Crib safety: Making sure your baby is safe

As many of you know, the CPSC has recently announced a 2 million-crib recall involving seven companies.

Some drop side cribs can malfunction causing part of the drop side to fall and create a space into which an infant or toddler can become entrapped. This can lead to strangulation or suffocation. A child can also fall out of the crib due to incorrect assembly and with age-related wear and tear.

At our store, we've checked and re-checked all of our cribs to make sure they meet all safety standards. But if you are currently using, or plan to use a drop side crib from another source, we recommend that you check the manufacturer’s website to see if your crib is on the recall list. In most cases, free kits are available to immobilize the drop side of the crib, but other preventative measures may also be needed.

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell them about it by visiting http://www.cpsc.gov/egibin/incident.aspx.

With millions of cribs recalled over safety concerns, it is important for parents and caregivers to understand how to ensure their baby's sleeping environment is as safe as possible.
Here are some tips from the CPSC and the American Academy of Pediatrics to make sure you are doing all you can to keep your baby safe:

• Place the baby on its back to sleep.
• Use a tight fitted sheet.
• Make sure the mattress fits snugly inside the crib.
• Never use quilts, pillows or any soft toys or accessories (consider a sleeper instead of a blanket).
• Check for crib recalls from the CPSC and sign up for the children's products recall e-mail list.
• Follow all printed directions for assembling a crib and be particularly cautious of damaged hardware when rebuilding a crib.
• Be sure the slats are not too far apart (no more than about the width of a soda can).
• Never use a crib with missing or loose pieces.
• Be particularly careful when using a drop-side crib because the chance of entrapment is higher.
  

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association has created a crib safety program that includes tips, videos and other important information and can be accessed at http://cribsafety.jpma.org

Let's all work together to make sure our baby is safe!