19-year study finds thousands of babies are injured or killed by their beds annually

When the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a ban drop-side cribs in December 2010, after millions of these products had been recalled, many parents and caregivers of small children began to question the safety of cribs, playpens and bassinets.

A new study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital examined injuries associated with cribs, playpens and bassinets among children younger than two years of age from 1990 through 2008.

What the found might upset even the most experienced parents.

During the 19-year study period, an average of 9,500 injuries and more than 100 deaths related to these products were seen in U.S. emergency departments each year.

According to the study, the majority of injuries – 83 percent -- involved cribs. The most common injury diagnosis was soft-tissue injury (34 percent), followed by concussion or head injury (21 percent).

The head or neck was the most frequently injured body region (40 percent), followed by the face (28 percent).

Two-thirds of the injuries were the result of a fall, and the percentage of injuries attributed to falls increased with age.

“Despite the attention given to crib safety over the past two decades, the number of injuries and deaths associated with these products remains unacceptably high,” said Dr. Gary Smith, MD, senior author of the study and director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy.

Smith, also a Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, said cribs, playpens and bassinets must be held to a higher standard than most baby products, which require parental supervision to maintain safety, because parents are expected to leave their child unattended in them and walk away with peace of mind.

“Educating caregivers about the proper use and potential dangers of these products is an important part of making cribs safer for children, but education alone is not enough,” said Smith. “Innovations in product design and manufacture can provide automatic protection that does not rely on actions of caregivers to keep children safe.”

In recent years, organizations such as the CPSC and the American Academy of Pediatrics have amplified their efforts to increase crib safety.

11 million recalls

The CPSC has issued recalls of more than 11 million cribs and has prohibited the manufacture, sale or lease of drop-side cribs starting in June 2011.

Continued strengthening and enforcement of crib safety standards will protect more young children from harm.

Despite the potential risks, cribs are still considered to be the safest location where parents can place infants to sleep. There are several steps parents and caregivers should take when selecting a crib for their child:

Pay close attention to the crib you select.

• Select a crib that meets all current safety standards, does not have a drop side and is not old, broken or modified.
• Avoid cribs with cutouts or decorative corner posts or knobs that stick up more than 1/16th of an inch
• Measure the slats to make sure they are not more than 2 and 3/8 inches apart
• Visit Recalls.gov to make sure the crib has not been recalled
• Make sure the mattress fits tightly into the crib. If you can fit more than two fingers between the mattress and the crib, you need a bigger mattress
• Frequently examine the crib to make sure it is in good repair and that there are no loose parts
• Carefully read and follow all assembly instructions

When putting your child in a crib to sleep, consider the following:

• Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep
• Remember that a bare crib is best. Do not add pillows, blankets, sleep positioners, stuffed animals or bumpers to the crib
• Crib tents and mesh canopies are not safe to use over cribs. Children can become trapped or strangle in them if they try to get out
• Avoid placing the crib near a window to prevent falls and possible strangulation from cords from window blinds or shades

Monitor your child's developmental milestones and make changes to the crib as needed.

• Once your child can push up on his hands and knees or is 5 months old (whichever occurs first), remove all mobiles and hanging toys
• When your child can pull herself up or stand, adjust the mattress to the lowest position. Having the crib sides at least 26 inches above the mattress can help prevent falls
• Check the manufacturer's instructions to know when your child will outgrow the crib. This generally occurs when your child reaches 35 inches in height

If using a bassinet or playpen, make sure they have a sturdy, wide base and that your child meets all height and weight limits.

Smith’s study will be released online on February 21 will appear in the March 2011 print issue of Pediatrics.

U.S. hadn't updated crib safety standards for 30 years

Setting aside objections from retailers and manufacturers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is implementing new safety standards for baby cribs later this month.

Effective June 28, anyone who manufactures or sells cribs will be required to meet the new standards, although day care centers, crib rental companies and hotels will have until December 28, 2012 to update their cribs.

“I am very pleased that the new mandatory crib standards will stop the manufacture and sale of dangerous traditional drop-side cribs and will vastly improve the structural integrity of cribs,” said CPSC chair Inez M. Tenenbaum, noting that crib safety standards have not been updated in nearly 30 years.

Detaching drop-side rails were associated with at least 32 infant suffocation and strangulation deaths since 2000, according to the CPSC. Additional deaths have occurred due to faulty or defective hardware.

Manufacturers and retailers had objected that the new rules would cause an economic hardship, particularly on smaller stores but the commission voted 3-2 to impose the new standards on schedule.

The new standards will:

1. stop the manufacture and sale of dangerous, traditional drop-side cribs;

2. make mattress supports stronger;

3. improve slat strength,

4. make crib hardware more durable; and

5. make safety testing more rigorous.

The standards aim to keep children safer in their cribs and prevent deaths resulting from detaching crib drop-sides and faulty or defective hardware. The tougher standards were mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

Tenenbaum said the commission granted the delays to child care centers, crib rental stores and hotels and motels were necessary not only to minimize the economic impact but also to prevent shortages of new cribs. She estimated that replacing all of the cribs already in use at such locations would create a demand of approximately 935,000 cribs, which would amount to nearly $467 million in replacement costs.

“In order to ensure sufficient availability of compliant cribs and ensure an orderly and successful transition to the use of complaint cribs by child care providers and places of public accommodation, the Commission adopted a two-step phase in of the rule,” Tenenbaum said.

Retailers unhappy

Any cribs not meeting the current standard must be destroyed if they’re not sold by June 28. Industry estimates put the number of unsold cribs between 10,000 and 20,000. Some retailers, hoping to clear out their stock, have offered steep discounts to consumers.

“Overregulation is going to lead to the destroying of thousands of cribs that are perfectly good — many that are better than what will come out after the new regulations,” Gene Francis, a South Dakota-based retailer and member of the National Independent Nursery Furniture Retailers Association, told Kids Today.

But Commissioner Thomas Moore showed little sympathy for that argument.

"We expect companies to comply with the Commission’s rules," he said. "It appears that the vast majority of retailers did plan and are ready to comply by the June 28th date.  In a rule of this magnitude, it is expected that there will be 
some market disruption and that some companies will experience economic loss."

Moore said it was impractical to ask the CPSC to allow retailers to continue selling cribs that do not meet the new standard.

"There is little that we know about the noncomplying cribs these retailers want to sell or about the reasons the retailers find themselves with noncompliant inventory.  However, there is much that we don’t know.  When were these cribs made?  Who made them and where?  Who tested them and when?  What standard were they tested to?  When were they ordered?  Did the quantity ordered take into account the looming effective date of the new crib standards?"

