WASHINGTON: The United States has ordered a recall of 1.5 million baby strollers manufactured in China for US company Graco Children’s Products after fingertip amputations suffered by children.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission yesterday announced the voluntary recall of the Graco’s Passage, Alano and Spree strollers and other travel systems manufactured between October 2004 and February 2008. “Graco has received seven reports of children placing their fingers in the stroller’s canopy hinge mechanism while the canopy was being opened or closed, resulting in five fingertip amputations and two fingertip lacerations,” it said in a statement. “The hinges on the stroller’s canopy pose a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is opening or closing the canopy.”

The strollers were sold in most of the US’ retail stores such as Burlington Coat Factory, Babies “R” Us, Toys “R” Us, Kmart, Sears, Target and Walmart. This is the second major recall in recent months of strollers following reports of fingertip amputations and injuries. Last November, about a million strollers, also manufactured in China for Britain’s Maclaren were recalled after there were 12 reports of fingertip amputations in the United States.