CPSC, The First Years® Inc. Announce New Safety Instructions to Prevent Injuries for Combo Baby Tubs/Step Stools

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #03085) was formally reported on February 27, 2003. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. The First Years Inc., of Avon, Mass. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate 120,000 units are affected, a scale large enough to require multi-state distribution tracking.

The documented reason for this recall is: When used as a tub, babies' body parts can be pinched if the product's footrest is not fully extended, so that it clicks into place firmly. Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: Consumers should not use the bathtub until they receive revised instructions on the use of the tub to prevent the pinching hazard. Consumers should contact The First Years to receive free revised ins… — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 6 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 23 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.