In January, IKEA issued a recall on five of its crib mattresses, and on April 30, the company expanded this recall to include four more models. The recall follows the company receiving two complaints of babies becoming stuck between the mattresses and ends of the cribs. The infants were not injured, however. Louisiana parents who have purchased cribs and mattresses from the furniture store need to immediately stop using the mattresses and return them to their local retailer.
According to the original IKEA recall notice, the defective crib mattresses are from the VYSSA line, which includes the VACKERT, VINKA, SPELEVINK, SLÖA and SLUMMER models. In the expanded recall, the mattresses from the SULTAN line are added, including the BLUNDA, DRÖMMA, SNARKA and SUSSA models. All of the mattresses measure 52 inches in length and 27.5 inches in width and were manufactured prior to May 5, 2014. IKEA has been selling the SULTAN models in the United States since October 2000 while the VYSSA models have been sold since August 2010.
Parents can identify whether their mattresses are defective by reading the permanent label on the mattress covers. Those being recalled are labeled with the YY-WW date format of 14-18 or before. After verifying the defective mattresses, parents can measure the gap between them and the ends of the cribs without sheets. If the gap is larger than two fingers side by side, they are advised to stop using and return them immediately. They will be provided a full refund or an exchange and do not need proof of purchase.
Defective products could lead to a range of consumer injuries from minor to fatal. In the case of defective mattresses, the consequence may be suffocation. If a manufacturer or retail company does not notify consumers of a defect, the consumers who are injured as a result could seek compensation for the damages.
