Crib Safety - The Latest Guidelines

Earlier this year, the federal government released new safety standards for cribs in the US and just this week, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a consumer public safety announcement reflecting these new guiddlines.  The one that grabbed the headlines was a recall and strict prohibition of the manufacture and sale of cribs with drop side-rails.  This was an important change, due to at least 32 infant suffocation and strangulation deaths due to drop side-rail cribs since 2000.  This was a landmark in crib safety in this country, as federal crib safety standards had not been updated in over 30 years.  It's important for parents to be aware of the issue of drop side-rail cribs, but there are also several other pieces of the new federal crib safety guidelines that all parents should be aware of.

1.  Childcare centers, in-home child care facilities, and public domains that provide cribs like hotels, have until December 28, 2012 to comply with these guidelines.  With this in mind, if parents are aware that their children are going to be exposed to any of these settings, it's important to ask about the cribs that are provided.

2.  If you currently own a drop side-rail crib, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Consumer Product Safety Commision are strongly urging parents to consider getting a new crib that meets the updated safety guidelines.  If this is not possible, the recommendation is to frequently check the integrity of the crib, including the hardware, making sure that all parts are secured tightly and that there are no missing or broken parts.  Consider having your child sleep in a pack-n-play (as long as it is not a model that has been recalled).

3.  If you are unsure whether or not the crib that you currently own has been recalled, go to http://www.cpsc.gov/ and click on infant/child recalls.

4.  This safety guideline applies to all cribs, even those sold at resale locations like garage sales and consignment sales.  Additionally, drop side-rail cribs may not be donated to thrift stores or child care facilities/nurseries.  Any cribs that do not meet current safety guidelines should be broken down and disposed of.