Infant Car Bed
Child Restraint
System
OWNER'S MANUAL
Model 8403
Your child’s safety depends on you installing and
using this car bed correctly. READ THIS MANUAL!
Return this manual to the storage pocket provided on
the underside of the car bed for quick reference.
© 1999 Graco 403-9-99 IS1904
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6. Cleaning and Maintenance ............................................. 30-33
7. Registering Your Car Bed ................................................. 34
Contacting Graco
Our goal is to make every product the best it can be! We are also committed to
supporting our products after purchase. If you would like to speak to Graco about
your product, please call our Customer Service Department at 1-888-224-6549
ready to answer any questions you may have concerning parts, use or maintenance.
When you call, please have the model and serial numbers ready so your call may
be processed quickly and efficiently.
Keep this manual in the storage pocket
located on the underside of the car bed.
3
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4
1. Important Safety Information
No child restraint can guarantee protection from injury. However, proper use
of this car bed reduces the risk of serious injury or death to your child in the
event of a sharp turn, sudden stop or crash.
Do not install or use this car bed until you read and understand the instructions
in this manual and in your vehicle owner’s manual. Do not let others install
or use the car bed unless they understand how to use it.
1.1 About Your Child
!
Premature and/or low birth weight infants usually have special medical
needs. Consult your doctor about how to transport your child and about
their need for supervision.
!
This car bed is designed for use only by children who weigh 9 lbs.
(4.1 kg) or less and whose height is 20 inches (51 cm) or less. Using this
car bed with a child who is heavier than 9 lbs. or more than 20 inches in
height may increase the risk of serious injury or death. Once your child
outgrows the car bed, consult with your physician about transferring the
child into a rear-facing safety seat or another special needs product for a
larger child.
!
NEVER LEAVE YOUR CHILD UNATTENDED.
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1.2 About Using this Car Bed in Your Vehicle
!
Your child can be injured in a vehicle even if you are not in a crash.
More common events such as sudden braking and sharp turns can injure
your child if the car bed is not properly installed or if your child is not
properly secured in the car bed.
!
Do not place apnea monitors, oxygen tanks, or other medical equipment
inside the car bed. Keep this equipment outside of the car bed, secured
under the seat or on the floor. If not secured, it can be thrown around and
may injure occupants in the event of a sharp turn, sudden stop or crash.
!
There are many kinds of vehicles, seat belt systems, and occupant
protection systems. As a result, it is not possible for this manual to tell
you everything you need to know about putting this car bed in your
vehicle. You must carefully follow the instructions provided by the
vehicle owner’s manual as well as the information in this manual.
!
Some vehicles do not have any safe location for this car bed, and many
vehicles have seat belt systems that must not be used with the car bed
because those systems will not safely hold the car bed in place. Again,
you must refer to both this manual and your vehicle owner’s manual.
!
This car bed conforms to all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
!
This Restraint is certified for use in Motor Vehicles. This Restraint is not
certified for use in aircraft.
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1.3About Airbags
!
With some child restraint systems, such as rear-facing infant seats, an
inflating airbag can strike the child restraint and kill or seriously injure
a child.
With regard to this car bed and airbags, our tests and investigations indicate
that an inflating airbag will not strike a properly installed car bed and result in
serious injury or death. Presently, Graco is not aware of any airbags that will
strike a properly installed car bed and injure a child. However, airbags offer no
benefit to children in car beds. Also, airbag designs are changing rapidly, and
it is impossible to say that new designs will not present a risk of injury or death
to a child in a car bed.
As a result, before placing the car bed in a seating location that has an airbag,
consider the following:
- Most rear seats do not have airbags, and according to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly restrained in rear vehicle seating
positions rather than front seating positions.
- Always follow the recommendations of your vehicle manufacturer. See your
vehicle owner’s manual and/or contact your vehicle manufacturer for more
information about using this car bed in a seating location that has an airbag.
- To avoid any possibility of injury from an inflating airbag, place the car bed
in a seating location that does not have one.
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1.4 When the Car Bed is Not Occupied
!
The surface of the car bed can become very hot if the car bed is left in
the sun. Contact with these parts can burn your child’s skin. Cover the
car bed with a blanket if it will be exposed to the sun, and always check
the surface of the car bed before putting your child in it.
!
Never leave a car bed unsecured in your vehicle. An unsecured car bed
can be thrown around and may injure occupants in the event of a sharp
turn, sudden stop or crash.
1.5 About the Life and Condition of this Car Bed
!
Replace this car bed with a new car bed after an accident of any kind.
An accident can cause damage to the car bed that you cannot see.
!
