All Bumbo Seats Recalled

[ringstrue]

You can order the free seatbelt to install into the seat:

www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12247.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2012
Release #12-247 Firm's Recall Hotline: [phone]
CPSC Recall Hotline: [phone]
CPSC Media Contact: [phone]
Baby Seats Recalled for Repair by Bumbo International Due to Fall Hazard
Consumers should order free repair kit

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Bumbo Baby Seats

Units: About 4 million in the U.S. Note: In October 2007, 1 million Bumbo seats were voluntarily recalled to provide additional warnings against use on raised surfaces.

Manufacturer: Bumbo International Trust, of South Africa

Hazard: Babies can maneuver out of or fall from the Bumbo seat, posing a risk of serious injuries.

Incidents/Injuries: CPSC and Bumbo International know of at least 50 incidents after the October 2007 voluntary recall in which babies fell from a Bumbo seat while it was being used on a raised surface. Nineteen of those incidents included reports of skull fractures. CPSC and Bumbo International are aware of an additional 34 post-recall reports of infants who fell out or maneuvered out of a Bumbo seat used on the floor or at an unknown elevation, resulting in injury. Two of these incidents involved reports of skull fractures, while others reported bumps, bruises and other minor injuries.

Description: The bottom of the Bumbo seat is round and flat with a diameter of about 15 inches. It is constructed of a single piece of molded foam and comes in various colors. The seat has leg holes and the seat back wraps completely around the child. On the front of the seat in raised lettering is the word "Bumbo" with the image of an elephant on top. The bottom of the seat has the following words: "Manufactured by Bumbo South Africa Material: Polyurethane World Patent No. PCT: ZA/1999/00030." The back of the seat has several warnings and seats manufactured since 2008 have an additional label on the front of the seat warning against use on raised surfaces.

Sold by: Sears, Target, Toys R Us (including Babies R Us), USA Babies, Walmart, and various other toy and children's stores nationwide, and various online sellers, from August 2003 through August 2012 for between $30 and $50.

Manufactured in: South Africa

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the product until they order and install a free repair kit, which includes: a restraint belt with a warning label, installation instructions, safe use instructions and a new warning sticker. The belt should always be used when a child is placed in the seat. Even with the belt, the seat should never be used on any raised surface. Consumers should also immediately stop using Bumbo seat covers that interfere with the installation and use of the belt. A video demonstrating proper installation of the restraint belt and proper use of the Bumbo seat are available at www.recall.BumboUSA.com

Consumer Contact: Order the free repair kit by visiting www.recall.BumboUSA.com or calling [phone] between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Thursday and between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. CT on Friday. Do not return the Bumbo seat to retailers as they will not be able to provide the repair kit.

[pixy0stix]

I freaking hate these seats. HATE.

[ringstrue]

I loved ours for DD but she didn't try to move for forever. Lazy baby.

[Deleted]

Oh good to know, thanks! You aren't suppose to use them on raised surfaces anyway though, right?

[miesl]

Well, I'm glad I sold mine a month ago. What a PITA - all for people who don't follow directions.

[Deleted]

Aug 15, 2012 9:19:26 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I freaking hate these seats. HATE.

Right with you. I never understood the point.

[teflep]

We used it to get lt to sit up. He had trouble and was a late sitter. Always on the floor though and probably used it for all of a month,

[pixy0stix]

Aug 15, 2012 9:20:47 GMT -5 @mrsbecky07 said:

You aren't suppose to use them on raised surfaces anyway though, right?

Correct, but people put them on chairs, counters, etc. all the time. :@

[Chirp]

Aug 15, 2012 9:24:13 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Aug 15, 2012 9:20:47 GMT -5 @mrsbecky07 said:

You aren't suppose to use them on raised surfaces anyway though, right?

Correct, but people put them on chairs, counters, etc. all the time.

Makes me cringe every damn time. My brother's daughter is always on the bumbo on the counter. My dad's wife puts her there and my brother and his wife both do it.

I pointed out that the seat was only to be used on the floor (just a quick, "hey did you see that sticker"), but each time I was yelled at. Whatever. Jackasses.

[heyjude]

G never like it. She tried to fling her self out of it. She doesn't like to be trapped.

Stupid thing.

Eta: and in our house it's called the dumbo.

[redheadbaker]

So, people need to add this seat belt, so . . . what? When the baby tries to fling himself out of it, the chair can fall off the counter with the baby?

[MrsDL]

Aug 15, 2012 9:20:47 GMT -5 @mrsbecky07 said:

Oh good to know, thanks! You aren't suppose to use them on raised surfaces anyway though, right?

No - and I can swear I remember reading that on the box, but maybe it was just more common sense. We used it on the floor only to help him with sitting. Even with a safety strap (ours didn't have one), I don't know how you would think the whole thing couldn't just fall off a high object. They are not very heavy or sturdy to begin with..........

[blindyswife]

Is a recall the right action to take when it seems to be user error causing the injuries, and not the seat itself?

Oh, I guess it says some of the injuries are from floor use, too. Hmmm. If the kid is buckled, and flings his body out, won't the whole darn thing just tip over with him?

[Deleted]

Yeah, I don't see how this "fix" is going to fix things. I mean, even if your kid is on the floor with this thing and loses their balance and falls, the chair will just come with them. If they're on a counter or table or any other elevated surface, the chair comes down with the kid. (Not to mention seatbelts don't fix the stupidity of the parents not reading instructions).

We used our Bumbo maybe once or twice. Rook wasn't a fan and by the time he was strong enough to hold himself up in the seat, he was too big to use it. His chubby little thighs got stuck. My best friend was pregnant and had one on her registry, so I told her to take it off...she could have ours in mint new condition. Not entirely sure if she used it more than I did, but if we ever have another kid, no Bumbo seat around here.

