Media

Awards received by Bumbo for:

Bumbo Baby Seat:

 Bumbo Toilet Trainer

Press Releases

NEWS from CPSC

Serious Head Injuries to Infants Continue Due to Falls from Bumbo Baby Seats Used on Elevated Surfaces Injuries occurring despite previous recall warning; parents urged to use caution.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Due to the serious risk of injury to babies, CPSC and Bumbo International Trust of South Africa (“Bumbo International”) are urging parents and caregivers to never place Bumbo Baby Seats on tables, countertops, chairs or other raised surfaces. Infants aged 3-10 months old have fallen out of the Bumbo seat and suffered skull fractures and other injuries.

CPSC and Bumbo International are aware of at least 45 incidents in which infants fell out of a Bumbo seat while it was being used on an elevated surface which occurred after an October 25, 2007 voluntary recall of the product. The recall required that new warnings be placed on the seat to deter elevated usage of the product. Since the recall, CPSC and Bumbo International have learned that 17 of those infants, ages 3-10 months, suffered skull fractures. These incidents and injuries involved both recalled Bumbo seats and Bumbo seats sold after the recall with the additional on-product warnings.

CPSC and Bumbo International are also aware of an additional 50 reports of infants falling or maneuvering out of Bumbo seats used on the floor and at unknown elevations. These incidents include two reports of skull fractures and one report of a concussion that occurred when babies fell out of Bumbo seats used on the floor. These injuries reportedly occurred when the infants struck their heads on hard flooring, or in one case, on a nearby toy.

The Bumbo seat is labeled and marketed to help infants sit in an upright position as soon as they can support their head. The product warnings state that the seat “may not prevent release of your baby in the event of vigorous movement.” Infants as young as 3 months can fall or escape from the seat by arching backward, leaning forward or sideways or rocking.

At the time of the 2007 recall announcement, CPSC was aware of 28 falls from the product, three of which resulted in skull fractures to infants who fell or maneuvered out of the product used on an elevated surface. CPSC and Bumbo International are now aware of at least 46 falls from Bumbo seats used on elevated surfaces that occurred prior to the 2007 recall, resulting in 14 skull fractures, two concussions and one incident of a broken limb.

Approximately 3.85 million Bumbo seats have been sold in the United States since 2003.

Testimonials

Mommy and Lovin It TN
“This is the best invention!!! As soon as my daughter could hold her head up I decided to give this a try and I’m so glad I did. She could sit in her Bumbo pretty easily because of good trunk support and she was SO HAPPY to be able to sit up and see everything … I love this item and recommend it to all of my friends!!!”

Kylie’s Mom WI
“My husband actually went out and bought this when we found out I was pregnant. I laughed at it and thought it was a crazy baby item. But I now love it. I started using it when my daughter was only 3 1/2 months old (she had good head control). It conforms to her little body and is a great little chair for her to play in and learn how to sit up. It’s nice to have another option – other than the bouncy seat or swing.”

Rebecca B
“My mom bought this for my son when he started trying to sit up. We put him in it and he loves it, he sits there like a little champ. He likes to sit in it surrounded by his little toys and when we have family time. I plan to buy my niece one when her little one is ready for it.”

Jake’s Mom Staunton, VA
“We love this seat! My son was great at holding his head up so at 1 month we started putting him in the Bumbo … At 5 months when he started solid foods, we used the Bumbo to feed him. It has been great with the tray. He’s almost 6 1/2 months old now and ready for a highchair but we have loved the Bumbo. I recommend it to everyone! Well worth the money!”

Mom of 2
“This was the best shower present we received. We used it for my son from 3 months on until he got too big. It is the best seat. He loved to sit in it to see what was going on, play with his toys or look at books. We used it a lot and I had tons of people comment on it, when we took it places. I also buy it as gifts for my friends. It is a must have for your baby.”

Proud Grandma Onsted, Mi.
“I bought this for my Grandson and it is the most wonderful item, we could set him in it to feed him or when he was watching T.V. He would get excited and smile and laugh This is a must for any new Mom.”

Amy New Jersey
“I love this seat because it’s portable and it taught my daughter how to sit up. I take it when I go to friends / family’s houses so she has somewhere to sit. I’ve taken it to the beach, baseball games, etc.”

Mason’s Mama Texas
“What a neat concept someone has here… Our son is 6 months old & we still use the Bumbo for feeding him. He is small and has small legs so he fits in it perfect. We like to let him sit in it and play or teeth on a biscuit too and he enjoys that … Great buy for your money! Very portable too … Easy to clean!”

Happy Momma Ferndale, Wa
“I love the Bumbo and so does my daughter. My daughter has been sitting in it since she was about 2 months old as soon as she was able to hold her head up. It gives her the opportunity to sit up and observe. The tray is a must she is 6 months old now…

News

Bumbo is a worldwide rave!

