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The Bumbo Recall and a Lack of Common Sense

You’ve all heard about the Bumbo recall, right? If not, let me break it down for you.

Some parent out there thought it would be a great idea to stick their kid (well, more than one kid… 130 incidents resulting in 35 skull fractures) in the Bumbo and set it up on a high surface like a counter. Their kid then made some form of movement / motion / ninja kick and they fell out of the Bumbo and fell onto the floor, resulting in a skull fracture. The parent, obviously upset, blamed Bumbo for the entire thing, calling the product “unsafe.”

Bumbo issued a recall on their product in 2007 and added a warning label: “WARNING – Prevent Falls; Never use on any elevated surface”. Parents didn’t listen, they still kept putting their babies in the Bumbo and sticking them up on counters, tables, top of the fridge, etc. and more injuries resulted. Bumbo issue a second recall by offering a solution: a retrofitted restraint belt. End of story (for now).

There are so many things wrong with this entire situation.

My initial reaction to the recall was seven consecutive eye rolls. Why are companies being sued / blamed for a parent’s lack of common sense? This recall (and the one in 2007) have cost Bumbo a lot of money, time and they’ve taken a hit to their reputation and for what? For a few parents who didn’t think.

Product recalls are fantastic because they take unsafe products off the market and they make modifications to products that allow them to be safer to use. However, so many child product recalls are a result of parents who lack common sense. Take the walker for example. That product was recalled because parents weren’t paying attention and kids were toddling over to stairs and falling down the stairs while strapped into the walker. Parents who lack common sense would have said, “Wow, my kid is scooting along the floor and there is a staircase there without a gate… Oh well! Let’s hope Little Jimmy knows that that is a no-go-zone while I go and wash my hair!”

Parents… wake up. Implement common sense and we won’t have these silly recalls.

Recalls such as the pajamas that lacked flame retardant are good, useful and helpful. The recall on the inflatable Banzai waterslides that resulted in paralysis and death, that is also a good recall. These are recalls due to manufacturer errors and product defects. Not because of a lack of common sense in parenting.

Now some of you may say, “Accidents can happen to anyone! It doesn’t mean I don’t have common sense!” well… yes. Accidents can happen to anyone. However, if you have common sense, you will do things that ensure the safety of your children. Like, not putting them into a plastic chair on a high surface. It doesn’t matter the argument — doing things with complete disregard to the potential outcomes is just purely a lack of common sense.

We have a Bumbo and I ordered the restraining belt NOT because I think it makes the product any safer but because I know that someday, if we resell the Bumbo, someone is going to say, “Wasn’t it recalled? Do you have the restraining belt?”. The issue with this “band-aid” is that if parents continue to place their babies on high surfaces while STRAPPED into the Bumbo, I think the resulting injuries will be far, far worse now because there will be zero chance of them being able to slide out before they make contact with the floor / ground.

To close, the best thing you can do for your child(ren) is to stay aware, assess potential dangers and then act accordingly. If you wouldn’t sit your baby on a table or counter without the Bumbo, don’t do it in the Bumbo. Don’t use toys, props or baby furniture as babysitters — stay with your child and monitor them while they are in it. Use common sense and we should see a drop in these crazy recalls.

What are your thoughts on the Bumbo recall? Do you think that it is a manufacturer error or simply a parenting error? Leave them in the comments below!

 
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Comments (7)

  1. Crystal M Saturday - 25 / 08 / 2012 Reply
    So what you are saying then is to stop putting my child in the bumbo on top of the fridge? Ohhhhh. I would have never thought of that :P LMAO!! I totally agree Erin, use your common sense and your mother's instinct, fewer of these incidents would be occurring. Remember the lady who sued McDonald's because she burnt her tongue swigging back a freshly brewed coffee? She won lots of moola....some people!
    • Erin
      Twitter:
      Sunday - 26 / 08 / 2012 Reply
      LOL Yes, I remember that silly lady... Who doesn't know that hot coffee is HOT?!
  2. amanda Saturday - 25 / 08 / 2012 Reply
    I blame the parents for thinking its ok to sit an unstable tiny baby in a bumbo on a table! My son used one on our living room floor and only sat in it for 2 min at the most! It wasnt a babysitter i would have never left him in it. Just like i would never leave him in a high chair even if he was strapped in. It bugs me just like parents who put the infant carseat ontop of the shopping car! Omg dont get me started on that!! Haha
    • Jen Sunday - 26 / 08 / 2012 Reply
      I agree with Amanda about the Bumbo and the car seat on the shopping cart! I really don't like the Bumbo at all and we did not have one. I think that when babies are physically ready to sit up they will so don't force it cause it can be hard on their bodies. I wouldn't want to be forced to sit in a chair that I didn't like.
    • Erin
      Twitter:
      Sunday - 26 / 08 / 2012 Reply
      Amen sister! And yes, car seats on the tops of shopping carts are silly too! I'd like to think that some of these errors are due to sleep deprivation but I think I would be being too nice to the parents involved!
  3. Amy Saturday - 25 / 08 / 2012 Reply
    Amen! It amazes me how many people do not use common sense with their children. Good for you, posting this blog!!! :)
    • Erin
      Twitter:
      Sunday - 26 / 08 / 2012 Reply
      Thank you Amy!!

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