Health Canada has announced the recall of a brand of baby strollers because a folding hinge on the products poses a risk to children's fingers.
The department says while there have been no reports of injuries in Canada, several children in the United States have lost fingertips or parts of a finger.
The recalled strollers are made by a company called Graco Children's Products Inc.; the recall affects eleven models of Graco strollers and travel systems.
All the affected models are single-occupant strollers with a spring-loaded fold lock on the side and a one-hand fold release mechanism on the handle.
The recall relates to the Aspen, Breeze, Capri, Cirrus, Literider, Sierra and Sterling models and covers products sold in Canada from August 2000 to November 2014.
"It's a really scary problem for parents but we want to make sure that everyone acts on this recall and that we're not going to have more injuries," says Elliot Kaye with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, "these products have been on the market for 14 years, 11 different models."
Owners should contact the company immediately for a free repair kit, which will be available at the beginning of December.
They can be ordered by phone at 1-800-667-8184 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.
Owners of Graco strollers can find model numbers and the date of manufacture on a label located on the stroller's tubing frame.
"While waiting for a repair kit, caregivers should exercise extreme care when unfolding the stroller to be certain that the hinges are firmly locked before placing a child in the stroller," Health Canada said.
"Caregivers are advised to immediately remove the child from a stroller that begins to fold to keep their fingers from the side hinge area."
It is estimated that over 200,000 of the strollers have been purchased in Canada.
The recall is undertaken jointly by Health Canada, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Mexico's Consumer Protection Federal Agency and Graco Children's Products Inc.
For the full recall details, product model numbers and repair kit information:
http://www.graco.net/e/companyinfo.asp?listtype=type&SectionID=47&ContentID=1134