"Were retailers buying imported noncomplying cribs at fire sale prices to try to make a profit before they had to start buying more expensive cribs that met the new standards?" Moore asked.  "Will retrofit kits be available to bring the cribs into compliance?  We simply do not know."

Illinois Attorney General says products are dangerous to infants

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who last week praised a new federal ban on drop side cribs, is now warning parents and caregivers about bumper pads -- the soft pillow-like objects used along side of cribs.

Madigan said immediate action is necessary in light of the number of infant deaths and injuries attributed to the pads.

The attorney general said she issued the warning to alert caregivers of this danger to prevent infant deaths. Babies might suffocate or be strangled if they roll against a crib bumper, press their faces against the bumper, wedge their heads between the pad and the mattress or crib side, or if their necks get wrapped by the tie that secures the bumper to the crib.

Known problem

Her warning follows an investigative report published in the Chicago Tribune that found federal regulators have known for years that bumper pads pose a suffocation hazard for babies but failed to warn parents. Bedding manufacturers and their trade group have been alerted to the issue but have yet to take action, the Tribune reported.

"We know that children have tragically died in their cribs because of these bumper pads," Madigan said. "Parents and caregivers should remove these bumpers to prevent tragedy."

Since 2008, the National Center for Child Death Review has received reports of 14 infants who have died from suffocation caused by crib bumpers. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American SIDS Institute and the Canadian Health Department have all urged parents not to use crib bumpers.

Call for action

Attorney General Madigan said she has partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics,Kids in Danger, the American SIDS Institute, SIDS of Illinois and the Canadian Health Department to alert caregivers of the danger crib bumpers pose.

She also sent a letter to the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) demanding the group release results from its study into the dangers of crib bumper pads. A study commissioned by JPMA to investigate these dangers has yet to be published while the group internally reviews the report. Madigan urged the association to release the study immediately, so the proper authorities can take any necessary steps to prevent further harm.

"The JPMA needs to release results of its study and implement effective measures to remove these bumpers from the marketplace," Madigan said. "Manufacturers and distributors of these pads must take responsibility for the dangers posed by these products. We must work together to educate parents and caregivers and ensure cribs across Illinois and nationwide are safe for babies."

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association is a national trade organization that represents companies across the country that manufacture, import and distribute infant products like cribs, car seats and strollers.

July 2, 2009
About 400,000 Simplicity drop side cribs are being recalled. The crib's plastic hardware can break or deform, causing the drop side to detach. When the drop side detaches, it creates space between the drop side and the crib mattress. Infants and toddlers can roll into this space and become entrapped which can lead to suffocation.

Federal safety regulators say they are aware of one death involving an 8-month-old child from Houston, Texas who became entrapped and suffocated between the drop side and the crib mattress when a plastic connector on the drop side broke. CPSC also is aware of an additional 25 incidents involving the drop side detaching from the crib.

In six of these incidents, the drop side detached because the plastic flexible tab deformed or broke. In four of the drop side detachment incidents, other plastic parts, including connectors or tracks, deformed or broke. In two of the incidents, two children became entrapped between the drop side and the crib mattress. There were no reported injuries.

The cribs were imported by Simplicity Inc. and SFCA Inc. of Reading, Pa. The firms are apparently no longer in business and unable to aid in the recall, the CPSC said.

This recall involves all drop side cribs with a different or 'newer' style of plastic hardware from those cribs recalled in September 2007. This newer style of Simplicity hardware can be identified by a flexible plastic tab at the top of the lower tracks. The recalled model numbers include but may not be limited to: 8050, 8325, 8620, 8745, 8748, 8755, 8756, 8765, 8778, 8810, and 8994, 8995, 8996.

The cribs, made in China, were sold at department stores, children's stores, and mass merchandisers nationwide from January 2005 through June 2009 for between $150 and $300.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled cribs and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Consumers should immediately return the crib to the place of purchase for a refund, replacement or store credit.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Crib recall exposes flaws in Canadian consumer protection laws

By Jon Hood
ConsumerAffairs.com

November 27, 2009
The manufacturer of recently-recalled cribs is now facing a wave of class actions across Canada, as the incident exposes deep flaws in the country's product safety laws.

Stork Craft Manufacturing, a leading manufacturer of children's products, recalled over two million cribs because of a design defect that can cause strangulation of infants.

Over 1.2 Stork Craft- and Fisher Price-branded cribs were recalled in the U.S., and an additional million were targeted in Canada. The manufacturer has advised consumers to wait for a free repair kit before using the crib again, and to find a safe sleeping environment for their children in the meantime.

Stork Craft, headquartered in Richmond, B.C., is now named in class actions in at least six provinces, many of which question the manufacturer's response to the recall. Tony Merchant of the Merchant Law Group is behind many of the lawsuits. He told The Canadian Press that consumers don't want the free repair kit; they want their money back, and the crib out of their house.

I haven't talked to a single solitary person who is prepared to go on using this crib, whether they tinker with it or make repairs or not, Merchant said. People say, I am not going to gamble on killing or injuring my child.

Merchant has signed up around 1,000 Canadian consumers so far, and expects more to join in the near future. He is also consulting with an American law firm about the possibility of joining U.S. consumers. Regardless of whether that effort is successful, there is little doubt that the recall will be the subject of vigorous litigation in the U.S.

Flaws found

Meanwhile, the incident has highlighted deep flaws in Canada's consumer-protection laws.

A top official for Health Canada, the government agency in charge of public health, told the Canadian Senate that mandatory reporting of serious incidents would have gone a long way toward preventing or at least severely curbing the incidents. The House of Commons has unanimously endorsed a proposed law that would make such reporting mandatory.

Paul Glover, the Health Canada official, also pointed out that the most his agency can currently do is urge companies to recall products voluntarily. The proposed legislation would give Health Canada the authority to institute mandatory recalls.

More disturbingly, Canadian news sources have reported that Health Canada received the first complaints of defective Stork Craft cribs 14 years ago, but didn't become fully aware of the situation until the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) alerted them in August to complaints from American consumers. The two agencies then began working in tandem to assess the gravity and scope of the defect.

The recall covers Stork Craft drop-side cribs and Stork Craft drop-side cribs with the Fisher-Price logo. Cribs without a plastic trigger or one-hand drop-side hardware are not implicated. CPSC, Health Canada, and Stork Craft know of at least 110 incidents where the cribs' drop-side detached, 67 in the U.S. and 43 in Canada. At least four deaths, all of them in the U.S., have occurred as a result of the defect.

Consumes with questions or in need of information, or who want to order the free repair kit, can contact Stork Craft toll-free anytime at (877) 274-0277 or at www.storkcraft.com.

