Assuring Baby’s Safety in a Drop-Side Crib

Last June, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the voluntary recall by seven manufacturers of around two million cribs due to drop-side hazards and other dangers. The recalling firms provided consumers with free repair kits, which are actually drop-side crib immobilization kits that will prevent the drop-side from detaching. Covered by the recall are the units manufactured between 2000 and 2009 by the following companies:

• Child Craft
• Delta Enterprise Corp. of New York, NY
• Evenflo of Miamisburg, OH
• Jardine Enterprises of Taipei, Taiwan
• LaJobi of Cranbury, NJ
• Million Dollar Baby of Montebello, CA
• Simmons Juvenile Products Inc. of New London, WI

Aside from the immobilization kits, replacement hardware and assembly instructions for cribs will also be added. These materials should be requested by the consumer. However, the immobilization devices are not the solution for cribs with damaged drop-side hardware.

Many cribs, especially those with drop-sides, have been recalled over the past five years. However, it seems that the problem still persists. In October 2010 alone, a lot of cribs by different manufacturing companies have been recalled.

• Victory Land Heritage Collection 3-in-1 cribs, Ethan Allen drop-side cribs, and Angel Line Longwood Forest cribs: The drop side can malfunction, detach or fail. This causes a gap between the side and mattress which can entrap, strangle or suffocate the baby.
• Alexander Designs drop-side cribs, 3-in-1 Crib, Classic Crib, and Sleigh Crib: The company’s cribs sold at JC Penney were recalled because the drop-side hardware break or fail, causing the drop side to detach from the crib. This creates a gap where a baby can be entrapped or wedged.

In order to avoid the inconvenience brought by recalls, there are some ways parents can verify the safety of their chosen crib according to CPSC.

• Determine first if the crib has been recalled before or not.
• Look for the safety certification seal.
• Mattress support is securely attached to both headboard and footboard.
• The corner posts are 1 and 1/6 inch high.
• The drop-side latches cannot easily be released by the baby. It should be held and raised securely on the side.
• The mattress fits just right. The space between the edge of the mattress and the side of the crib is at least two-fingers wide.
• The slats must be placed at least 2 to 3/8 inches apart.
• There are no missing, loose, or cracked slats.

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