for an exchange or a full refund.