New standards to become mandatory in six months

By James Limbach of ConsumerAffairs

Following recalls of millions of cribs due to entrapment deaths and injuries, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has adopted new rules designed to insure that new cribs have been tested for safety to rigorous standards.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), signed into law in August of 2008, requires the agency to issue mandatory standards for infant durable products. This provision of the CPSIA was named in honor and in memory of Danny Keysar, who was 16 months old when he died in his Chicago childcare home because a portable crib collapsed around his neck.

The CPSIA requires mandatory standards and testing for durable infant and toddler products, product registration cards and a ban on the sale or lease of unsafe cribs. Cribs are among the first products for which mandatory standards have been promulgated under this provision.

"This new mandatory standard, the strongest in the world, will ensure that new cribs coming onto the market will provide safe haven for babies and their families," said Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger. "We applaud CPSC for their hard work and tenacity in developing and adopting this landmark rule."

Requirements

The new rule puts many new tests and requirements in place:

• Cribs with full side drop-sides will not be allowed -- the bottom 20 inches of the crib rail must be fixed to eliminate the entrapment hazards seen when the hardware fails.
• All cribs must undergo rigorous testing for slat strength, durability and mattress support strength. The series of testing is conducted on one crib to simulate a lifetime use of a crib. This is the key to the new standard. Most of the 10 million cribs recalled since 2007 were able to meet the weak industry standards that were in place.
• Warnings and labeling have been improved, both to make parents more aware of when a crib is mis-assembled and to alert them to developmental signs to stop using a crib (when the child attempts to climb out). While most attention has been rightly focused on entrapment deaths in cribs, most injuries are as a result of children falling out of cribs

Higher standards

The new requirements are mostly part of the ASTM International voluntary standard that has been adapted to serve as the CPSC mandatory rule. Over the past two years industry, consumer advocates and safety experts have worked to update the voluntary standard to provide real assurances of a safe product. Prior to the recent rewrite, the most recent significant changes to the voluntary standard were made in 1999.

The CPSC mandatory standard was last changed in 1982. The new standards include two sets of similar rules: one for full-size cribs and one for non-full-size cribs. Non-full-size cribs can be smaller, larger or a different shape than a full-size crib, which is a standardized shape and size.

"The lack of durability of recently produced cribs is appalling and has put many babies at risk," said Don Mays, senior director of product safety and technical policy for Consumers Union/Consumer Reports. "These new regulations will ensure safe sleep environments by raising the bar for the safety and quality of cribs."

New and used covered

For the first time, this mandatory rule promulgated by CPSC applies to products already in use by some entities as well as to new products. Efforts will begin immediately to remove older unsafe products off store shelves, out of childcare homes, and out of hotels.

The CPSIA includes a section requiring that cribs that don't meet the new standard can't be sold -- new or used, used in child care, used by hotel guests, or used in other public accommodations. This measure alone will go far in removing unsafe cribs from use. This does not apply to already purchased cribs being used in private homes, except for barring their resale.

Six months after the publication of the standard, all cribs on the market must be in compliance. The Commission voted to give childcare facilities and hotels an additional 18 months after that date to replace any non-compliant cribs. CPSC has indicated that cribs currently being manufactured and tested that meet the new standard can continue to be used, even though their sale took place prior to the new rule being official.

"After years of foot dragging by the industry," said Elizabeth Hitchcock of US Public Interest Research Group. "CPSC has now approved a standard and testing regimen that will keep children safe -- avoiding the crib recalls, entrapment deaths and injuries that have plagued the industry."

Could crib bumpers be one step closer to being banned?

Crib bumpers, the pillow-like lining used to separate the sides of the crib with an infant’s head, may be one step closer to extinction due to beefed up safety guidelines by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

While the CPSC doesn't specifically discourage use of bumpers, it does recommend keeping all extraneous items out of cribs like stuffed animals, pillows and heavy quilts.

Plus, whether it was intended or not, bumpers are nowhere to be seen among the examples of safe cribs featured in the commission’s informational video online.

Crib bumper safety

The safety of crib bumpers has been a hotly debated topic over the last decade. Consumer advocacy groups and children’s safety organizations believe bumpers can cause suffocation, strangulation, or contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).  However, the government has been slow to take a stand on the controversial crib accessory.

Still, the commission is not ignoring the subject of safe sleep areas for infants and young toddlers.

In December 2010, it unanimously approved new, stricter safety standards for all cribs; standards that had not been updated in thirty years.

Under the new guidelines, crib manufacturers must ensure mattress supports are stronger, the crib hardware is more durable, and the safety testing of their products is more rigorous.

The commission’s standards also stop the manufacture and sale of traditional drop-side cribs, which they warned parents about in May, 2010 and issued almost a dozen recalls for since 2005.

According to the commission, over seven million drop-side cribs were included in the recalls due to suffocation and strangulation hazards created by the drop side.

While these are steps in a positive direction, when (or if) the commission will address the possible safety hazards of crib bumpers is anyone’s guess.

Bumper ban

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has been calling for the end of crib bumpers since December 2010.

Last month, she urged the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), the national industry trade group overseeing manufacturers of crib bumpers, to release the results of a study it conducted on the safety of bumpers.  As of mid-January 2011, the results have yet to be released.

Madigan continues to warn parents and care-givers of the potentially fatal risk of using crib bumpers.

Along with discouraging keeping bulky items out of cribs, the CPSC’s safety guidelines included other important tips to keep babies and young toddlers safe while they sleep:

• To prevent suffocation, never place pillows or thick quilts in a baby's sleep environment. Also, make sure there are no gaps larger than two fingers between the sides of the crib and the mattress.
• Proper assembly of cribs is paramount - Follow the instructions provided and make sure that every part is installed correctly. If you are not sure, call the manufacturer for assistance.
• Do not use cribs older than 10 years or broken or modified cribs. Infants can strangle to death if their bodies pass through gaps between loose components or broken slats while their heads remain entrapped.
• Set up play yards properly according to manufacturers' directions. Only use the mattress pad provided with the play yard; do not add extra padding.
• Never place a crib near a window with blind, curtain cords or baby monitor cords; babies can strangle on cords.

The commission also has resources for parents and care-givers to see if their child’s crib has been included in any of the recalls.

The cribs pose risks of strangulation, suffocation hardware linked to deaths and injuries

By James Limbach of ConsumerAffairs

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers that "SafetyCraft" brand full-size and portable drop-side cribs manufactured or distributed by Generation 2 Worldwide contain drop-side hardware that appears to be identical to Generation 2 Worldwide ChildESIGNS brand drop-side cribs recalled in February 2010.

