Suffocation and entrapment dangers associated with drop-side cribs
Recent dropside crib recalls have shed light on the serious dangers of this popular crib design. These cribs have one side designed to be raised and lowered. Although these cribs are convenient for parents reaching into at crib to lift a child, convenience is secondary to your child’s safety. That is the message being adopted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Deaths and entrapment reports have prompted almost 5 million crib recalls in the past two years, according to the CPSC.
- Consumers SHOULD REPLACE drop side cribs if they have one, according to a November 2009 MSNBC interview with CPSC Chairwoman Inez Tenenbaum.
- ASTM International, an industry standards organization has voted not to certify the cribs for U.S. sale any more.
- Some retailers have banned the cribs. From the Wall Street Journal:
Toys “R” Us Inc., the big toy retailer, has stopped ordering drop-side cribs because of safety concerns, the company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Jerry Storch said”There are enough concerns raised about drop-side cribs that we’re moving forward and we’re going to phase them out,” Mr. Storch said in an interview. While Mr. Storch said he doesn’t necessarily believe newer drop-side cribs are dangerous, he’s concerned about the amount of time consumers are keeping their cribs, especially in this economy.
Suffocation or strangulation can occur in drop-side cribs when the side designed to raise and lower becomes detached from the head and foot boards, creating a space between that side and the mattress, just big enough for an infant to slip into and become trapped.
Keep your child safe. Follow these crib safety tips.
