Technical Services | Recalls

NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Graco Children's Products Recalls to Replace Soft Blocks Towers on
Activity Centers Due to Choking Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary
recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using
recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of product: Soft Blocks Tower Toys (on Graco(r) Baby Einstein(r)
discover and play(tm) Activity Centers)

Units: About 40,000

Manufacturer: Graco Children's Products Inc., of Exton, Pa.

Hazard: The plastic covering on the soft block towers can detach, posing
a choking hazard to infants.

Incidents/Injuries: Graco has received 137 reports of infants mouthing
and chewing pieces of the plastic film covering, some of whom required
medical attention. Serious incident reports include 32 infants who
gagged and 49 who choked on the plastic covering.

Description: The soft block tower is a stack of three different shaped
stuffed fabric blocks in red, yellow and blue. Pictures of apples, fire
engines, ducks, bananas, birds and blueberries on the blocks are covered
in plastic film. The soft blocks are one of nine toys that snap onto the
tray of the activity center. Only model number 4635BEE with serial
numbers 012705 through 063005, which indicates the manufacture dates of
January 27, 2005 through June 30, 2005, are included in this recall.
Model and serial numbers are located underneath the activity center's
tray.

Sold at: Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), Babies "R" Us, Toys
"R" Us, Meijer, Shopko, Target, and various specialty retailers
nationwide, and on Wal-Mart.com and Target.com from February 2005
through about December 2005 for $80.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately remove the Soft Blocks toy from the
activity center and contact Graco for a free replacement Tower toy
without the plastic film. Consumers can continue to use the activity
center after the soft block tower has been removed.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Graco at (800)
345-4109 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or log on
to www.gracobaby.com

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the
recalled product, please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07176.html