This hardware found on SafetyCraft drop-side cribs can fail and place infants and toddlers at risk of strangulation and suffocation. CPSC staff urges parents and caregivers to stop using these cribs immediately and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Do not attempt to fix these cribs.

Ownership change

Generation 2 Worldwide ceased operations in 2005. The "SafetyCraft" trademark was then purchased by Foundations Children's Products of Medina, OH. SafetyCraft cribs manufactured and sold by Foundations Children's Products are NOT the subject of this safety alert. Consumers can identify the Foundations SafetyCraft crib with "Foundations" printed on the mattress support assembly instructions label under the crib mattress.

Because Generation 2 Worldwide ceased operations, CPSC has limited information about these cribs and where they were sold. CPSC has been unable to identify major retailers that sold these cribs.

Identifying products

The name "SafetyCraft" appears on a label affixed to the crib's headboard or footboard. Product labels may identify the place of manufacture as Indonesia or Dothan, Alabama.

This warning involves all SafetyCraft drop-side cribs, including model 92-8112, manufactured and/or sold by Generation 2Worldwide. Some of the cribs have a clear plastic headboard and footboard. These cribs are in use in child care facilities as well as homes.

Danger to children

The crib's plastic drop-side hardware can break, which can cause the drop side of the crib to detach from a corner of the crib. When the drop side detaches, it creates a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped.

When a child is trapped between the drop side and the crib mattress, it creates a risk of suffocation or strangulation. In addition, the crib's mattress support can detach from the crib frame, creating a hazardous space in which an infant or toddler can become entrapped and suffocate or strangle.

CPSC received reports of three infant suffocation deaths and 20 drop side-related incidents involving previously recalled models of Generation 2 Worldwide and ChildESIGNS cribs with plastic hardware similar to "SafetyCraft" cribs.

Parent advice

CPSC reminds parents not to use any crib with missing, broken, or loose parts. Make sure to tighten hardware from time to time to keep the crib sturdy. When using a drop-side crib, parents should check to make sure the drop-side or any other moving part operates smoothly.

Always check all sides and corners of the crib for disengagement. Any disengagement can create a gap and entrap a child. In addition, do not try to repair any side of the crib, especially with tape, wire or rope.

More information on crib safety can be found at CPSC's Crib Information Center.

Incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product can be made here.

July 2, 2009
About 400,000 Simplicity drop side cribs are being recalled. The crib's plastic hardware can break or deform, causing the drop side to detach. When the drop side detaches, it creates space between the drop side and the crib mattress. Infants and toddlers can roll into this space and become entrapped which can lead to suffocation.

Federal safety regulators say they are aware of one death involving an 8-month-old child from Houston, Texas who became entrapped and suffocated between the drop side and the crib mattress when a plastic connector on the drop side broke. CPSC also is aware of an additional 25 incidents involving the drop side detaching from the crib.

In six of these incidents, the drop side detached because the plastic flexible tab deformed or broke. In four of the drop side detachment incidents, other plastic parts, including connectors or tracks, deformed or broke. In two of the incidents, two children became entrapped between the drop side and the crib mattress. There were no reported injuries.

The cribs were imported by Simplicity Inc. and SFCA Inc. of Reading, Pa. The firms are apparently no longer in business and unable to aid in the recall, the CPSC said.

This recall involves all drop side cribs with a different or 'newer' style of plastic hardware from those cribs recalled in September 2007. This newer style of Simplicity hardware can be identified by a flexible plastic tab at the top of the lower tracks. The recalled model numbers include but may not be limited to: 8050, 8325, 8620, 8745, 8748, 8755, 8756, 8765, 8778, 8810, and 8994, 8995, 8996.

The cribs, made in China, were sold at department stores, children's stores, and mass merchandisers nationwide from January 2005 through June 2009 for between $150 and $300.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled cribs and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Consumers should immediately return the crib to the place of purchase for a refund, replacement or store credit.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Could crib bumpers be one step closer to being banned?

Crib bumpers, the pillow-like lining used to separate the sides of the crib with an infant’s head, may be one step closer to extinction due to beefed up safety guidelines by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

While the CPSC doesn't specifically discourage use of bumpers, it does recommend keeping all extraneous items out of cribs like stuffed animals, pillows and heavy quilts.

Plus, whether it was intended or not, bumpers are nowhere to be seen among the examples of safe cribs featured in the commission’s informational video online.

Crib bumper safety

The safety of crib bumpers has been a hotly debated topic over the last decade. Consumer advocacy groups and children’s safety organizations believe bumpers can cause suffocation, strangulation, or contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).  However, the government has been slow to take a stand on the controversial crib accessory.

Still, the commission is not ignoring the subject of safe sleep areas for infants and young toddlers.

In December 2010, it unanimously approved new, stricter safety standards for all cribs; standards that had not been updated in thirty years.

Under the new guidelines, crib manufacturers must ensure mattress supports are stronger, the crib hardware is more durable, and the safety testing of their products is more rigorous.

The commission’s standards also stop the manufacture and sale of traditional drop-side cribs, which they warned parents about in May, 2010 and issued almost a dozen recalls for since 2005.

According to the commission, over seven million drop-side cribs were included in the recalls due to suffocation and strangulation hazards created by the drop side.

While these are steps in a positive direction, when (or if) the commission will address the possible safety hazards of crib bumpers is anyone’s guess.

Bumper ban

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has been calling for the end of crib bumpers since December 2010.

Last month, she urged the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), the national industry trade group overseeing manufacturers of crib bumpers, to release the results of a study it conducted on the safety of bumpers.  As of mid-January 2011, the results have yet to be released.

Madigan continues to warn parents and care-givers of the potentially fatal risk of using crib bumpers.

Along with discouraging keeping bulky items out of cribs, the CPSC’s safety guidelines included other important tips to keep babies and young toddlers safe while they sleep:

• To prevent suffocation, never place pillows or thick quilts in a baby's sleep environment. Also, make sure there are no gaps larger than two fingers between the sides of the crib and the mattress.
• Proper assembly of cribs is paramount - Follow the instructions provided and make sure that every part is installed correctly. If you are not sure, call the manufacturer for assistance.
• Do not use cribs older than 10 years or broken or modified cribs. Infants can strangle to death if their bodies pass through gaps between loose components or broken slats while their heads remain entrapped.
• Set up play yards properly according to manufacturers' directions. Only use the mattress pad provided with the play yard; do not add extra padding.
• Never place a crib near a window with blind, curtain cords or baby monitor cords; babies can strangle on cords.

