The Biggest Crib Recall Ever!

Four infants from 6 to 9 months old have died from being suffocated in their crib. It's the biggest crib recall ever! 2.1 million story craft drop down side cribs are being taken back to stores. This really makes me angry! Fortunately the crib we are using for the new baby does not have drop down sides. I just can't imagine losing a child by placing him in the crib! That is supposed to be the safety place to put a baby to sleep!

FROM ABC NEWS:

Parents are fuming over Monday's recall of 2.1 million Stork Craft drop-down side cribs, and a few are calling for all drop-side cribs to be banned.

And some say the recall is a frightening indication of inadequate safety testing of baby products including cribs, high chairs and strollers.

"Most parents are not aware that there was no requirement that the products be tested for safety before they were sold," said Nancy Cowles, who runs an child advocacy group called Kids in Danger.

That's not to say that safety and testing protocols do not already exist. In addition to requirements for the minimum height of adjustable rails, the Consumer Product Safety Commission maintains guidelines for the spacing and strength of the rails of these cribs. And last year, Congress passed a law requiring manufacturers to have their products safety-tested by an independent third party.

But consumer groups say the CPSC has not yet been able to push through tougher inspection requirements.

CPSC chairman Inez Tenenbaum told The Associated Press Tuesday that the agency didn't move quickly enough to issue the recall. Now, the CPSC is thinking of stiffening requirements.

"This company worked with us to put this recall together," CPSC spokeswoman Patty Davis said. But, Davis said in light of the recent problems, "The CPSC staff is looking at beefing up the standards."

The Stork Craft recall of cribs distributed between 1993 and 2009 is the largest crib recall in U.S. history, but not the first.

Three companies have issued major recalls of drop-side cribs over the past two years. In each recall, problems with the movable, drop-down side led to babies slipping and suffocating between the crib wall and the mattress.

Four children died as a result of 110 incidents with the Stork Craft drop-side cribs, according to a CPSC press release.

Telephone lines were busy at Stork Craft headquarters, and ABC News emails to a Stork Craft media representative were not returned.

Meanwhile, an emotional press conference was held in Suffolk County, N.Y., Tuesday where the parents of two infants killed by drop-side cribs watched as the first-in-the-nation law to ban the dangerous children's furniture was signed.

"There have been warnings over the years, there have been recalls over the years, but enough is enough," Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy said.

Under the new legislation, which goes into effect this February, any crib with three immovable sides and a fourth side that moves up and down will be illegal to sell in the county.

Anyone caught selling the banned cribs will be subject to a $500 fine for their first violation and $1,000 for any subsequent violations.

Next to Levy stood two couples whose sons died before the age of 1 due to a drop-side crib malfunction. Both families described their fight to get legislation banning the sale of the cribs in Suffolk County and the frustration of seeing drop-side cribs sold in stores, knowing they caused their children's death.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Crib Safety

I am working on an article on co-sleeping versus crib sleeping for babies. In the meantime, I found this story:

From ABC News:

Parents are putting their babies at risk when they place pillows and other soft bedding in their cribs, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned this week.

From 2002 to 2004, 241 children under age 5 died in incidents involving nursery products. About 40 percent of the deaths involved cribs, with soft bedding cited as the leading contributing factor. Many of the children suffocated when lying face down on pillows or other bedding, the agency said.
"Less is more when you're talking about the crib," CPSC spokeswoman Julie Vallese said, adding that cribs should be free of adult pillows and blankets, stuffed animals and baby quilts.

To reduce risk of suffocation and sudden infant death syndrome, parents should place babies on their back in a crib that meets current safety standards, the agency said.

Among other incidents of death in cribs, babies became trapped when the mattress was ill-fitting, CPSC said. Old, broken and modified cribs should not be used, and parents should never allow a gap larger than two fingers at any point between the sides of the crib and mattress, the agency advised.

The agency said there were 36 deaths over the same period relating to baby baths and bath seats. All occurred when caregivers left the baby unattended. In many instances, babies slipped out of bath seats, fell out of baby seats or tipped forward or sideways into the water. At no time, even for a few seconds, should babies be left unattended in the tub, Vallese said.

Deaths involving playpens also were high, with many resulting from the use of soft bedding.
Although CPSC has in recent years issued many crib product recalls, Vallese said there were no related deaths during 2002 through 2004 that involved a recalled product or a product that eventually was recalled.

In 2006, the most recent year in which injury data was collected, CPSC counted about 66,400 emergency injuries linked with nursery products among children under age 5. Most of these were related to baby carriers and car seats, excluding motor vehicle accidents, followed by incidents involving cribs and mattresses.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen