Maclaren Prams Safe - Redgwoods
 
South Africa’s leading toy and baby products retailer, Redgwoods has assured parents that Maclaren prams are safe.  However, babies should never be left alone in the prams and small children must not be allowed to operate their own strollers.
 
This follows reports from the United States where Maclaren has voluntarily employed corrective measures by providing consumers and retailers with a kit to cover the elbow joint on the Maclaren umbrella folding prams.  This comes in the wake of reported incidents of children trapping their fingers in the hinge joint of the strollers.
 
Redgwoods director, Issy Zimmerman said there was no need for panic as Maclaren products safety standards were on a par with, and in some instances, exceeded the European Union and United States regulations. “Our commitment to the safety of children is non-negotiable. We remain committed to ensuring that the products we stock are always in keeping with international safety best practice.”
 
In a statement Maclaren reiterated that the voluntary recall was to ensure extra safety for their customers. “If a stroller is folded or unfolded in line with our operating instructions, the risk of injury is non existent. Our advice to consumers is that they should exercise the same level of caution and care as they do when opening or closing a car door.  This advice should also be applied when handling any moving part that can be found in many other baby and toddler products.”
 
The company said the voluntary recall applied only to the US market and not to South Africa. Maclaren urged customers to continue using their Maclaren strollers as they were safe when opened and closed correctly. As a further reassurance, the company has updated its operating instructions and placed a warning label on the strollers.  However, it is up to the user to ensure that care is taken and children kept away from the stroller when it was being folded or unfolded.
 
Instructions for Maclaren Strollers:

• Keep children clear of the stroller during the opening and folding process.
• Always use the safety harness.
• Always apply the brakes when stationary.
• Never leave your child unattended – even with the harness fastened.
• Don’t overload the buggy. Heavy items hanging from the handles can cause it to topple.
• Don’t let children play or climb on a stroller
• Don’t carry more than one child on a stroller.
• Negotiate curbs carefully.
• Wherever possible always carry a stroller down flights of stairs.