The commission also has resources for parents and care-givers to see if their child’s crib has been included in any of the recalls.

The cribs pose risks of strangulation, suffocation hardware linked to deaths and injuries

By James Limbach of ConsumerAffairs

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers that "SafetyCraft" brand full-size and portable drop-side cribs manufactured or distributed by Generation 2 Worldwide contain drop-side hardware that appears to be identical to Generation 2 Worldwide ChildESIGNS brand drop-side cribs recalled in February 2010.

This hardware found on SafetyCraft drop-side cribs can fail and place infants and toddlers at risk of strangulation and suffocation. CPSC staff urges parents and caregivers to stop using these cribs immediately and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Do not attempt to fix these cribs.

Ownership change

Generation 2 Worldwide ceased operations in 2005. The "SafetyCraft" trademark was then purchased by Foundations Children's Products of Medina, OH. SafetyCraft cribs manufactured and sold by Foundations Children's Products are NOT the subject of this safety alert. Consumers can identify the Foundations SafetyCraft crib with "Foundations" printed on the mattress support assembly instructions label under the crib mattress.

Because Generation 2 Worldwide ceased operations, CPSC has limited information about these cribs and where they were sold. CPSC has been unable to identify major retailers that sold these cribs.

Identifying products

The name "SafetyCraft" appears on a label affixed to the crib's headboard or footboard. Product labels may identify the place of manufacture as Indonesia or Dothan, Alabama.

This warning involves all SafetyCraft drop-side cribs, including model 92-8112, manufactured and/or sold by Generation 2Worldwide. Some of the cribs have a clear plastic headboard and footboard. These cribs are in use in child care facilities as well as homes.

Danger to children

The crib's plastic drop-side hardware can break, which can cause the drop side of the crib to detach from a corner of the crib. When the drop side detaches, it creates a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped.

When a child is trapped between the drop side and the crib mattress, it creates a risk of suffocation or strangulation. In addition, the crib's mattress support can detach from the crib frame, creating a hazardous space in which an infant or toddler can become entrapped and suffocate or strangle.

CPSC received reports of three infant suffocation deaths and 20 drop side-related incidents involving previously recalled models of Generation 2 Worldwide and ChildESIGNS cribs with plastic hardware similar to "SafetyCraft" cribs.

Parent advice

CPSC reminds parents not to use any crib with missing, broken, or loose parts. Make sure to tighten hardware from time to time to keep the crib sturdy. When using a drop-side crib, parents should check to make sure the drop-side or any other moving part operates smoothly.

Always check all sides and corners of the crib for disengagement. Any disengagement can create a gap and entrap a child. In addition, do not try to repair any side of the crib, especially with tape, wire or rope.

More information on crib safety can be found at CPSC's Crib Information Center.

Incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product can be made here.

Crib recall exposes flaws in Canadian consumer protection laws

By Jon Hood
ConsumerAffairs.com

November 27, 2009
The manufacturer of recently-recalled cribs is now facing a wave of class actions across Canada, as the incident exposes deep flaws in the country's product safety laws.

Stork Craft Manufacturing, a leading manufacturer of children's products, recalled over two million cribs because of a design defect that can cause strangulation of infants.

Over 1.2 Stork Craft- and Fisher Price-branded cribs were recalled in the U.S., and an additional million were targeted in Canada. The manufacturer has advised consumers to wait for a free repair kit before using the crib again, and to find a safe sleeping environment for their children in the meantime.

Stork Craft, headquartered in Richmond, B.C., is now named in class actions in at least six provinces, many of which question the manufacturer's response to the recall. Tony Merchant of the Merchant Law Group is behind many of the lawsuits. He told The Canadian Press that consumers don't want the free repair kit; they want their money back, and the crib out of their house.

I haven't talked to a single solitary person who is prepared to go on using this crib, whether they tinker with it or make repairs or not, Merchant said. People say, I am not going to gamble on killing or injuring my child.

Merchant has signed up around 1,000 Canadian consumers so far, and expects more to join in the near future. He is also consulting with an American law firm about the possibility of joining U.S. consumers. Regardless of whether that effort is successful, there is little doubt that the recall will be the subject of vigorous litigation in the U.S.

Flaws found

Meanwhile, the incident has highlighted deep flaws in Canada's consumer-protection laws.

A top official for Health Canada, the government agency in charge of public health, told the Canadian Senate that mandatory reporting of serious incidents would have gone a long way toward preventing or at least severely curbing the incidents. The House of Commons has unanimously endorsed a proposed law that would make such reporting mandatory.

Paul Glover, the Health Canada official, also pointed out that the most his agency can currently do is urge companies to recall products voluntarily. The proposed legislation would give Health Canada the authority to institute mandatory recalls.

More disturbingly, Canadian news sources have reported that Health Canada received the first complaints of defective Stork Craft cribs 14 years ago, but didn't become fully aware of the situation until the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) alerted them in August to complaints from American consumers. The two agencies then began working in tandem to assess the gravity and scope of the defect.

The recall covers Stork Craft drop-side cribs and Stork Craft drop-side cribs with the Fisher-Price logo. Cribs without a plastic trigger or one-hand drop-side hardware are not implicated. CPSC, Health Canada, and Stork Craft know of at least 110 incidents where the cribs' drop-side detached, 67 in the U.S. and 43 in Canada. At least four deaths, all of them in the U.S., have occurred as a result of the defect.

Consumes with questions or in need of information, or who want to order the free repair kit, can contact Stork Craft toll-free anytime at (877) 274-0277 or at www.storkcraft.com.

New standards to become mandatory in six months

By James Limbach of ConsumerAffairs

Following recalls of millions of cribs due to entrapment deaths and injuries, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has adopted new rules designed to insure that new cribs have been tested for safety to rigorous standards.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), signed into law in August of 2008, requires the agency to issue mandatory standards for infant durable products. This provision of the CPSIA was named in honor and in memory of Danny Keysar, who was 16 months old when he died in his Chicago childcare home because a portable crib collapsed around his neck.

The CPSIA requires mandatory standards and testing for durable infant and toddler products, product registration cards and a ban on the sale or lease of unsafe cribs. Cribs are among the first products for which mandatory standards have been promulgated under this provision.

"This new mandatory standard, the strongest in the world, will ensure that new cribs coming onto the market will provide safe haven for babies and their families," said Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger. "We applaud CPSC for their hard work and tenacity in developing and adopting this landmark rule."

