From Bloomberg:

March 22 (Bloomberg) -- Newell Rubbermaid Inc.'s Graco unit was fined a record $4 million for failing to report promptly defects in more than 12 million children's products, some of which caused deaths and injuries.

The fine is the largest civil penalty ever levied by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the agency said in a statement today. Under the provisional settlement, Exton, Pennsylvania-based Graco will recall 1.2 million toddler beds sold between February 1994 and March 2001 because a child's limb can lodge in guardrails or footboards, the commission said.

The recall notice from CPSC notes that the Graco toddler bed has caused "77 entrapments. This resulted in 13 broken arms and legs, 1 broken foot, a sprained ankle and 54 other injuries..." CPSC's announcement about the Graco civil penalty can be found here and a list of recent children's product recalls can be found here.

Frankly, the children's product industry is a shady place. For a look at exactly how shady, any expecting parents should seek out Marla Felcher's book It's No Accident, which describes in great detail the shortcomings of the Consumer Product Safety Commission as well as the manufacturers' lack-luster "voluntary" safety standards. The result of this combination? Felcher makes a strong case that it is bad products and injured kids.

-- MDT