320,000 baby cribs recalled, may pose strangulation hazard

About 320,000 cribs made by Jardine Enterprises were recalled Tuesday because the wooden slats and spindles can break, posing entrapment and strangulation hazards to infants.

Forty-two incidents have been reported, with four children becoming trapped in the space created by a broken slat or spindle. Two children had abrasions and bruising.

“Our top message to parents is that babies should not be in this crib tonight or thereafter,” said Scott Wolfson, a spokesman for the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission, which announced the recall with Taipei, Taiwan-based Jardine. “We want every parent who has one of these recalled cribs to respond.”

Consumers who own the cribs should stop using them immediately and contact Jardine to receive a voucher for a new crib.

The recalled cribs, made in China and Vietnam, were sold nationwide from January 2002 through May 2008. The cribs were carried at major retailers including Toys R Us and Babies R Us and cost $150 to $450.

Certain models of the Berkley, Hilton, Positano, Spindle and Windsor crib styles are affected.

Rick Locker, a lawyer for Jardine, said Tuesday that the company was “acting in truly an abundance of caution” in issuing the recall. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that every crib poses a hazard,” he said.

For more information, call (800) 646-4106 or visit www .jardinecribrecall.com.

Tuesday’s action was the first major crib recall since September, when about 1 million cribs made by Simplicity Inc. of Reading, Pa., were recalled after the deaths of at least two children, including one in California.

Those cribs featured a “drop-side” railing that could pull away from the mattress. Infants could become trapped in the resulting gap and suffocate.

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andrea.chang@latimes.com