The Bumbo range of innovative products will be exhibited – Friday, 6th to Sunday, 8th of August 2010 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The South East Asian expo stands out amongst some of the biggest shows in the nursery and maternity category expecting more than 350,000 visitors this year.

Bloom and Grow Asia official Distributor in Hong Kong for Bumbo International will proudly present the multiple award winning Bumbo range of products. Visit the Bloom & Grow stand (booth numbers C01/02 – C17/18). Visit their website: http://www.bloomandgrowasia.com.

Keen Visits Bumbo in South Africa

The Keen crew flew to Bumbo headquarters in South Africa last week to go over some business items and learn about the amazing charitable aspect of the company. What an amazing trip!

Bumbo’s Bert Snyman took me around Pretoria to learn more about the company’s charitable arm.  To see Bumbo’s charity involvement in its local community is a truly special thing. The company helps thousands of people every month through several different organizations in and around Pretoria, South Africa, its hometown.  Bumbo filters most of its profits to Maranatha Bana, a non-profit organization that it created. Maranatha Bana runs its own organizations and also helps other charities in Pretoria. By the way, Maranatha Bana loosely means “He will come for the children” in the local Afrikaans language.

My first stop was to the Maranatha Bana School outside Pretoria. The non-profit school helps children with severe mental and physical disabilities like Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and Autism. They nurture about 30 children from age 4-18 and plan to take up to 100 in the coming years. The work they do will pull at your heartstrings. They often take on children with no communication or social skills and often severe physical disabilities. They work patiently and tirelessly to teach motor skills, cognitive skills and communication skills. This is an environment where getting a child to smile or acknowledge you can be a huge achievement. I walked into a class where the children were learning to recognize themselves in the mirror and it made me quickly realize how we take so many things for granted.

Bumbo purchased the 2 hectare (that’s about 5 acres) plot for the school and helps it pay its bills every month. Bumbo will also help the school build its new facilities in the coming years. The school plans to up its enrollment to 100 children and also have live-in facilities for adults who cannot cope in South African society. The country is fairly advanced, but it does not have the social services to care for disabled people like we do. Charity in South Africa comes from organizations like Maranatha Bana, not the state.

The next place I visited was the Wolmer Center, which feeds and clothes hundreds of people in the poor Wolmer neighborhood of Pretoria. The center takes care of these people with almost no facilities or resources. The activity room, where local women sew dolls and make crafts to sell, also doubles as a church. All of the desks have to be moved outside every Sunday. The clothing “store” where they house their donated clothing is a shack. They have no place to store donated food and are forced to give too much away to prevent spoiling, which actually works against the people receiving it. When the people get too much food they sell it to buy booze or drugs instead of providing for their families. To prevent this, Bumbo is building the center a massive building that will house a new workshop where people can learn skills and earn money. It will have a cooler to preserve food, allowing the center to give away only what is needed. They also will have a new church.

We later visited the Jonibach Sportscentrum, a huge sports complex built by Maranatha Bana/Bumbo. The Sports Center gives local children a place to get off the street and focus their attention on more positive aspects of life. It has basketball courts, badmitton courts, pool and ping-pong tables, a stage for live music, a world-class gymnastics facility and a BMX track. It is a sight to behold. Next door to the Sports Center is a kitchen to feed all the kids and staff that come to the center every day. Some 700+ children are fed there every day—approximately 16,000 meals a month.

Stay tuned for more. I will also post some photos of our adventures.

Bumbo names Keen its U.S. distributor

CHANDLER, Ariz. – Bumbo International, the South African manufacturer of the multi-award-winning Bumbo Baby Seat, has entered a multi-year partnership with juvenile products distributor, Keen Distribution. Effective immediately Keen Distribution will assume exclusive U.S. distribution rights for all Bumbo International baby products.

Launched by Boon, Inc. founders Ryan Fernandez and Rebecca Finell, Keen Distribution has quickly positioned itself as a key player in the juvenile products industry. Bumbo International management jumped at the opportunity to leverage the same management team responsible for Boon’s accomplishments.

“Change was imminent. Our U.S. business is very important to our overall growth strategy and we are confident our retail partners will directly benefit from Keen’s management resources and experience,” said Johan Buitendach, Bumbo CEO.

Fernandez and Finell are equally excited: “We have been very patient, and strategic, in the selection of our brands and products. After visiting with their team in South Africa we came away very impressed with Bumbo’s business, manufacturing capabilities, and philanthropic commitment.”

Bumbo retailers will now be offered account specific sales and customer service resources, directly improving operations and supply chain, and a comprehensive marketing package focused on channel management, public relations, social media, and a complete refresh of the Bumbo brand image in the United States.

Founded in 2008, Keen Distribution is a turn-key U.S. distributor for novel and contemporary juvenile products from around the globe. Keen distributes products and brands such as the Bumbo Baby Seat; the Mommy Hook stroller accessory; and safety sleep pioneers Gro Company from the United Kingdom. Major customers include Target, Babies R Us, Buy Buy Baby, Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, Diapers.com, and Giggle.