Stork Craft Company recalled 2.1 million cribs last week, which has consumers screaming for reform in safety requirements for cribs, strollers and high chairs. While this is not the first crib recall to happen, it is the largest one in history, leaving unsuspecting parents to worry about other items they use to care for their infants and toddlers.

The cribs involved in the recall have resulted in four fatalities in the United States, with dozens more children being entrapped in the cribs or falling out of them. The cribs are the drop-side cribs manufactured by Stork Craft manufactured between January 1993 and October 2009. In addition, cribs made by Stork Craft and carrying the Fisher-Price brand, made between October 1997 and December 2004 were also recalled.

The cribs were sold by retailers across the US and Canada including J.C. Penney, Kmart, Sears, USA Baby, and Wal-Mart stores, among others. Some online retailers include BabiesRUs.com, Amazon.com, Costco.com, Target.com and Walmart.com

The danger with the cribs is the drop-side panel, which can malfunction, allowing babies to slide down between the mattress and the crib wall and suffocate. Previous crib recalls also involved drop-side cribs.

The U.S. Product Safety Commission is considering banning all drop-side cribs, regardless of manufacturer. In the last five years, a total of five million drop-side cribs have been recalled and 12 babies have died. While some say the USPSC should have moved sooner to enact the recall, the Commission states they have laws in place regarding the spacing, height and strength of the rails on cribs. The USPSC has been working to get Congress to make those laws even stricter. Just last year Congress passed a law requiring safety tests on cribs performed by a third party.

New cribs cost from $100 to $400 and up and many people hand down cribs to friends and relatives or buy them second-hand. Because of this, even if the manufacturing of drop-side cribs is banned, there will continue to be a problem because so many are already in use.

Consumers who think they may have one of the recalled cribs, can check the mattress support board for the model number, crib name, the year manufactured, the country the crib was made in and the name and address of the manufacturer. They can then contact Stork Craft with their information. Due to the sheer size of the recall, customers will likely need to wait some time before their crib can be replaced or repaired.

• Fishing Report: September 4, 2009
• Secrets To Mastering The Successful Launch Of Your New Home Business - Part 2
• Snowboarding Glossary
• Best Personal Financial Software
• Concerned about your bank?