Requirements

The new rule puts many new tests and requirements in place:

• Cribs with full side drop-sides will not be allowed -- the bottom 20 inches of the crib rail must be fixed to eliminate the entrapment hazards seen when the hardware fails.
• All cribs must undergo rigorous testing for slat strength, durability and mattress support strength. The series of testing is conducted on one crib to simulate a lifetime use of a crib. This is the key to the new standard. Most of the 10 million cribs recalled since 2007 were able to meet the weak industry standards that were in place.
• Warnings and labeling have been improved, both to make parents more aware of when a crib is mis-assembled and to alert them to developmental signs to stop using a crib (when the child attempts to climb out). While most attention has been rightly focused on entrapment deaths in cribs, most injuries are as a result of children falling out of cribs

Higher standards

The new requirements are mostly part of the ASTM International voluntary standard that has been adapted to serve as the CPSC mandatory rule. Over the past two years industry, consumer advocates and safety experts have worked to update the voluntary standard to provide real assurances of a safe product. Prior to the recent rewrite, the most recent significant changes to the voluntary standard were made in 1999.

The CPSC mandatory standard was last changed in 1982. The new standards include two sets of similar rules: one for full-size cribs and one for non-full-size cribs. Non-full-size cribs can be smaller, larger or a different shape than a full-size crib, which is a standardized shape and size.

"The lack of durability of recently produced cribs is appalling and has put many babies at risk," said Don Mays, senior director of product safety and technical policy for Consumers Union/Consumer Reports. "These new regulations will ensure safe sleep environments by raising the bar for the safety and quality of cribs."

New and used covered

For the first time, this mandatory rule promulgated by CPSC applies to products already in use by some entities as well as to new products. Efforts will begin immediately to remove older unsafe products off store shelves, out of childcare homes, and out of hotels.

The CPSIA includes a section requiring that cribs that don't meet the new standard can't be sold -- new or used, used in child care, used by hotel guests, or used in other public accommodations. This measure alone will go far in removing unsafe cribs from use. This does not apply to already purchased cribs being used in private homes, except for barring their resale.

Six months after the publication of the standard, all cribs on the market must be in compliance. The Commission voted to give childcare facilities and hotels an additional 18 months after that date to replace any non-compliant cribs. CPSC has indicated that cribs currently being manufactured and tested that meet the new standard can continue to be used, even though their sale took place prior to the new rule being official.

"After years of foot dragging by the industry," said Elizabeth Hitchcock of US Public Interest Research Group. "CPSC has now approved a standard and testing regimen that will keep children safe -- avoiding the crib recalls, entrapment deaths and injuries that have plagued the industry."

Illinois Attorney General says products are dangerous to infants

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who last week praised a new federal ban on drop side cribs, is now warning parents and caregivers about bumper pads -- the soft pillow-like objects used along side of cribs.

Madigan said immediate action is necessary in light of the number of infant deaths and injuries attributed to the pads.

The attorney general said she issued the warning to alert caregivers of this danger to prevent infant deaths. Babies might suffocate or be strangled if they roll against a crib bumper, press their faces against the bumper, wedge their heads between the pad and the mattress or crib side, or if their necks get wrapped by the tie that secures the bumper to the crib.

Known problem

Her warning follows an investigative report published in the Chicago Tribune that found federal regulators have known for years that bumper pads pose a suffocation hazard for babies but failed to warn parents. Bedding manufacturers and their trade group have been alerted to the issue but have yet to take action, the Tribune reported.

"We know that children have tragically died in their cribs because of these bumper pads," Madigan said. "Parents and caregivers should remove these bumpers to prevent tragedy."

Since 2008, the National Center for Child Death Review has received reports of 14 infants who have died from suffocation caused by crib bumpers. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American SIDS Institute and the Canadian Health Department have all urged parents not to use crib bumpers.

Call for action

Attorney General Madigan said she has partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics,Kids in Danger, the American SIDS Institute, SIDS of Illinois and the Canadian Health Department to alert caregivers of the danger crib bumpers pose.

She also sent a letter to the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) demanding the group release results from its study into the dangers of crib bumper pads. A study commissioned by JPMA to investigate these dangers has yet to be published while the group internally reviews the report. Madigan urged the association to release the study immediately, so the proper authorities can take any necessary steps to prevent further harm.

"The JPMA needs to release results of its study and implement effective measures to remove these bumpers from the marketplace," Madigan said. "Manufacturers and distributors of these pads must take responsibility for the dangers posed by these products. We must work together to educate parents and caregivers and ensure cribs across Illinois and nationwide are safe for babies."

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association is a national trade organization that represents companies across the country that manufacture, import and distribute infant products like cribs, car seats and strollers.

July 2, 2009
About 400,000 Simplicity drop side cribs are being recalled. The crib's plastic hardware can break or deform, causing the drop side to detach. When the drop side detaches, it creates space between the drop side and the crib mattress. Infants and toddlers can roll into this space and become entrapped which can lead to suffocation.

Federal safety regulators say they are aware of one death involving an 8-month-old child from Houston, Texas who became entrapped and suffocated between the drop side and the crib mattress when a plastic connector on the drop side broke. CPSC also is aware of an additional 25 incidents involving the drop side detaching from the crib.

In six of these incidents, the drop side detached because the plastic flexible tab deformed or broke. In four of the drop side detachment incidents, other plastic parts, including connectors or tracks, deformed or broke. In two of the incidents, two children became entrapped between the drop side and the crib mattress. There were no reported injuries.

The cribs were imported by Simplicity Inc. and SFCA Inc. of Reading, Pa. The firms are apparently no longer in business and unable to aid in the recall, the CPSC said.

This recall involves all drop side cribs with a different or 'newer' style of plastic hardware from those cribs recalled in September 2007. This newer style of Simplicity hardware can be identified by a flexible plastic tab at the top of the lower tracks. The recalled model numbers include but may not be limited to: 8050, 8325, 8620, 8745, 8748, 8755, 8756, 8765, 8778, 8810, and 8994, 8995, 8996.

The cribs, made in China, were sold at department stores, children's stores, and mass merchandisers nationwide from January 2005 through June 2009 for between $150 and $300.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled cribs and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Consumers should immediately return the crib to the place of purchase for a refund, replacement or store credit.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Crib recall exposes flaws in Canadian consumer protection laws

By Jon Hood
ConsumerAffairs.com

November 27, 2009
The manufacturer of recently-recalled cribs is now facing a wave of class actions across Canada, as the incident exposes deep flaws in the country's product safety laws.

Stork Craft Manufacturing, a leading manufacturer of children's products, recalled over two million cribs because of a design defect that can cause strangulation of infants.

