After four known infant deaths, the first in 2003, Rubbermaid  – the parent company of Graco Children’s Products – has recalled two million strollers, manufactured until 2007, with many believed to still be in use. Graco Recalls Strollers on Strangulation Concerns, by Andrew Martin in the New York Times on October 21st:

Doug McGraw, Graco’s president, said the recall was prompted in part because many more parents were buying and selling secondhand strollers, probably because of the prolonged economic malaise.

Some consumer advocates questioned why it took so long for federal authorities and Graco to issue the recall, which applies to Graco models Quattro Tour and MetroLite strollers and travel systems (car seat and stroller combinations). The strollers were deemed dangerous, especially to children under 1 year of age, because when left unharnessed, they can crawl through the opening between the seat and stroller tray and become trapped.

“We assume that if something is sold and hasn’t been recalled, the product must be safe,” said Nancy A. Cowles, executive director of Kids in Danger, a nonprofit group that advocates for safer children’s products.