After your child has outgrown the car bed, or has moved on to a rear-
facing infant restraint, discard the car bed. Never give this car bed to
someone else. Destroy the car bed and place it in a garbage bag to assure
that it will not be reused.
!
Do not use the car bed after the expiration date stamped on the bottom of
the car bed shell.
!
Do not modify your car bed or use any accessories or parts supplied by
other manufacturers.
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!
Never use the car bed if it has damaged or missing parts. Do not use a
cut, frayed or damaged car bed harness. You can order a new harness by
calling 1-888-224-6549.
1.6 When the Car Bed is Not in the Vehicle
To avoid injury or death from suffocation, falls and other hazards:
!
Always secure child in harness straps whenever
child is in the car bed.
!
When carrying the car bed, use the handles at
both ends of the car bed as shown.
!
Always place the car bed on a firm and level
surface. Never place the car bed on soft or plush
surfaces that may allow the car bed and infant to
roll over. If the car bed tips over, your child
can suffocate.
!
Do not place car bed near the edge of surfaces such as tables or counters.
To prevent falls, stay within arm’s reach whenever the car bed is not on
floor/ground.
!
Never leave child unattended while child is in car bed.
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2. Choosing a Suitable Location for the Car Bed
Some seating positions in your vehicle are not safe locations for this
car bed. For example, none of the seats on the driver’s side of the
vehicle are safe for this car bed.
In addition, there may be some vehicles that do not have any seating
positions that can be used safely. Improper placement of the car bed
increases the risk of serious injury or death.
Follow the instructions in this section and in your vehicle owner’s
manual to select a location for the car bed. If you are not sure where
to place the car bed in your vehicle, contact your vehicle manufacturer
or Graco Children’s Products Inc., 1-888-224-6549.
2.1 Some Basic Requirements
To reduce the risk of head and neck injuries in the event of a crash, your
child’s head must be positioned as close to the center of the car as possible,
and never next to a door or the side of the vehicle.
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!
Never place the car bed on the driver’s
Ê
Ë
side of a vehicle (seats A and B) Ê.
Only the center and passenger side
seating positions (C, D, E, F and G)
are potential locations for this car bed
if all other requirements are met.
!
The car bed must be positioned so that
the child’s head is near the center of the
vehicle.
This means that when the car bed is
properly installed, your child’s feet will
always be toward the passenger side of
the vehicle Ë.
!
Whenever possible, keep the seat next to
the child’s head clear of passengers or any
objects, such as child restraints, boxes,
groceries, monitors, etc.
Feet toward
passenger side
of vehicle
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2.2 Be Sure Your Vehicle Seat Meets All of
These Requirements
Ì
Í
!
THE VEHICLE SEAT MUST FACE
FORWARD. Do not place car bed in a
rear-facing vehicle seat Ì or a side-facing
vehicle seat Í.
!
Only use this car bed on vehicle seats with seat
backs that lock in an upright position. Do not
use seats that can fold down without having to
release a lock or latch of some kind. These seats
can fly forward and strike the child in a sudden
stop or crash.
!
See your vehicle owner’s manual or contact the vehicle manufacturer to
make sure the vehicle manufacturer permits child restraint use in the
location that you select.
11
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2.3Consider Accident Statistics and
Information about Airbags
!
According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly
restrained in rear vehicle seating positions, rather than in front seating
positions.
!
Before placing the car bed in a seating location with an airbag, read
section 1.3 on page 6.
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2.4 Be Sure Your Vehicle Seat Belt is Safe to Use
Many seat belt systems are NOT safe to use with this car bed, even
though they can easily be routed around the car bed and look similar
to other seat belts that are safe to use.
Carefully read this section for information on seat belt systems and
also refer to your vehicle owner's manual and any labels on your
vehicle’s seat belt. If you are unsure whether your seat belts are safe
to use with the car bed, contact the vehicle manufacturer or call Graco
at 1-888-224-6549.
A. Seat Belt Systems that are NOT Safe for Use
with the Car Bed
DO NOT use the following types of vehicle belt systems with your car bed.
They will not hold the car bed securely in place. The metal locking clip
provided with this product will NOT make any of these seat belts safe.
13
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!
DO NOT use a lap belt that stays loose and can
move until it locks in a crash or sudden stop. This
belt has an Emergency Locking Retractor, E.L.R.
It is often seen in combination with a motorized
shoulder belt. Since these lap belts will loosen
if pulled on slowly, the car bed may shift to an
unsafe position. This seat belt will NOT safely
restrain the car bed Ê. However, you may be
able to convert your E.L.R. belt to one that is
safe to use. See your vehicle owner’s manual
for more information or contact your vehicle
manufacturer.
