The Consumer Product Safety Commission isn't issuing another crib recall, but rather a warning about a certain type of crib -- drop-sides -- the kind where the side lowers to allow better access to a baby.
There have been serious problems with the durability of these drop-side cribs. And as a result drop-sides have been opening up and causing gaps where children can strangle or suffocate.
Since 2000, the CPSC has documented 32 infant and toddler deaths because of the cribs and the safety watchdog believes drop-sides may be responsible for another 14.
In the last 5 years, the CPSC has announced 11 recalls involving more than 7 million drop-side cribs. New and more rigorous mandatory federal standards are expected from the CPSC by the end of the year, and efforts are underway to ban drop-side cribs altogether.
For now, parents with drop-sides in their homes are asked to pay close attention to the crib's hardware. If they're broken, get rid of it. If they're loose, tighten it up, but don't try to fix a broken crib yourself. That's a mistake and an accident waiting to happen.
In this case, the manufacturer has a hardware fix for this recalled crib. It's been ordered. But there's always a chance that consumers can install the fix incorrectly and have a false sense of security. Many manufacturers have already stopped selling drop-side cribs or will do so beginning June 1, 2010.
