Bumbo International

Update on Safety Campaign Progress

noemail@bumbosafety.com — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:00:00 GMT

Hello, Thank you for registering through the Bumbo Baby Seat Safety Web site to receive updated warning stickers and instruction leaflets. We would like to take a moment to give you an update. Within the next few weeks, we will have revised instructions and warning labels to stress falling danger of using the Bumbo Baby Seat on any elevated surface and to emphasize that a baby should never be left unattended in the Bumbo Baby Seat. We expect production and printing of our updated instructions and warning label stickers to take approximately two weeks. You should receive your new...

30-Oct-07 7:00 PM

National Press Columnist Marni Soupcoff on the Bumbo Recall

noemail@bumbosafety.com — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 17:00:00 GMT

Click here to see the article.

Bumbo recall

It seems obvious that babies need close supervision no matter what kind of seat, pen (excuse me, “play yard”) or crib they are entrusted to. They’re wriggly little things who have little concept of the danger of a fall and are keen to escape and explore. That’s why I was surprised to read about the recall of a line of foam baby seats called Bumbos. As a bit of ordinary common sense could easily have predicted, it turns out that babies left in Bumbos on elevated surfaces can flip out of the seats and fall on to the floor, creating a serious risk of head injury. After reports of 28 Bumbo falls, three of which resulted in skull fractures, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary Bumbo recall.

Better safe than sorry, I suppose, but I don’t think the Bumbo is really to blame. Babies can just as easily have bad falls if they’re tucked in to car seats or bouncy chairs, then left on a counter or table. The problem isn’t the seat itself, it’s the placement: If it’s far enough above the ground to make a potential fall dangerous, it shouldn’t be there.

Our family’s Bumbo has been handed down to friends who are expecting, so I can’t check it, but I could have sworn it had a warning on it about elevated surfaces. Our car seat and bouncy chair certainly do.

Consumers have every right to expect that the products they buy — especially products that are designed and marketed for vulnerable babies, young children and elderly people — are safe when used properly. But the onus for using a bit of reason and caution has to remain with the caregiver. Which is why I feel sorry for the makers of Bumbo.

26-Oct-07 12:00 PM

Warning: Be Careful With Bumbo

noemail@bumbosafety.com — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:00:00 GMT

To go to the ABC Good Morning America report, please click here. Warning: Be Careful With Bumbo CPSC Warns Parents Should Be Extra Careful When Leaving Children in the Bumbo Seat Touted on a company Web site as a snug and cozy environment for your baby, the Bumbo Seat infant chair may actually be the opposite. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning parents to take caution -- your child could be in danger if the seat is used improperly. The Bumbo Seat, recommended for babies between two months and 14 months, doesnt have any safety belt or harness. The plastic seat is designed to help babies sit upright and develop trunk control before they can do so on their own. But babies who arch their backs while sitting in the Bumbo can flip out of the seat and land on their heads, a fall that could be deadly if the Bumbo is placed high on a table or countertop. Amber Black said she watched in horror as her baby, Brookyln, fell out of a Bumbo Seat and off the kitchen counter...

25-Oct-07 8:00 AM

Your Baby Week Eight

noemail@bumbosafety.com — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:00:00 GMT

By eight weeks, your baby is likely getting tired of simply lying around all the time.

Now that she has better neck and head control, she is likely to want to be in a more upright position for some or much of the day. You may notice this as your baby gets bored or fussy when trying to place her in a position where she is just lying down, like in a car seat, glider, or crib. Instead of lying down all of the time, your baby is going to want to start sitting up more often.

At this point, many parents begin to use a swing or bouncer to keep their baby entertained. While kids enjoy these baby products, since they still put pressure on your child's head, they can still put your baby at risk for developing a flat head.

Other baby products that your baby may enjoy at this age, and which can help keep your baby in an upright position and off her head, include a:

Bumbo Baby Seat
Maya Wrap Sling
BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier

Parents often think of using a wrap sling in the horizontal, newborn carry position. Keep in mind that you can also use your wrap sling in a snuggle hold position to keep your baby facing you in an upright position. And once your newborn is three to six months old, you can switch to a kangaroo-type position to hold your baby upright and facing forward.

Bumbo Baby Seat Safety

Unlike a wrap sling or baby carrier, the Bumbo Baby Seat doesn't include anything to help support your baby's head. That makes it important to either supervise your baby and continue to support your baby's head while she is in the Bumbo Baby Seat or wait until she has good enough head control to sit in the seat without help.

29-Sep-07 6:00 AM

Do Bumbo chairs provide a safe seat for your baby?

noemail@bumbosafety.com — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 22:00:00 GMT

See the story here.

Have a baby? Have a Bumbo. The colorful foam seats are giving babies everywhere a comfortable place to sit, while giving Mom a break.

"It gives me an opportunity to set her down and do something with her brother if he needs some attention," says Jacinta Cameron, a busy mother of two.

Parents say they help babies learn to sit up sooner and prevent flat spots on the head.

"She (Maguire) had a bit of a flat head syndrome so I needed something else to keep her upright, and keep her off her head all the time," says Robyn Colvin-Smith, mother of Maguire, now a toddler.

But the seats don't have a safety strap or restraint. The manufacturer says it's ergonomically designed so the baby's own body weight keeps them in place. It's recommended for babies up to 22 pounds. But this Calgary mom says her baby could get out of it when she was only 16 pounds.

"She'd try and straighten out her body... and pop right out of the chair," adds Kristell Court, mother of 8 month-old Abby.

The manufacturer's warning label states the chair is to be used on the floor only. But because it's so portable, there's the temptation to put it on high surfaces, like countertops and tables.

"It's not a matter of it if will happen, it's a matter of when because if you put that on a high surface the child will fall," says Carol Beringer-Brown, of the Calgary Health Region's KIDSAFE program.

Falls are the leading cause of injuries to kids under 5 in Alberta.

Health Canada says there have been no reported injuries associated with Bumbo chairs. The company that distributes them in Calgary, maintains they are safe when used as intended.

"It's a great product to use on the floor, supervised. If parents are using it on raised surface, they're doing it at their own risk," according to Narda Simpson, who imports Bumbo chairs from South Africa.

Bumbo chairs, and a similar model, called Bebe Pod, are a new class of baby product currently unregulated in Canada. That means, they don't meet strict safety standards, like those for car seats and cribs.

As these chairs get more popular, some think the regulations may have to change to include these types of booster-like seats.

6-Nov-06 4:00 PM

The Bumbo Baby Sitter - Safe and comfortable seating for babies

noemail@bumbosafety.com — Fri, 03 Sep 2004 18:00:00 GMT

While caring for his infant grandson, mechanical engineer Johan Buitendach noticed that babies like to sit up and observe their surroundings - but they lack the physical co-ordination to do so. So he designed a seat that could comfortably hold and support an infant in any surroundings. He started with a block of polystyrene and an exactor blade. Eight years later Buitendach has a comfortable baby seat for the next crop of grandchildren and a product that is sold in 33 countries. The Bumbo Baby Sitter enables a baby of 2-12 months to sit unaided, without the encumbrance of straps, belts or clips. The product has been approved by standards bodies around the world. As Buitendach knows, taking an idea from concept to commercial reality is not a walk in the park. Fortunately for him, his experience of global trade fairs meant he was already familiar with the principles of design and manufacture, intellectual property protection and marketing. He owns and manages Jonibach Patterns &...

3-Sep-04 1:00 PM