Dorel Infant Car Seats Recalled

Nearly a half-million infant restraint systems, comprised of a car restraint and detachable carrier, have been recalled by Dorel Juvenile Group (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). The products are sold under the Safety 1st, Cosco, Eddie Bauer and Disney brand names.

The car seat itself is safe when used properly in the car, but the handle on the detachable portion of it is prone to coming loose, which creates a fall hazard. Neither the NHTSA notice nor the Dorel press release mentioned any reported injuries from the defect.

Anyone using one of the recalled products (listed below) should contact Dorel's customer service hotline at (866) 762-3316 or visit their web site to order a repair kit. The following products are included in the recall (check the NHTSA press release for specific model numbers):

Safety 1st Sojourn Travel System
Safety 1st Eurostar Travel System
Safety 1st Explorer Travel System
Safety 1st Lite Wave Travel System
Safety 1st Vector Travel System
Cosco Sprint Travel System
Cosco Spirit Travel System
Disney Propack Travel System
Eddie Bauer Adventurer Travel System
Eddie Bauer Endeavor Travel System

About a week after the above items were recalled, Dorel also recalled 213,000 so-called "play yards with bassinets" (Tribune). No injuries have been reported but the following products (Consumer Product Safety Commission) pose a suffocation hazard:

Description: The play yards are portable and were sold with a bassinet attachment and a built-in changing station. Models included in this recall are 05025, 05026, 05037, 05088 and 05350. The model number is printed on a sticker on one of the support legs underneath the play yard. "Safety 1st" or "Eddie Bauer" are printed near the bottom of the fabric sides of the play yards.

As with all child-restraint systems for cars, it's best to let a trained professional (try your local fire dept.) install and inspect them first.