Ê
Ë
!
DO NOT use a lap/shoulder combination belt
where each strap has a retractor at one end and is
attached to the latchplate at the other end of the
belt. This seat belt will NOT safely restrain the
car bed Ë.
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!
DO NOT use a seat belt that is attached to the door
in any way. This type of belt is designed to open
with the door and automatically surround the
passenger when the door is closed. This seat belt
Ì
Í
Î
will NOT safely restrain the car bed
.
Ì
!
!
DO NOT use a seat belt that is anchored forward
of the seat crease. This seat belt will NOT safely
restrain the car bed
.
Í
DO NOT use a shoulder belt that moves along a
track to automatically surround the passenger when
the door is closed. This seat belt will NOT safely
restrain the car bed
.
Î
If you have one of the above seat belt systems, do not
use it to secure the car bed. Look for a vehicle seat
location that has a suitable seat belt (see the next
section) or contact your vehicle manufacturer about
installing a seat belt system that can be used to secure
the car bed.
15
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B. Seat Belt Systems that are Suitable for Use
with the Car Bed
The following vehicle belt systems can be used with your car bed, if the
seat location meets all other requirements of these instructions and the
requirements in your vehicle owner’s manual.
!
Lap belt that is manually adjusted and stays
Ê
Ë
tight. This type of seat belt is tightened by
pulling on the excess belt once it is buckled.
This type of seat belt is most often found in
rear center seating positions
.
Ê
!
Lap belt that cannot lengthen once it is
buckled. This belt has an automatic locking
retractor (A.L.R.) that does not allow the seat
belt to lengthen without unbuckling the belt
and starting over
.
Ë
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!
Lap/shoulder combination belt with a lock-
ing latchplate. Once it is buckled, this type of
belt has a latchplate that will not allow the lap
portion of the belt to loosen. This seat belt does
Ì
Í
not require a locking clip
.
Ì
!
Lap/shoulder combination belt with a latch-
plate that can slide freely along the belt.
This type of belt MUST be converted to prevent
movement of the lap portion of the belt. You
must use the locking clip provided with the
car bed, unless your vehicle’s seat belt can be
converted in another way that is described in
your vehicle owner’s manual. Failure to use
the locking clip or convert the seat belt in
another way will allow the car bed to move out
of position. See your vehicle owner’s manual
or contact your vehicle manufacturer for more
Locking clip
information
.
Í
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3. Features and Components of the Car Bed
Harness
slots
Rear of car bed
(low side)
Pad
Harness
crotch
strap
Harness
shoulder
straps
Front of car bed
(high side)
Vehicle
belt guides
Locking Clip
The locking clip is stored at the rear of the car bed.
You will need to use it with certain types of vehicle
seat belts.
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4. Positioning and Securing Your Child
in the Car Bed
Premature and/or low birth weight infants have special medical needs that will
influence how your child should lay in the car bed. This car bed is designed so
babies can lay on their backs or on their sides. Under certain circumstances, it
may be preferable to have babies lie on their stomachs. Consult your doctor
about how your child should be positioned for travel. If it is necessary for your
child to lie on their stomach, never use additional padding or blankets in the
head area or near the baby’s face. Always watch your baby closely.
Failure to properly position and secure your child in the car bed increases
the risk of serious injury or death in the event of a sharp turn, sudden stop
or crash. Even when the car bed is not in a vehicle, secure your child with
the harness.
In a crash, the car bed provides NO protection for your child unless the
harness straps are properly secured.
Follow these instructions carefully to properly position and secure your child.
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Ê
1. Make sure that your child is dressed in appropriate
clothing which:
a. Allows the crotch strap to pass through your child’s
a. legs.
b. Keeps the shoulder straps on your child’s shoulders.
If a blanket is used for additional warmth, it must be
placed outside the harness straps and tucked around
your child. Make sure no blankets or other articles
cover the ventilation holes in the pad.
Lying on back
Ë
2. If your child is to lie on their back or stomach, slide the
harness along the harness slots toward the low side of car
bed . If your child is to lie on their side, slide harness
Ê
to the high side . In either position, adjust harness
Ë
straps so the bottom of the “U” where shoulder straps
join is at the edge of the harness slot
Lying on side
.
Ì
3. Inspect the harness straps to be sure they are clean.
Dirty, lint-filled harness straps may not hold your
child securely. See the Cleaning and Maintenance
section (page 30) for more information on
cleaning the harness.
Ì
Bottom of “U”
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4. Place your child in the car bed so child’s head is at the end with the
ventilation slots. Refer to label on the front of the car bed.
