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."

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."

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."

The mattress support board can fall out or slide out

By James Limbach of ConsumerAffairs

Dream on Me of South Plainfield, N.J., is recalling about 700 Lullaby Cradle Gliders

The mattress support board can fall out or slide out of the bottom of the cradle glider posing a risk that babies can fall out and suffer injuries.

There have been reports of two incidents while infants were asleep inside the cradle. A one-month old infant fell to the floor when the mattress support board partially fell out, but the child was uninjured. A second report involved a four-month old infant who did not fall out of the cradle after the mattress support board became partially disengaged.

This recall involves the Lullaby Cradle Glider manufactured by Dream On Me Inc. The cradle is made of solid pine with slats on all four sides and a base that has a gliding side-to-side motion. The inner dimensions of the cradle measure 34.5 inches by 20.5 inches and includes a mattress pad and four wheels for easy movement. The cradle is sold in one design, four colors 640-C, cherry; 640-W,white; 640-E, espresso; and 640-N, natural. A label identifying the date of manufacture as October 2011 is located on the mattress support board.

The crade gliders, manufactured in China, were sold online only through K-Mart, Kohl’s, Sears, Toys R Us and Walmart from October 2011, through June 2013, for about $130.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled cradles and contact Dream On Me to obtain a free repair kit. Instructions for assembly will be included in the repair kit.

Consumers may contact Dream On Me toll-free at (877) 201-4312 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.

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."

Madigan urges manufacturers to halt production of potentially harmful crib padding

Last month, Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued a warning to parents and caregivers of infants and small children about crib bumpers. The pillow-like lining used to keep baby’s head away from the sides of the crib can pose serious risks of injury and death due to suffocation or strangulation.

On Wednesday, Madigan called on the national industry trade group overseeing manufacturers of crib bumpers, the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), to push for a halt to the production and sale of bumper pads across the country.

Danger posed

Madigan said babies could be hurt or killed by their crib bumpers in any number of ways: rolling against it, pressing their faces against it, wedging their heads between the pad and the mattress or crib side, or getting the tie that secures the bumper to the crib wrapped around their necks.

“The JPMA and its manufacturers cannot sit by and wait for regulators to decide how, and if, crib bumpers should be used,” Madigan said. “Their disregard for the danger posed by these products creates a very real danger.”

Back in December, the Attorney General alerted parents and caregivers to the hazards bumpers pose and urged them to remove these products from their homes to prevent tragedy.

She also sent a letter to the JPMA urging the group to take immediate action to address bumper hazards with its manufacturer members.

Madigan demanded then that the JPMA release results of a study it commissioned to investigate the dangers of crib bumpers.

The study has yet to be published as the JPMA internally reviews the report.

Production halt demanded

As a result of JPMA’s inaction, the AG is calling on the group to halt production and sale of bumpers while the Consumer Product Safety Commission analyzes the products’ appropriate use, if any at all.

According to Madigan, the JPMA has failed to appropriately respond in light of these deaths.

“One infant death due to bumper pad use is too many. We must act now to remove bumpers from store shelves, stop production and work to educate caregivers to this threat,” Madigan said.

Since 2008, the National Center for Child Death Review has received reports of 14 infants who have died from suffocation caused by crib bumpers.

Mobilizing

Last month, Madigan partnered with the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Kids in Danger, the American SIDS Institute, SIDS of Illinois and the Canadian Health Department to alert caregivers to this danger.

Madigan urged parents and caregivers to take the time to review her Rest Assured Guide to determine whether they have other dangerous children’s items that have been recalled in their homes.

The  guide provides information to consumers about cribs or other sleep-related items for children from 2007 to date. To obtain a copy of the guide, call the Attorney General’s Product Recall Hotline at 1-888-414-7678 (TTY: 1-800-964-3013).

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."

Madigan urges manufacturers to halt production of potentially harmful crib padding

Last month, Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued a warning to parents and caregivers of infants and small children about crib bumpers. The pillow-like lining used to keep baby’s head away from the sides of the crib can pose serious risks of injury and death due to suffocation or strangulation.

On Wednesday, Madigan called on the national industry trade group overseeing manufacturers of crib bumpers, the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), to push for a halt to the production and sale of bumper pads across the country.

Danger posed

Madigan said babies could be hurt or killed by their crib bumpers in any number of ways: rolling against it, pressing their faces against it, wedging their heads between the pad and the mattress or crib side, or getting the tie that secures the bumper to the crib wrapped around their necks.

“The JPMA and its manufacturers cannot sit by and wait for regulators to decide how, and if, crib bumpers should be used,” Madigan said. “Their disregard for the danger posed by these products creates a very real danger.”

Back in December, the Attorney General alerted parents and caregivers to the hazards bumpers pose and urged them to remove these products from their homes to prevent tragedy.

She also sent a letter to the JPMA urging the group to take immediate action to address bumper hazards with its manufacturer members.

Madigan demanded then that the JPMA release results of a study it commissioned to investigate the dangers of crib bumpers.

The study has yet to be published as the JPMA internally reviews the report.

Production halt demanded

As a result of JPMA’s inaction, the AG is calling on the group to halt production and sale of bumpers while the Consumer Product Safety Commission analyzes the products’ appropriate use, if any at all.

According to Madigan, the JPMA has failed to appropriately respond in light of these deaths.

“One infant death due to bumper pad use is too many. We must act now to remove bumpers from store shelves, stop production and work to educate caregivers to this threat,” Madigan said.

Since 2008, the National Center for Child Death Review has received reports of 14 infants who have died from suffocation caused by crib bumpers.

Mobilizing

Last month, Madigan partnered with the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Kids in Danger, the American SIDS Institute, SIDS of Illinois and the Canadian Health Department to alert caregivers to this danger.

Madigan urged parents and caregivers to take the time to review her Rest Assured Guide to determine whether they have other dangerous children’s items that have been recalled in their homes.

The  guide provides information to consumers about cribs or other sleep-related items for children from 2007 to date. To obtain a copy of the guide, call the Attorney General’s Product Recall Hotline at 1-888-414-7678 (TTY: 1-800-964-3013).

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."

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.

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.