[OscarQ]

This stuff bugs me. If you are too stupid to use a product properly, it's your own damn fault. And if your kid flung himself out of it on the floor and broke his neck - well, sometimes shit happens. You can't prevent everything.

This is where I wish the US had the common sense laws the UK has. I can't remember what they're called but basically if you are injured due to your own stupidity - tough noogies.

My baby did okay in the Bumbo - he was tiny though so he used it as basically a feeding chair for quite awhile.

[ringstrue]

Aug 15, 2012 10:13:47 GMT -5 blindyswife said:

Is a recall the right action to take when it seems to be user error causing the injuries, and not the seat itself?

Oh, I guess it says some of the injuries are from floor use, too. Hmmm. If the kid is buckled, and flings his body out, won't the whole darn thing just tip over with him?

I was thinking this too, but considering that *everyone* puts it up on something, it seems like its one of those situations where they are better off just offering something to show effort on their part?

[starlily]

Aug 15, 2012 10:41:54 GMT -5 OscarQ said:

This stuff bugs me. If you are too stupid to use a product properly, it's your own damn fault. And if your kid flung himself out of it on the floor and broke his neck - well, sometimes shit happens. You can't prevent everything.

This is where I wish the US had the common sense laws the UK has. I can't remember what they're called but basically if you are injured due to your own stupidity - tough noogies.

My baby did okay in the Bumbo - he was tiny though so he used it as basically a feeding chair for quite awhile.

I'll sign on to this. We used it until DD was 8 months or so. At the first sign she could maneuver out of it, off to storage it went.

[Deleted]

Aug 15, 2012 10:41:54 GMT -5 OscarQ said:

This stuff bugs me. If you are too stupid to use a product properly, it's your own damn fault. And if your kid flung himself out of it on the floor and broke his neck - well, sometimes shit happens. You can't prevent everything.

This is where I wish the US had the common sense laws the UK has. I can't remember what they're called but basically if you are injured due to your own stupidity - tough noogies.

My baby did okay in the Bumbo - he was tiny though so he used it as basically a feeding chair for quite awhile.

[Y] I'm pretty laid-back, but even I can't believe people actually put Bumbos on elevated surfaces. And I can't roll my eyes hard enough at the various "OMG Bumbos are death traps!" articles.

DD and I loved the Bumbo. I've always wanted to say they can have it when the pry it off her cold, dead, Target-diapered butt.

[pamela]

Dammit, they just killed what was great resale value.

We used it on the floor when we first started solids because we were getting ready to move and didn't want to un-box and setup the high chair. His chubby thighs held him in place right from the beginning.

[Chirp]

Aug 15, 2012 12:06:26 GMT -5 sunmoonstars said:

I'm pretty laid-back, but even I can't believe people actually put Bumbos on elevated surfaces.

Yeah, this is basically what I see whenever I go to my dad's house... (note: this is not my brother's kid, I did a google image search and apparently plenty of parents are willing to supply pics of their stupidity).



I've seen this same scene played out on various tv shows. The seat is usually beside the sink while the mom washes dishes or on the table while bigger kids color or paint eggs or parents are doing something on the laptop/notebook.

Teen mom is a big one. Those girls always have their kids in the bumbo on the counter.


FWIW, we kept ours on the floor. DS loved that thing... until his ham hock thighs rendered it useless. I think this recall is dumb. A random seatbelt isn't going to keep parents from doing stupid shit just because they think they're right and the sticker on the foam seat is wrong.

[eclaires]

Wow, people are so stupid. I remember when this was recalled when Jackson was a baby.

It's good to know that the American public is not getting smarter.

We used ours with both kids for going out to eat when they were too small for the highchair, but too old for sitting in their infant seat (neither of mine tolerated that for long). We'd get a booth and sit the bumbo in between us and the baby in it so we'd have somewhere to put them while we ate. We also used it to feed Scarlett for awhile because she was too small for the highchair, and then on the floor at home so she could sit up and watch Jackson play.

Both of my kids had reflux though and laying them down on the ground was a recipe for disaster, plus they both hated laying down because of reflux.

[kmw325i]

We used ours with the feeding tray for Knox when he first started eating solids, but we always fed him in the middle of the living room floor. But he outgrew it very quickly after that. Unless you were sticking a spoon in his mouth, he hated the bumbo.

[laurenpetro]

I guess our donated one is going up in Grace's room for her dolls. I used it 1 time on Jack and that was it.

How cute is this pic?

[pescalita]

Aug 15, 2012 10:41:54 GMT -5 OscarQ said:

This stuff bugs me. If you are too stupid to use a product properly, it's your own damn fault. And if your kid flung himself out of it on the floor and broke his neck - well, sometimes shit happens. You can't prevent everything.

This is where I wish the US had the common sense laws the UK has. I can't remember what they're called but basically if you are injured due to your own stupidity - tough noogies.

My baby did okay in the Bumbo - he was tiny though so he used it as basically a feeding chair for quite awhile.

:Y:

I even have the common sense to use it on a raised surface where I'm close enough to - I don't know - not let him fall? I hereby submit my candidacy to MENSA.

[AllieHound]

Yeah, we put Max in it on our table...when we're eating dinner and sitting right in front of him. That way he can see us and we can make noises back and forth. But the stupidity of people amaze me...Max has never been out of my reach in it, let alone out of running distance or eyesight. Yikes.

[bhnumbers]

You people and your fancy, schmancy baby gear! You never hear them recalling a cardboard box do you?!