(The illustrations below show child laying on back. Your child may need
to lay in a different position depending on your doctor’s instructions.)
5. Position your child’s shoulders at harness slot opening
.
Í
6. Bring the crotch strap between your child’s legs . Check that crotch
Î
strap does not extend into baby’s neck and chin area. If it does, reposition
the harness according to step 2.
7. Wrap one shoulder strap over your child’s shoulder . Press the shoulder
Ï
strap and crotch strap together. Then wrap second strap over the other
shoulder, and press onto first shoulder strap and crotch strap
.
Ð
Í
Î
Ï
Ð
Shoulders
at slot
opening
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22
8. Check that harness straps are not twisted. Twisted straps can create slack
in the harness and reduce the protection provided by the car bed.
9. To be sure the straps are secure, pull up on the harness where the crotch and
shoulder straps meet
.
Ê
10. Check that harness is snug on your child’s shoulders. You should not be able to
insert more than one finger between the harness and your child’s shoulders
.
ËÌ
Ê
Ë
Ì
Child
on
back
Child
on
side
Failure to keep the harness straps flat (not twisted) and snug on your
child’s shoulders increases the risk of serious injury or death.
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5. Securing the Car Bed in Your Vehicle
There are many kinds of vehicles, seat belts, and occupant protection systems. As
a result, it is not possible for this manual to tell you everything you need to know
about putting this car bed in your vehicle. You must carefully follow the instruc-
tions provided by your vehicle manufacturer, as well as the information in this
manual. Before proceeding, be sure you have read and understood section 2.4
(page 13) about safe and unsafe seat belt systems.
Failure to properly secure the car bed within the vehicle increases
the child’s risk of serious injury or death in the event of a sharp turn,
sudden stop or crash.
Carefully follow these instructions and those in your vehicle owner’s
manual to be sure your car bed is properly located, positioned, and
held tightly at all times.
23
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24
Preparation and Initial Safety Checks
1. Make sure you have selected a suitable location for the car bed as
explained in section 2 (page 9). Remember not to place child on the
driver’s side, and remember to position child so feet are toward the
passenger side of the vehicle.
2. If a front passenger seat is used, slide the vehicle seat rearward as far as
possible from the dashboard.
3. Be sure that the vehicle seat back is locked in position. Do not use seats
that can fold down without having to release a lock or latch of some kind.
4. Place the car bed on the vehicle
Ê
Top of car bed
seat so that:
should be slanted
a. All four of the car bed’s
feet are resting on the vehicle
seat Ê, and
Feet of
car bed
b. The car bed is against the
vehicle seat back.
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5. Thread the seat belt through all three guides as shown for a
lap-only belt
and for a lap/shoulder belt . There is no need to thread
Ë
Ì
the shoulder portion of the belt through the three guides.
Ë
Ì
6. Buckle the seat belt. Make sure the buckle
Use this buckle
Í
tongue goes into the correct buckle, and not the
adjacent one . The seat belt should not be
Í
twisted or turned.
7. Some seat belts in the center rear seating position may be too short to fit
around the car bed. DO NOT use a belt extender. Move the car bed to
another seating position on the passenger side of the vehicle.
25
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26
8. Now the vehicle seat belt must be tightened.
Ê
Ë
When tightening the seat belt around the car
bed, make sure there is no slack on either side
of the car bed or along the belt path.
To create a very tight installation, first remove
your child from the car bed. Push down hard with
one hand in the middle of the car bed while
pulling on the vehicle belt with the other hand
to tighten it Ê.
!
If you have a lap-only belt, go to step 9.
!
If you have a lap/shoulder combination belt, go
to step 10.
9. Tightening a lap-only belt:
!
An automatically adjusted lap belt is tightened
Ë
by feeding the seat belt back into its retractor while
pushing down hard on the car bed. Make sure that
the seat belt is locked in place and very tight.
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!
A manually adjusted lap belt
is tightened
Ì
by pulling on the excess belt while pushing
down hard on the car bed. However, you may
have trouble tightening the belt because of the
upright angle at which you must pull. You may
have to unbuckle the seat belt, estimate a seat
belt length that will make the seat belt very
tight, then buckle it again.
Ì
Í
10. Tightening a lap/shoulder combination belt:
!
A lap/shoulder combination belt with a
locking latchplate
is tightened by pulling
Í
hard on the shoulder portion of the seat belt
while pushing down hard on the car bed.
However, you may have trouble tightening the
belt because of the upright angle at which you
must pull. You may have to unbuckle the seat
belt, estimate a seat belt length that will make
the seat belt very tight, then buckle it again.
