Parent Patrol: 9500 Crib-Related Injuries Each Year
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that a shocking 9,500 babies and toddlers visit emergency rooms each year due to crib-, playpen- and bassinet-related injuries. This information comes from a 19-year study out of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
On average, 113 children die each year from these accidents, with two out of three injuries caused by falls. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has recalled more than 11 million dangerous cribs since 2007.
In fact, in December of 2010, CPSC approved new mandatory standards for full-size and non-full-size baby cribs, which promise to (1) stop the manufacture and sale of dangerous, traditional drop-side cribs; (2) make mattress support stronger; (3) make crib hardware more durable; and (4) make safety testing more rigorous. All cribs manufactured, sold or leased in the United States must comply with these standards beginning June 2011.
As a parent of a toddler, crib safety is very important to me. I have addressed my concerns with unsafe drop-side cribs many times in this blog, and I am encouraged that CPSC has agreed to enforce tightened federal crib standards. Parents and caregivers should stop using drop-side cribs immediately.
