Ikea recalls millions of children’s lamps over strangulation risk
Ikea is recalling millions of wall-mounted children’s lamps after a child was strangled by the lamp’s cord in Europe, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.
The agency said the 16-month-old child died in a crib after getting entangled in the cord. In addition, a 15-month-old child “nearly strangled,” after getting caught in the cord.
The company sold 2.9 million of the plastic lamps in the United States, 1.1 million in Canada and 23 million worldwide.
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The children’s SMILA-series lamps were sold in eight designs: blue star, yellow moon, pink flower, white flower, red heart, green bug, blue seashell and orange seahorse. They are 11 inches by 11 inches and have 7-foot electrical cords.
They were sold exclusively at Ikea stores nationwide, in Ikea’s catalog and online from July 1999 through May 2013 for between $10 and $13.
Consumers should “immediately stop using the recalled lamp and contact Ikea for a free repair kit,” the safety commission said.
The repair kit has self-adhesive fasteners for attaching the lamp’s cord to the wall as well as safety instructions.
Consumers can contact Ikea toll-free at (888) 966-4532 for more information. Photographs of the lamps are posted online at the safety commission’s website.
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