27
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28
!
A lap/shoulder combination belt with a latchplate that can slide
freely along the belt
requires the locking clip, unless your vehicle’s
Ê
seat belt can be converted in another way, described in your vehicle
owner’s manual. See your vehicle owner’s manual
to find out if your seat belt can be converted to
prevent movement of the lap portion of the belt.
Otherwise, the locking clip MUST be used.
Ê
To install the locking clip:
a. Tighten the buckled seat belt by pushing down hard on the car bed
and pulling hard on the shoulder belt.
b. While continuing to push down on the car bed, let go of the shoulder
strap and pinch the two straps together just behind the buckle tongue.
c. While still pinching the straps together, unbuckle
the seat belt. Do not allow the straps to slip.
Ë
d. Connect the lap belt to the shoulder belt by
½
inch
placing the locking clip on the belts about
½ inch from the buckle tongue as shown
.
Ë
e. Re-buckle and pull hard on the lap belt to be
sure it does not move.
f. Repeat this procedure if the lap belt is loose or lengthens when pulled.
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Final Safety Checks
11. Make sure child is secured with the harness according to section 4,
“Positioning and Securing Your Child in the Car Bed” (page 19).
12. Make sure that apnea monitors, oxygen tanks, or other medical equipment
are not placed inside the car bed. Keep this equipment outside of the car
bed, secured under the seat or on the floor.
13. Make sure that the car bed is properly secured by the vehicle seat belt
system by performing the following checks EVERY TIME YOU
DRIVE WITH YOUR CHILD:
a. Make sure all four feet of the car bed are resting on the vehicle seat.
b. PULL SLOWLY BUT FIRMLY on the side
handles of the car bed to make sure the vehicle
seat belt does not lengthen at all and that the seat
belt is fastened very tightly around the car bed.
It should not move side-to-side or front-to-back.
If you find that your vehicle seat belt becomes
loose, make sure you have followed steps 1-10
correctly, or see section 2, “Choosing a Suitable
Location for the Car Bed” (page 9). DO NOT
use this seating location if the seat belt does
not hold the car bed very tightly.
29
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30
6. Cleaning and Maintenance
!
To clean the car bed pad:
1. Remove the seat pad. DO NOT USE CAR BED without the seat pad.
2. Machine wash on delicate cycle and drip-dry.
3. Reinstall the car bed pad according to the instructions on pages 31-33.
!
Car bed plastic shell may be cleaned by wiping with a mild soap and
water solution. DO NOT USE BLEACH or household detergents.
Use of bleach or detergents may weaken plastic parts, which may break
in a crash.
!
Harness straps must be kept clean. The straps may be hand washed with
soap and warm water and drip dry. DO NOT machine wash the harness.
Doing so may weaken the harness straps or clog the hook/loop fastener
so that the harness may not hold your child in a sharp turn, sudden stop
or crash. If the harness cannot be cleaned, order a new one from Graco
at 1-888-224-6549.
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Reinstalling Pad and Harness
If pad and harness have been removed for washing or replacement, it is very
important to properly reinstall them in your car bed. Ventilation slots in pad
must be at the same end as ventilation slots in plastic car bed shell, and harness
must be positioned to properly hold your child. Follow these instructions.
1. Turn the car bed upside down. With fuzzy side of harness facing UP (see
illustration on page 32), thread both ends of the harness into the slots in
the car bed as shown. The double shoulder straps MUST be inserted
in the harness slot next to the ventilation slots. Make sure straps are not
twisted.
2. Turn the car bed right side up. With printed side of pad facing UP, line
up the side of the pad that has ventilation holes with the ventilation slots
in the car bed. See illustration on page 33.
3. Lower pad into the car bed. Thread the harness straps through the slots
in the pad.
31
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32
Fuzzy side of
harness UP
Ventilation
slots
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Printed side
Low side
Ventilation
slots
High side
Ventilation
slots
33
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34
7. Registering Your Car Bed
Model No.
Serial No.
Purchase Date
Dear Customer,
Please fill in the above information. The model and serial numbers can be
found on a label underneath your car bed.
Fill out the prepaid registration postcard attached to the pad and mail it today.
Child restraints could be recalled for safety reasons. You must register this
restraint to be reached in a recall. Send your name, address and serial number
to:
Graco Children’s Products Inc.
P.O. Box 100
Elverson, PA, 19520-9974
or call 1-888-224-6549.
For recall information, call the U.S. Government’s Auto Safety Hotline at
1-800-424-9393 (202-366-0123 in D.C. area).
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Graco Children’s Products Inc.
Elverson, PA 19520
1-888-224-6549
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