Recall issued for 223K strollers with entrapment, strangulation hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Hundreds of thousands of strollers are being recalled because of an entrapment and strangulation risk.

Peg Perego USA Inc., of Fort Wayne, Ind. is cooperating wiht the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to voluntarily recall about 223,000 strollers after a 6-month-old baby boy from Tarzana, Calif. died of strangulation when his head became trapped between the seat and the tray of his stroller in 2004.

Another baby, a 7-month-old girl from New York, N.Y., nearly strangled when her head became trapped between the seat and the tray of her stroller in 2006.

Entrapment and strangulation can occur, especially to infants younger than 12 months of age, when a child is not harnessed. An infant can pass through the opening between the stroller tray and seat bottom, but his/her head and neck can become entrapped by the tray. Infants who become entrapped at the neck are at risk of strangulation.

The following Venezia and Pliko-P3 stroller model numbers that begin with the following numbers are included in this recall. The model number is printed on a white label on the back of the Pliko P-3's stroller seat and on the Venezia stroller's footboard.

The recall involves two different older versions of the Peg Perego strollers, Venezia and Pliko-P3, manufactured between January 2004 and September 2007.  They were sold in a variety of colors.

The strollers were manufactured prior to the existence of the January 2008 voluntary industry standard, which addresses the height of the opening between the stroller's tray and the seat bottom. The voluntary standard requires larger stroller openings that prevent infant entrapment and strangulation hazards.

Only strollers that have a child tray with one cup holder are part of this recall. Strollers with a bumper bar in front of the child or a tray with two cup holders are not included in this recall.