Rhode Island-based Summer Infant, Inc. is recalling approximately two million Mother’s Touch/Deluxe baby bathers, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
If the bather is carried or simply just lifted with the infant in it, the folding wire frame can become disengaged from the side hinge, dropping the infant out of the bather, posing a fall hazard and increasing the risk of injuries.
Summer Infant and CPSC have received reports of seven U.S. incidents, five of which reported babies suffering head injuries; four of these infants received skull fractures as the result of falling out of the bathers.
The recalled baby bathers have a nearly square, small pink or blue plastic base which measures approximately 13.5 inches long and 12.5 inches wide. The bathers’ side hinges are adjustable and include five rivets each, as well as a white wire frame equipped with a fabric mesh sling seat and multiple positions for the seats. Some of the bathers are also equipped with a head support cushion. The model numbers of the affected baby bathers, which may be found on the front near the washing instructions or on the side near the warning label, include the following:
- 18120, 18125, 18129, 18254, 18360, 18375, 18379, 18390, 18394, 18440, 18445, 18449, 18470, 18475, 18479
- 08020, 08050, 08054, 08070, 08401, 08409, 08404, 08405, 08650, 08655, 08659, 08754, 08940, 08944
- 38510, 38515, 38750, 38755
The defective baby bathers were sold for between $15 and $30 from September 2004 through November 2011 at mass merchandise stores across the U.S. as well as online.
Consumers should contact Summer Infant at (800) 426-8627 for a free repair kit. The baby bathers should not be returned to the store where purchased as retailers will not have the repair kit. Even with the repairs, consumers are warned to never use the baby bather to lift or carry an infant.
If your child has been injured as the result of a defective product, you may be entitled to pursue claims for damages associated with those injuries. Contact the experienced defective product attorneys in NJat Blume Forte to determine whether your potential claim may have merit.