Over 1.2 Stork Craft- and Fisher Price-branded cribs were recalled in the U.S., and an additional million were targeted in Canada. The manufacturer has advised consumers to wait for a free repair kit before using the crib again, and to find a safe sleeping environment for their children in the meantime.

Stork Craft, headquartered in Richmond, B.C., is now named in class actions in at least six provinces, many of which question the manufacturer's response to the recall. Tony Merchant of the Merchant Law Group is behind many of the lawsuits. He told The Canadian Press that consumers don't want the free repair kit; they want their money back, and the crib out of their house.

I haven't talked to a single solitary person who is prepared to go on using this crib, whether they tinker with it or make repairs or not, Merchant said. People say, I am not going to gamble on killing or injuring my child.

Merchant has signed up around 1,000 Canadian consumers so far, and expects more to join in the near future. He is also consulting with an American law firm about the possibility of joining U.S. consumers. Regardless of whether that effort is successful, there is little doubt that the recall will be the subject of vigorous litigation in the U.S.

Flaws found

Meanwhile, the incident has highlighted deep flaws in Canada's consumer-protection laws.

A top official for Health Canada, the government agency in charge of public health, told the Canadian Senate that mandatory reporting of serious incidents would have gone a long way toward preventing or at least severely curbing the incidents. The House of Commons has unanimously endorsed a proposed law that would make such reporting mandatory.

Paul Glover, the Health Canada official, also pointed out that the most his agency can currently do is urge companies to recall products voluntarily. The proposed legislation would give Health Canada the authority to institute mandatory recalls.

More disturbingly, Canadian news sources have reported that Health Canada received the first complaints of defective Stork Craft cribs 14 years ago, but didn't become fully aware of the situation until the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) alerted them in August to complaints from American consumers. The two agencies then began working in tandem to assess the gravity and scope of the defect.

The recall covers Stork Craft drop-side cribs and Stork Craft drop-side cribs with the Fisher-Price logo. Cribs without a plastic trigger or one-hand drop-side hardware are not implicated. CPSC, Health Canada, and Stork Craft know of at least 110 incidents where the cribs' drop-side detached, 67 in the U.S. and 43 in Canada. At least four deaths, all of them in the U.S., have occurred as a result of the defect.

Consumes with questions or in need of information, or who want to order the free repair kit, can contact Stork Craft toll-free anytime at (877) 274-0277 or at www.storkcraft.com.

New standards to become mandatory in six months

By James Limbach of ConsumerAffairs

Following recalls of millions of cribs due to entrapment deaths and injuries, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has adopted new rules designed to insure that new cribs have been tested for safety to rigorous standards.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), signed into law in August of 2008, requires the agency to issue mandatory standards for infant durable products. This provision of the CPSIA was named in honor and in memory of Danny Keysar, who was 16 months old when he died in his Chicago childcare home because a portable crib collapsed around his neck.

The CPSIA requires mandatory standards and testing for durable infant and toddler products, product registration cards and a ban on the sale or lease of unsafe cribs. Cribs are among the first products for which mandatory standards have been promulgated under this provision.

"This new mandatory standard, the strongest in the world, will ensure that new cribs coming onto the market will provide safe haven for babies and their families," said Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger. "We applaud CPSC for their hard work and tenacity in developing and adopting this landmark rule."

Requirements

The new rule puts many new tests and requirements in place:

• Cribs with full side drop-sides will not be allowed -- the bottom 20 inches of the crib rail must be fixed to eliminate the entrapment hazards seen when the hardware fails.
• All cribs must undergo rigorous testing for slat strength, durability and mattress support strength. The series of testing is conducted on one crib to simulate a lifetime use of a crib. This is the key to the new standard. Most of the 10 million cribs recalled since 2007 were able to meet the weak industry standards that were in place.
• Warnings and labeling have been improved, both to make parents more aware of when a crib is mis-assembled and to alert them to developmental signs to stop using a crib (when the child attempts to climb out). While most attention has been rightly focused on entrapment deaths in cribs, most injuries are as a result of children falling out of cribs

Higher standards

The new requirements are mostly part of the ASTM International voluntary standard that has been adapted to serve as the CPSC mandatory rule. Over the past two years industry, consumer advocates and safety experts have worked to update the voluntary standard to provide real assurances of a safe product. Prior to the recent rewrite, the most recent significant changes to the voluntary standard were made in 1999.

The CPSC mandatory standard was last changed in 1982. The new standards include two sets of similar rules: one for full-size cribs and one for non-full-size cribs. Non-full-size cribs can be smaller, larger or a different shape than a full-size crib, which is a standardized shape and size.

"The lack of durability of recently produced cribs is appalling and has put many babies at risk," said Don Mays, senior director of product safety and technical policy for Consumers Union/Consumer Reports. "These new regulations will ensure safe sleep environments by raising the bar for the safety and quality of cribs."

New and used covered

For the first time, this mandatory rule promulgated by CPSC applies to products already in use by some entities as well as to new products. Efforts will begin immediately to remove older unsafe products off store shelves, out of childcare homes, and out of hotels.

The CPSIA includes a section requiring that cribs that don't meet the new standard can't be sold -- new or used, used in child care, used by hotel guests, or used in other public accommodations. This measure alone will go far in removing unsafe cribs from use. This does not apply to already purchased cribs being used in private homes, except for barring their resale.

Six months after the publication of the standard, all cribs on the market must be in compliance. The Commission voted to give childcare facilities and hotels an additional 18 months after that date to replace any non-compliant cribs. CPSC has indicated that cribs currently being manufactured and tested that meet the new standard can continue to be used, even though their sale took place prior to the new rule being official.

"After years of foot dragging by the industry," said Elizabeth Hitchcock of US Public Interest Research Group. "CPSC has now approved a standard and testing regimen that will keep children safe -- avoiding the crib recalls, entrapment deaths and injuries that have plagued the industry."

Illinois Attorney General says products are dangerous to infants

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who last week praised a new federal ban on drop side cribs, is now warning parents and caregivers about bumper pads -- the soft pillow-like objects used along side of cribs.

Madigan said immediate action is necessary in light of the number of infant deaths and injuries attributed to the pads.

The attorney general said she issued the warning to alert caregivers of this danger to prevent infant deaths. Babies might suffocate or be strangled if they roll against a crib bumper, press their faces against the bumper, wedge their heads between the pad and the mattress or crib side, or if their necks get wrapped by the tie that secures the bumper to the crib.

Known problem

Her warning follows an investigative report published in the Chicago Tribune that found federal regulators have known for years that bumper pads pose a suffocation hazard for babies but failed to warn parents. Bedding manufacturers and their trade group have been alerted to the issue but have yet to take action, the Tribune reported.

