IKEA Issues Safety Warning For Popular Changing Tables — CORRECTED

Keeping track of safety issues might seem like a full-time job, as news of faulty products and inedible foods are announced weekly. A parent's watch is never done. Now, a popular piece of children's furniture is under scrutiny. IKEA issued a safety warning for a popular changing table due to risk of children falling, and it's something parents should be taking very seriously.

IKEA announced the safety warning and urged parents to repair and replace the locking mechanism for the popular SUNDVIK changing table/chest, reminding consumers that it's absolutely necessary to secure the safety lock provided with the set in order to secure the foldable part of the changing table in place, according to ABC News 5 Cleveland. If owners no longer have the safety-lock hardware, they can get one free of charge from any IKEA location without proof of purchase, according to the company's website.

The SUNDVIK is a double-use, space-saver furniture piece that grows with a child serving as a changing table with storage and later as a chest of drawers when the child is past diaper wearing age, according to the product description.

It comes in three colors and starts at $169 for the white model.

"IKEA alerts customers who have purchased the SUNDVIK changing table/chest to ensure that they use the safety locking fittings provided at all times. Customers must not use the product for infant changing if these fittings are not in place correctly or are missing," the company said in an online statement.

So far, IKEA has received three reports of children falling when the foldable part of the changing table/chest came loose. In all cases, the safety locks were not used. According to the company's statement, none of these incidents occurred in the United States.

Romper has reached out to the company for comment and is awaiting a response.

The product is only safe when used for its intended purposes and according to instructions and safety guidelines, IKEA said in a statement. If the safety locks are missing or not in place, parents should discontinue use of the product until the hardware is replaced.

“Safe products are always an IKEA priority and we are truly sorry to hear about the incidents but grateful that, to our knowledge, the children are fine. IKEA has now taken precautionary actions and will further improve the product communication”, Emelie Knoester, Children’s Business Area Manager for IKEA said, in the company's Facebook post.

A few years ago, IKEA recalled their MALM and other models of chests and dressers because if they were not securely anchored to the wall, they had the potential topple over on a child if climbed, according to Consumer Product Safety Commission. In this case, customers were either offered a refund or free wall mounting equipment.

Unfortunately, eight children died when these dressers fell on top of them, according to Newsweek. Over 180 tip-over incidents with the MALM chest and 113 with other IKEA chests and drawers, plus 53 injuries were reported, according to Newsweek.

IKEA eventually reached a $50 million settlement with three of the families who lost children in tip over accidents, according to NPR.

Additional information about the SUNDVIK safety warning, and others, can be found on IKEA's product recall page online.

For more information visit the IKEA website or call customer service at (888) 888-4532.

Correction: A previous version of this article stated IKEA had issued a recall on this item. It has been corrected to reflect the safety warning issued.