Nearly half a million infant car seat / child carriers manufactured by Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc. have been recalled following reports that the handle on the units loosened and detached, causing some infants to suffer fall-related injuries. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (www.cpsc.gov), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (www.nhtsa.gov), and the manufacturer announced the recall on Friday.

According to the CPSC, Dorel of Columbus, Indiana, which manufactures a range of children’s home and travel products, received 77 reports regarding the child restraint handles on dozens of car seat/carrier models made under Safety 1^st, Eddie Bauer, Disney, and Cosco brands. Injuries reported range from bumps and bruises to head injury.

All of the recalled units were made in China between January 6, 2008 and April 6, 2009 and sold in stores nationwide from January 2008 until recently. The affected units were packaged as part of a “Travel System” that included a stroller, but the stroller is not included in the safety recall. The units cost between $120 and $220 in stores.

Consumers who think they may have one of the recalled strollers should check the model number and manufacture date on the label attached to the side of the carrier and reference the chart of recalled models below. If you have questions or concerns about the recall, you may call the manufacturer toll-free at (866) 762-3316 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Monday through Friday. More information is available online at www.djgusa.com/safety_notice.

Although the recalled products are safe to use as car seats, they should not be used as carriers until the repair kit has been installed.

The CPSC is still interested in receiving incident reports about the Dorel carriers and other defective products from the public. Reports may be completed and submitted online at https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx. Consumers may also call the CPSC hotline at 800-638-2772 or teletypewriter at 301-595-7054 to report dangerous products.

Following is a complete list of the recalled products.