Ban on Drop Side Cribs

June 4, 2010 by
Filed under: Baby Gear, Baby Health, Baby Safety 

They’re somewhat pervasive as a design, but 2009 saw a significant recall of drop side cribs. We reported about the drop side crib recall for Stork Craft products earlier this year, which included about two million cribs pulled from shelves due to infant deaths. But, with several similar cases and recalls occurring over the past 10 years, the government has decided to ban drop side cribs, according to a recent story from the Washington Post. Although this design has been used since the 1940s, the government is now deciding to ban them by the end of 2010.

More specifically, drop side cribs have caused 32 infant deaths since 2000 and seven million models have been recalled due to associated strangulation and suffocation hazards. In all cases, the movable side manages to become detached and falls down, trapping the child face-first into the mattress. This can occur if the drop side isn’t installed correctly by the parents, but it can also happen if the hardware keeping the side in place fails. This risk is heightened even more for cribs sold second-hand or handed down from other parents or relatives.

What would this ban mean? According to the linked Washington Post article above, retailers of baby products and furniture will no longer be able to sell such cribs. Other establishments catering to parents, such as daycares and hotels, also wouldn’t be able to use them, either. In all cases, those found selling or using drop side cribs would face penalties. Crib manufacturers, on the other hand, have decided to find better methods for dropping a side down in the design for better access to the baby. One instance, as mentioned in the article, is a drop gate, with a side that folds down. Such designs are in the works, although, at some point, an alternative will appear on the market.

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Comments

7 Comments on Ban on Drop Side Cribs

  1. More Crib Recalls by CPSC | on Sat, 3rd Jul 2010 3:50 pm

    2. [...] the ban on drop-side cribs nears, the CPSC issued a warning regarding several brands of such baby furniture that poses various [...]

  2. Additional Recall of Drop-Side Cribs | GotoBabyGifts on Thu, 8th Jul 2010 12:33 pm

    3. [...] you’re a parent, you’re probably aware of the approaching ban on drop-side cribs. Nevertheless, as this ban approaches, an additional recall of two million drop-side cribs occurred [...]

  3. Graco Strollers Recalled; More Drop-Side Cribs Pulled From Shelves | on Wed, 27th Oct 2010 5:21 pm

    4. [...] the end of the year, however, such products would inevitably be removed from stores, anyway, as a ban on drop side cribs had been issued by the government late in [...]

  4. Strollers and Drop Side Cribs Recalled | GotoBabyGifts on Tue, 2nd Nov 2010 1:59 pm

    5. [...] three brands: Ethan Allen, Angel Line, and Victory Land, all of which have a drop side style. A ban on drop-side cribs was issued this past year, but it doesn’t go into effect until the end of 2010. At that time, [...]

  5. Ban on Drop Side Cribs Official | on Fri, 17th Dec 2010 9:07 pm

    6. [...] make this product. We even discussed, a few months ago, about manufacturers considering different crib designs. No replacement has been discussed [...]

  6. CPSC Officially Bans Drop Side Cribs | GotoBabyGifts on Fri, 17th Dec 2010 9:10 pm

    7. [...] 2011. All cribs created after the CPSC decision, as well, will have fixed sides. Although other crib designs have been discussed, such as a side that folds down, no replacement design has been [...]

  7. Drop Side Cribs Officially Banned By CPSC | babybloginformation.com on Fri, 17th Dec 2010 9:13 pm

    8. [...] manufacturers are instructed to make fixed-side models only. Although we have discussed potential crib designs, such as a foldable side, no replacement has been [...]

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