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Deaths In Recalled Chests, Cribs Mount

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2001 -- After four recent deaths, the Consumer Product Safety Commission ( is stepping up its efforts to find all remaining Lane cedar chests and Baby Trend portable cribs that were recalled six years ago.

On August 16, 2001, three St. Louis children became trapped in a cedar chest and suffocated, bringing the known death toll from the chests to 10. The accidents happened when children crawled into the chests and closed the lids, which automatically snapped shut. Since 1987, all Lane cedar chests have been manufactured with a lid that does not latch automatically when closed but thousands of the older chests are still in use.

CPSC is also asking consumers to search for recalled Home and Roam and Baby Express portable cribs/play yards. The cribs yards can collapse and trap an infant. In June 2001, an 8-month-old Seattle baby strangled when his neck was caught in the V-shape created by the collapsed sides of a Home and Roam play yard. There have been four other deaths and three reports of babies who were found not breathing but later revived. The instructions for getting a free replacement can be found in CPSC's February 2001 re-announcement of the Baby Trend play yard recall.

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