A baby was killed and another was injured after becoming trapped in Baby Trend strollers, prompting the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday to warn customers about the potential dangers of some models.
The agency warned that the spaces in front of and behind the pivoting front canopy in the Sit N’ Stand Double and Ultra strollers with model numbers beginning with SS76 or SS66 can trap a child’s head or neck if another child climbs onto the stroller. It can also occur when the child in the front seat of the stroller is not properly restrained using all five points of the harness, the agency said.
The agency warned that being trapped in the stroller models — sold in stores at Walmart, Target, Kohl’s and online through Amazon — “could lead to a loss of consciousness, serious injury or death.”
Customers are being encouraged to remove and store the stroller’s canopy when it’s not being used; not to allow children to play on strollers; and to fully secure a child in the stroller with the harness.
Baby Trend said it received one report of the asphyxiation death of a 14-month-old child who had not been in the stroller but got their neck trapped in the space between the front of the canopy tube and arm rest of a Baby Trend Sit N’ Stand double stroller.
In a separate incident reported to Baby Trend, a 17-month-old child who was partially secured in the stroller became trapped in the space between the back of the canopy tube and the seat back of the front seat, resulting in neck bruises.
The Sit N’ Stand Double and Ultra strollers with model numbers beginning with SS76 or SS66 have been sold nationwide since 2009. Each strollers has a black or silver frame and a black tray at the front with oval cutouts on the sides; the stroller’s model number is printed on a sticker on the left inside rear of the frame, near the axle.
In a statement, Baby Trend said that its strollers were “completely safe when used as intended and in accordance with the company’s operating instructions.” The company described the death of the child as “tragic” and “exceedingly rare,” saying it believed it could have been avoided if the baby hadn’t been climbing on the stroller.
“Baby Trend’s deep commitment to the safety of babies and families is a main reason why U.S. consumers have purchased more than one million of these strollers since 2009,” the company said. “Out of an abundance of caution, Baby Trend has joined with the CPSC to urge consumers to remove and store the stroller’s canopy when not in use.”
McKenna Oxenden
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