Cribs That Can Kill

There is something special about receiving and using a family heirloom in raising your own little one. Erin and I both treasure the very idea of using special items or articles of clothing that have been handed down to us from passed generations. But not all "hand me downs" are created equal. Old cribs can kill.
Your baby's crib should be a place of safety and comfort; a haven in which they can rest and sleep in peace. You would certainly never intentionally place your precious baby in a dangerous environment. Yet, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has identified old and used cribs as their "Most Wanted" when it comes to hazardous infant and toddler products. Why?

The CPSC reports that more than one child dies every week in a dangerous crib. In addition, thousands of babies require treatment in hospital emergency rooms each year because of injuries sustained from an old or improperly manufactured crib. The fact is, more infants die every year from cribs than from any other nursery product.

For new parents, those are some pretty startling, even terrifying, statistics. So what can you as a parent look for to insure that any used, or even newly manufactured, crib is as safe as it should be? The CPSC has determined that the following factors are vital to insure that your child's crib is up to appropriate safety standards:

For wooden cribs there should be:

1) A firm, tight-fitting mattress so baby can't get trapped between the mattress and the crib. You should not be able to fit more than two fingers in the space between the mattress and the crib. In addition, any plastic covering on the mattress must be removed before it is used.

2) No missing, loose, broken or improperly installed screws, brackets, or other hardware on the crib or mattress support. Remember to check the crib's hardware periodically. A physically active child can cause the hardware to loosen, making the crib more prone to collapse.

3) No more than 2 3/8 inches (about the width of a soda can) between the crib slats so a baby's body can't fit through the slats; no missing or cracked slats.

4) No corner posts over 1/16th of an inch high so a baby's clothing can't catch. Babies have strangled when their clothing snagged on these posts.

5) No cutouts in the headboard or foot board so a baby's head, arms, or hands can't get trapped.

For mesh-sided cribs and playpens, look for:

1) Mesh less than ¼ inch in size, smaller than the tiny buttons on your baby's clothing.

2) Mesh with no tears, holes or loose threads that could entangle your baby.

3) Mesh securely attached to the top rail and floor plate.

4) Top rail cover with no tears or holes.

5) If staples are used, they are not missing, loose or exposed.

Erin and I want to make Olivia's environment as safe as possible. All parents do. There are so many ssurprises and unforeseen risks that arise that we as parents are always "on guard" and a little stressed. The baby's crib should not be one of those worries. Attention to the guidance provided should help eliminate some of that stress.

There are other situations and items in the nursery that need to be scrutinized if we are to keep baby safe. Stay tuned, as will discuss some of these in a future article.

The following is a list of links pointing to some of the most recent baby crib recalls. Take a moment to insure that you are not currently using a dangerous crib with your precious little one. Of course, we will be forwarding any future recalls that we become aware of as our blog progresses.

CPSC, Simplicity Inc. Announce Recall of Graco Branded Aspen Cribs for Suffocation Risk (Dec. 21, 2005)
CPSC, Delta Enterprise Corp. Announce Recall of Certain Cribs Sold at Toys R Us Stores (Nov. 22, 2005)
CPSC, Child Craft Industries, Inc. Announce Recall of Cribs (Oct. 18, 2005)CPSC, Pottery Barn Kids Announce Recall of Spindle Cribs (Sept. 8, 2005) CPSC, Simplicity Inc. Announces Recall of Cribs (May 3, 2005)
CPSC, Delta Enterprise Corp. Announce Recall to Repair Portable Cribs (March 9, 2005)
CPSC, Orbelle Trade Inc. Announce Recall of Cribs (Jan. 6, 2005)
CPSC, Stanley Furniture Company Inc. Announce Recall of Cribs (March 24, 2004)
CPSC, Child Craft Indutriess Announce Recall of Cribs (Feb. 24, 2004)
CPSC, Babi Italia/LaJobi Industries Announce Recall to Replace "Tiffany" and "Josephine" Crib Drop-Side Rails (June 4, 2003)
CPSC, Baby's Dream Furniture Inc. Announce Recall to Repair Cribs (May 15, 2003)
CPSC, Hufco-Delaware Company and Evenflo Company Inc. Announce Recall to Repair Gerry® and Evenflo® Portable Wood Cribs (Jan. 23, 2003)
CPSC, Vermont Precision Woodworks Announce Recall of Cribs (April 25, 2002)
CPSC, Fisher-Price Announce Recall of Portable Bassinets (July 31, 2001)
"Le Cradle" Bassinets Recalled by Kids Line (August 23, 2000)
Swings & Domes Recalled by Fisher-Price (April 7, 2000)
Cribs Recall/Repair by Simmons (February 21, 2001)
Pisces Baby Cribs Recall by Generation 2 Worldwide (May 10, 1999)