Drop-Side Cribs Banned Due to Safety Issues
Amidst numerous recalls, safety concerns, and reports of 37 infant deaths between November 2007 and April 2010, the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has voted unanimously to ban drop-side cribs.
The new ban will likely take effect by June 2011, and will prohibit any drop-side cribs from being manufactured or sold.
In addition to eliminating drop-side cribs from the marketplace, the CPSC also voted on new regulations for the quality and durability of the wood, hardware, and mattress supports used in crib manufacturing--standards that will render many cribs in the country as not up to code.
Although drop-side cribs have been around for decades, more than 9 million have been recalled since 2007, according to the CPSC. Malfunctioning hardware and poor assembly can cause the drop-side to fall and create a dangerous gap that infants and toddlers can fall into and become stuck. In some cases, children have died from suffocation and strangulation.
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