Bumbo Recall = The End Of Common Sense
Last week, 4 million Bumbo Baby Seats were recalled. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Bumbo are issuing the voluntary recall. The CPSC says, "babies can maneuver out of or fall from the Bumbo seat posing a risk of serious injuries".
The serious injuries are most likely to occur when the Bumbo seats are placed on raised surfaces.
Recalled Bumbos will be fixed by adding a restraint belt and a warning label.
But who should be held responsible for falls from a Bumbo Baby Seat? Bumbo or parents?
In 2007, 1 million Bumbo Baby Seats were recalled to provide additional warnings against putting the seats on raised surfaces. Since the recall in 2007, there have been at least 50 incidents of babies getting injured when falling from a Bumbo on a raised surface. There have also been at least 34 injuries from falls from a Bumbo on the floor or an "unknown" elevation.
The falls from an elevated surface have a much higher rate of serious injury than the falls from the floor or an "unknown" elevation. While I feel terrible for every injury sustained from a fall from a Bumbo, it should not be unexpected.
Kids are wiggly and find ways to fall/climb/crawl to many surprising places. It should not be surprising that a child can fall from a Bumbo.
All three of my kids used a Bumbo. We never sat them on a table or countertop while in the Bumbo. I don't think most parents would leave an infant to sit or lay on a table or countertop, so why set them there when they are in a Bumbo?
A child could easily fall from a chair or bar stool, Bumbos are no different. Bumbo Baby Seats may place a false sense of security in the minds of many parents, but they shouldn't. Even with the added restraint belts, Bumbos should still remain on the floor. Placing a child in a Bumbo on an elevated surface is irresponsible.
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