In the News: Bumbo Seat Recall (and a larger lesson for all....)

Many of you may have heard about the Bumbo Seat recall issued earlier this week.  The company is recalling over 4 million of their popular Bumbo Seats in response to at least 84 reports of children becoming injured after falling out of the seats.  A Bumbo Seat is designed to help infants sit up before they can do so unassisted (typically for the 4-6 month olds who have adequate head control to use the seat, but still need a little help propping up).  The company, Bumbo International, will now provide owners with a repair kit to add a strap to secure babies in the seats and all new Bumbo seats will come with the strap.

While the strap is certainly a step in the right direction, i think the most important part of this story is actually about where the seats are placed.  The most severe injuries associated with the Bumbo seats, including skull fractures and intracranial bleeds (bleeding inside the brain), occurred when these seats were placed somewhere high - a counter or a table - and when the child fell out of the seat, they also fell a larger distance downward.  And it is important to note, that for the past 5 years, Bumbo has issued a warning on the box warning against the use of the seat on elevated surfaces. 

I was not at all surprised by the recall as this is a phenomenon that is widespread and does not just involve Bumbo Seats!  But, if you've never worked in a Pediatric Emergency Room, you may not be aware

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