"We know that children have tragically died in their cribs because of these bumper pads," Madigan said. "Parents and caregivers should remove these bumpers to prevent tragedy."

Since 2008, the National Center for Child Death Review has received reports of 14 infants who have died from suffocation caused by crib bumpers. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American SIDS Institute and the Canadian Health Department have all urged parents not to use crib bumpers.

Call for action

Attorney General Madigan said she has partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics,Kids in Danger, the American SIDS Institute, SIDS of Illinois and the Canadian Health Department to alert caregivers of the danger crib bumpers pose.

She also sent a letter to the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) demanding the group release results from its study into the dangers of crib bumper pads. A study commissioned by JPMA to investigate these dangers has yet to be published while the group internally reviews the report. Madigan urged the association to release the study immediately, so the proper authorities can take any necessary steps to prevent further harm.

"The JPMA needs to release results of its study and implement effective measures to remove these bumpers from the marketplace," Madigan said. "Manufacturers and distributors of these pads must take responsibility for the dangers posed by these products. We must work together to educate parents and caregivers and ensure cribs across Illinois and nationwide are safe for babies."

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association is a national trade organization that represents companies across the country that manufacture, import and distribute infant products like cribs, car seats and strollers.

Could crib bumpers be one step closer to being banned?

Crib bumpers, the pillow-like lining used to separate the sides of the crib with an infant’s head, may be one step closer to extinction due to beefed up safety guidelines by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

While the CPSC doesn't specifically discourage use of bumpers, it does recommend keeping all extraneous items out of cribs like stuffed animals, pillows and heavy quilts.

Plus, whether it was intended or not, bumpers are nowhere to be seen among the examples of safe cribs featured in the commission’s informational video online.

Crib bumper safety

The safety of crib bumpers has been a hotly debated topic over the last decade. Consumer advocacy groups and children’s safety organizations believe bumpers can cause suffocation, strangulation, or contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).  However, the government has been slow to take a stand on the controversial crib accessory.

Still, the commission is not ignoring the subject of safe sleep areas for infants and young toddlers.

In December 2010, it unanimously approved new, stricter safety standards for all cribs; standards that had not been updated in thirty years.

Under the new guidelines, crib manufacturers must ensure mattress supports are stronger, the crib hardware is more durable, and the safety testing of their products is more rigorous.

The commission’s standards also stop the manufacture and sale of traditional drop-side cribs, which they warned parents about in May, 2010 and issued almost a dozen recalls for since 2005.

According to the commission, over seven million drop-side cribs were included in the recalls due to suffocation and strangulation hazards created by the drop side.

While these are steps in a positive direction, when (or if) the commission will address the possible safety hazards of crib bumpers is anyone’s guess.

Bumper ban

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has been calling for the end of crib bumpers since December 2010.

Last month, she urged the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), the national industry trade group overseeing manufacturers of crib bumpers, to release the results of a study it conducted on the safety of bumpers.  As of mid-January 2011, the results have yet to be released.

Madigan continues to warn parents and care-givers of the potentially fatal risk of using crib bumpers.

Along with discouraging keeping bulky items out of cribs, the CPSC’s safety guidelines included other important tips to keep babies and young toddlers safe while they sleep:

• To prevent suffocation, never place pillows or thick quilts in a baby's sleep environment. Also, make sure there are no gaps larger than two fingers between the sides of the crib and the mattress.
• Proper assembly of cribs is paramount - Follow the instructions provided and make sure that every part is installed correctly. If you are not sure, call the manufacturer for assistance.
• Do not use cribs older than 10 years or broken or modified cribs. Infants can strangle to death if their bodies pass through gaps between loose components or broken slats while their heads remain entrapped.
• Set up play yards properly according to manufacturers' directions. Only use the mattress pad provided with the play yard; do not add extra padding.
• Never place a crib near a window with blind, curtain cords or baby monitor cords; babies can strangle on cords.

The commission also has resources for parents and care-givers to see if their child’s crib has been included in any of the recalls.

The cribs pose risks of strangulation, suffocation hardware linked to deaths and injuries

By James Limbach of ConsumerAffairs

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers that "SafetyCraft" brand full-size and portable drop-side cribs manufactured or distributed by Generation 2 Worldwide contain drop-side hardware that appears to be identical to Generation 2 Worldwide ChildESIGNS brand drop-side cribs recalled in February 2010.

This hardware found on SafetyCraft drop-side cribs can fail and place infants and toddlers at risk of strangulation and suffocation. CPSC staff urges parents and caregivers to stop using these cribs immediately and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Do not attempt to fix these cribs.

Ownership change

Generation 2 Worldwide ceased operations in 2005. The "SafetyCraft" trademark was then purchased by Foundations Children's Products of Medina, OH. SafetyCraft cribs manufactured and sold by Foundations Children's Products are NOT the subject of this safety alert. Consumers can identify the Foundations SafetyCraft crib with "Foundations" printed on the mattress support assembly instructions label under the crib mattress.

Because Generation 2 Worldwide ceased operations, CPSC has limited information about these cribs and where they were sold. CPSC has been unable to identify major retailers that sold these cribs.

Identifying products

The name "SafetyCraft" appears on a label affixed to the crib's headboard or footboard. Product labels may identify the place of manufacture as Indonesia or Dothan, Alabama.

This warning involves all SafetyCraft drop-side cribs, including model 92-8112, manufactured and/or sold by Generation 2Worldwide. Some of the cribs have a clear plastic headboard and footboard. These cribs are in use in child care facilities as well as homes.

Danger to children

The crib's plastic drop-side hardware can break, which can cause the drop side of the crib to detach from a corner of the crib. When the drop side detaches, it creates a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped.

When a child is trapped between the drop side and the crib mattress, it creates a risk of suffocation or strangulation. In addition, the crib's mattress support can detach from the crib frame, creating a hazardous space in which an infant or toddler can become entrapped and suffocate or strangle.

CPSC received reports of three infant suffocation deaths and 20 drop side-related incidents involving previously recalled models of Generation 2 Worldwide and ChildESIGNS cribs with plastic hardware similar to "SafetyCraft" cribs.

Parent advice

CPSC reminds parents not to use any crib with missing, broken, or loose parts. Make sure to tighten hardware from time to time to keep the crib sturdy. When using a drop-side crib, parents should check to make sure the drop-side or any other moving part operates smoothly.

Always check all sides and corners of the crib for disengagement. Any disengagement can create a gap and entrap a child. In addition, do not try to repair any side of the crib, especially with tape, wire or rope.

More information on crib safety can be found at CPSC's Crib Information Center.

Incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product can be made here.