In response to recent tragedies caused by drop-side baby cribs, Senator Kristen Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, has introduced legislation that would not only prevent the initial sale and resale of the cribs, but also make it illegal to manufacture them.
The harm caused by drop-side cribs is well noted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which issued a warning on all drop-side cribs in May 2010.
The CPSC recognized that the cribs have caused at least 32 infant and toddler fatalities due to suffocation and strangulation in the last nine years. Infant entrapment in the crib structure caused an additional 14 fatalities. According to a CPSC study, drop-side style cribs have resulted in several hundred additional injuries and incidents.
Drop-Side Crib Safety Hazard
The design of drop-side cribs raises serious safety concerns. While the cribs have a unique feature that allows caregivers and parents the ease of retrieving the child by lowering the side of the crib, the same feature can cause significant harm. Infants and toddlers have become trapped between the body of the crib and the lowering side when it detaches, causing the child to slide between the bed and the side.
The CSPC evaluated the high number of accidents and injuries associated with the drop-side cribs and determined that some accidents were caused by improper installation or set-up, while others occurred because the drop-side detached without notice to the parent or caregiver.
Regardless, drop-side cribs are known to be less structurally sound than the alternative style crib with four fixed sides.
New Push to Remove Drop-Side Cribs from the Market
While many drop-side crib distributors, such as Babies 'R Us and Wal-Mart, have already removed the dangerous cribs from their stores, many of the cribs can still be found on the secondary market. The CPSC urges consumers to carefully monitor cribs and check regularly for any crib recalls. Already this year, manufacturers have recalled over 1.5 million drop-side cribs.
As CPSC Chairman Inex Tenenbaum moves to provide consumers with widespread federal crib standards, Senator Gillibrand pushed Congress to consider a ban on drop-side cribs.
If Gillibrand's drop-side crib ban passes, crib manufacturers will be subject to penalties if they continue to manufacture drop-side cribs. The legislation would also prevent cribs from being re-sold on second-hand sites, such as Craigslist.org.
For more information about product recalls and dangerous, injury-causing cribs, please contact an experienced personal injury attorney.
