Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Posts Tagged ‘drop-side crib’

As of June 2011, cribs will be  required to have fixed sides rather than the familiar drop-side crib models. The drop-side models are dangerous because their design places infants and toddlers at risk of serious and even fatal injuries.

 The ban on drop-side cribs was announced recently by the government after millions of recalls and the tragic deaths of more than 30 infants and toddlers over the past 10 years. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) voted unanimously to forbid the manufacture, sale and resale of the cribs which feature a side rail that moves up and down.

 Businesses, like hotels and childcare centers who use drop-side cribs, are prohibited to continue using the cribs and will be given a year to buy new ones. During the last 5 years, there has been a recall of 9 million drop-side cribs in the U.S. The cribs pose serious safety issues because of assembly problems and hardware that malfunctions causing the drop side rail to partially detach from the crib. When this occurs, a gap between the side rail and mattress is created in which a child can become trapped and suffocate or strangle.

The CPSC has ordered tougher safety testing for cribs and improved labeling on crib pieces to reduce assembly mistakes that can put children at risk.

This new crib standard is one of the strongest in the world and will greatly reduce crib-related hazards.

Clearwater Child Injury Lawyer Jim Dodson, author of the free consumer guide, “When Kids Suffer Big Injuries,” and your online resource for consumer health and safety tips, product recalls, and legal information related to child accident and injury prevention.

-Working to make safety, every child’s reality.

Last month seven manufacturers recalled two million cribs.  In November, Stork Craft recalled 2.1 million drop-side cribs that were a danger to babies.  36 child deaths have been attributed to faulty cribs since 2007. 

As a result, much needed and  new mandatory safety standards for cribs might become a reality in 2011.

 The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted 5-0 Wednesday in favor of the proposed regulations. The new rules would essentially ban the manufacture and sale of the very popular drop-side cribs. The announcement of the vote coincided with Pottery Barn Kids recalling 80,000 drop-side cribs that posed entrapment, suffocation and fall hazards. 

 It’s believed the new rules could come into effect next summer if a final vote in December is passed.

Clearwater St. Petersburg Child Accident and Injury Lawyer and author James Dodson, has written “When Kids Suffer Big Injuries, A Parents Guide to Child Injury in Florida,”  to provide parents and guardians with basic information to help them make informed decisions to protect their child’s legal rights. Request your FREE copy today.