Madigan urges manufacturers to halt production of potentially harmful crib padding
January 13, 2011Last 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).