After dozens of deaths, drop-side cribs outlawed

Dark Knight

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WASHINGTON – It's the end of the traditional crib that has cradled millions of babies for generations.


The government outlawed drop-side cribs on Wednesday after the deaths of more than 30 infants and toddlers in the past decade and millions of recalls.


It was a unanimous vote by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban the manufacture, sale and resale of the cribs, which have a side rail that moves up and down, allowing parents to more easily lift their child from the crib.


The new standard requiring cribs to have fixed sides would take effect in June. The move by CPSC would also prohibit hotels and childcare centers from using drop-sides, though those facilities would have two years to purchase new cribs.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101215/ap_on_bi_ge/us_safer_cribs


 
It's a moot point for me at this time, but back in the day my children were infants in cribs, I'd have had a real problem with fixed crib sides. At 5' in height, how the heck would I have managed? Standing on a footstool or stepstool doesn't sound real safe either. Guess I'll have to check out the newer style cribs and see how they look, just out of curiosity.
 
It's a moot point for me at this time, but back in the day my children were infants in cribs, I'd have had a real problem with fixed crib sides. At 5' in height, how the heck would I have managed? Standing on a footstool or stepstool doesn't sound real safe either. Guess I'll have to check out the newer style cribs and see how they look, just out of curiosity.

:waitasec: how did any of us survive? I am confused as I am unsure if it is a case of poorer construction standards or sloppy home assembly/vigilance? It's a strain on one's back plus the drop side allows for us to lay sleeping babe down gently hopefully not awakening the babe.
 
I'm also way past the crib stage, but can see how it would be a problem for shorter people. At 5'4', I remember having to stretch to get the babies out of the crib without letting the side down. They may have to start making some legless cribs.
 
:waitasec: how did any of us survive? I am confused as I am unsure if it is a case of poorer construction standards or sloppy home assembly/vigilance? It's a strain on one's back plus the drop side allows for us to lay sleeping babe down gently hopefully not awakening the babe.

I know! Heck, I slept in a drop-side crib on my TUMMY!!
 
The Crib we had for our son was part of one of the first major recalls of the drop side cribs. The recall was so big it put the company out of business (not sure that was the only reason but considering pretty much every crib they ever sold was recalled I'm sure it played a big part.) The problem with it was the slide track was plastic and would wear over time which could cause it to slip off the track and create a space where the baby could roll into and get stuck. It was a huge hassle to take it back but that's a whole long side story. When we finally got our money back we kinda had a feeling this was coming next and bought a fixed side crib to avoid the hassle of another recall return in the future.

I'm sure a well made drop side crib is fairly safe but cheap plastic drop rails are not safe and should not be sold.
 
The Crib we had for our son was part of one of the first major recalls of the drop side cribs. The recall was so big it put the company out of business (not sure that was the only reason but considering pretty much every crib they ever sold was recalled I'm sure it played a big part.) The problem with it was the slide track was plastic and would wear over time which could cause it to slip off the track and create a space where the baby could roll into and get stuck. It was a huge hassle to take it back but that's a whole long side story. When we finally got our money back we kinda had a feeling this was coming next and bought a fixed side crib to avoid the hassle of another recall return in the future.

I'm sure a well made drop side crib is fairly safe but cheap plastic drop rails are not safe and should not be sold.

What shocks me the most is that I had my last one in late 80's and the crib we had was ''recycled'' amongst good friends for about 20 years at that point and NO problem whatsoever. When I read your post it makes me think it was just good old ''bad construction'' because the 1960's crib that I am referring to really lasted.
 
The cribs were/are great.
I remember my youngest brother in one of them and me taking him out and the crib side falling and jamming my finger in it. I had to get stitches due to the incident. I can see them being dangerous but at almost 5 feet, they were very helpful.

Goz
 
Drop-side cribs, Roman shades, walkers that roll in all directions...as stated by other posters, it's a wonder ANY of us survived into adulthood! :eek:

I really, really wonder if this is truly a matter of defective and dangerous products and not more a matter of using proper supervision and common sense.

Guess it's easier to take these products off the market than it is to mandate careful parenting. :innocent:
 
Well they can't be THAT dangerous,if some facilities of up to two years to get new cribs.:waitasec:
 
I really, really wonder if this is truly a matter of defective and dangerous products and not more a matter of using proper supervision and common sense.

Guess it's easier to take these products off the market than it is to mandate careful parenting. :innocent:[/QUOTE]

BBM
I totally agree with you! I used one for my oldest and then used the same one for my youngest. The problem they are having with these cribs happened when my younger one used it.
So, we fixed it! That simple.

I some how dropped your name from the quote. I'm sorry Velouria!
 
We used one that was given to us by a relative that had used it. Helped me out since I'm on 5'2". I didn't always use the drop side, but it was really nice to have the option. I think the problem these days is two-fold. Partially people not using things the way they're supposed to (or blaming manufacturers for user error), and partially lower standards for products. Things made "in the old days" were made to last and hold up. Not anymore. I also think another issue is there have always been accidents, but people realized they were accidents and no matter what, some accidents will happen. Now, everyone seems to think things should be 100% safe. That's never going to happen, it's impossible.
 
Hate to say it but... the PB Cup will be in the same drop side crib as his big bro and two older cousins, unless there is some sort of wear on the drop side mechanism when we get it back out...

I can't believe ANY of us survived infancy...
 
for my last baby, 3 yrs ago, I had a fold down crib.... Instead of sliding down, the side folded in half. I loved it, but it did require 2 hands to operate;)
 

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