Parents tend to buy baby monitors to set their anxieties at ease when they have an infant in the house. But owners of some 800,000 video baby monitors got some bad news this week. Manufacturer Summer Infant is recalling the batteries in more than half a million video baby monitors due to a serious burn hazard.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the battery in the handheld monitors can overheat and rupture. Overheating of the rechargeable batteries has been linked to incidents of property damage and smoke in baby nurseries. Have this monitor in your baby's room? Here's what you need to know:
1. Summer Infant warns if the batteries overheat, they represent a burn hazard, so the battery should be removed immediately. You can continue using the monitor, however -- the company recommends using the AC power cord.
2. The batteries are in various monitors, including: Baby Touch®, Baby Touch® Plus, Best View®, Best View® Choice, Complete Coverage®, Dual Coverage™, MultiView™, Peek® Plus, Private Label Baby Sight, Safe Sight™, Secure Sight®, Sleek & Secure®, Slim & Secure®, Slim & Secure® Plus, and Slim & Secure® Plus Power Pack.
3. To see if your battery is affected, check the serial number on the battery itself. The following numbers are part of the recall: S/N: JNN-S150A, S/N:JNS150-BA, S/N:JNS150A, S/N: JNN-S150B, S/N:JNS150-BB, S/N: JNN-S150C, and S/N:JNS150-BC.
4. The recalled monitors were sold at various stores in the US from about February 2010 through 2012 at a cost of anywhere from $150 to $350.
5. Summer Infant has had 22 reports of smoke or property damage caused by the battery overheating, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission is still accepting reports about the product.
6. If you want to use your monitor with a battery, Summer Infant will send you a replacement. Fill out their replacement request form on their website, or call 1-800-426-8627. The company will also provide you with a postage-paid envelope to return the hazardous battery, and they will dispose of it for you.
What kind of monitor are you using in your baby's nursery?
Image via Consumer Product Safety Commission