IKEA has some bad news for moms. The Swedish furniture giant has issued a recall of its children's wall lamps due to a serious strangulation hazard after a baby died. The SMILA lamps are popular in baby nurseries -- they can be mounted on a wall but don't require any electrical know-how because of the long cord that plugs right into a regular outlet.
Unfortunately, it's that long cord that has presented a danger to babies and prompted this serious recall. Do you have one of these in your child's room? Me too! And I know I've seen them in countless movies, mounted in the baby's nursery. But that doesn't make them safe.
Here's what moms need to know about this important recall:
1. Eight lamp models are affected by the recall, including the Stjarna star-shaped lamp, the Mane moon-shaped lamp, the Blomma flower-shaped lamps (both white and pink), the Hjarta heart-shaped lamp, the Bagge ladybug-shaped lamp, the Snakka seashell-shaped lamp, and the Sjohast seahorse-shaped lamp.
2. IKEA is working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission in the United States to get the lamps out of children's rooms after the death of one 16-month-old baby in Europe who became entangled in the lamp's cord in the crib. Another baby, also in Europe, also became entangled in the cord and nearly died of strangulation.
3. The lamps were sold exclusively at IKEA stores nationwide, in IKEA’s catalog, and online at IKEA-USA.com from July 1999 through May 2013 for between $10 and $13.
4. Parents are being directed to first make sure the lamp cords are out of reach of small children and then to call IKEA for a free repair kit at 888-966-4532. The kit will give parents self-adhesive fasteners they can use to attach the lamp’s cord to the wall.
What kind of lighting do you have in your baby's nursery? Is there an IKEA lamp in there?
Image via CPSC