Bed-side Sleepers may pose hazards for infants

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Consumers should double-check Infant Bed-Side Sleepers which, if not installed properly, pose entrapment, suffocation and fall risks, the government said on Tuesday.

Bed-side sleepers have one side lower than the others, with that side placed near a bed to provide easier access for care and feeding of infants.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said in a statement that when the fabric liner of the Oxnard, California-based Arm's Reach Concepts product is not used properly infants can fall from the raised mattress into the loose fabric at the bottom of the bed-side sleeper or can become entrapped.

There have been 10 reports of falling or entrapped babies, although none have resulted in injuries.

Consumers should stop using the recalled sleepers and consult the manufacturer's website www.armsreach.com/instructions to view proper assembly instructions, and should ask the company for hard-copy instructions as well, the CPSC said.

About 76,000 of the Infant Bed-Side Sleepers bore model numbers 8108, 8133, 8111, 8112 and 8199 for the original version, and 8311 for the Universal version.

The sleepers were sold from September 1997 through December 2001 for about $160 at Burlington Coat Factory, Babies R Us and other retail stores nationwide.