About 90 Bistro high chairs have been recalled by Dream On Me, Inc., of South Plainfield, NJ. The front openings between the tray and seat bottom and on the side openings of the high chair between the armrest and seat bottom can allow a child’s body to pass through and become entrapped at the neck. This poses a strangulation hazard to young children if the belt is not engaged. No serious injuries, so far have been reported.
The recall comes after Consumer Reports alerted the Consumer Safety Products Commission and Dream On Me in February that the Bistro failed to meet two key criteria in their tests, which are based in part on voluntary ASTM International Safety standards for high chairs. Consumer Reports has designated the Bistro “Don’t Buy: Safety Risk.”
First, we found, the Dream On Me lacks a “passive crotch restraint,” essentially a fixed post that sits between the child’s legs to prevent him from slipping under the tray and either falling or getting his head caught between the tray and seat, which can result in strangulation. The Dream On Me Bistro has a five-point belt harness that can be buckled to hold a child in place, but it doesn’t have the fixed post that the standard specifies.
The Dream On Me had also failed our tests based on the ASTM standard’s “side containment” requirement, because it has openings between the chair arms and seat that are large enough for a child’s leg or torso to slip through, also posing a risk of injury.
In addition, the exposed springs between the seat and armrest on both sides of the high chair can create a pinch hazard to the child. This recall involves all Bistro high chairs with model/style number “255” which is printed on a tag attached to the back of the seat.
The high chair was sold in blue or pink. The fabric on the seat has a polka-dot design and “Dream On Me” is printed on a label attached to the front of the white tray. The recalled high chair was manufactured in July 2011 and has a date code printed on a label on the back of the chair.
The high chairs were sold at Americas Kids, Kid Pro USA, as well as independent juvenile specialty stores and online at ToysRUs.com between November 2011 and September 2012 for approximately $75.
Contact one of our Gacovino Lake attorneys at 1-800-246-HURT(4878).
