Drop Side Crib Dangers

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The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued another warning concerning the dangers of drop side baby cribs. Citing the deaths of 32 infants and toddlers due to suffocation and/or strangulation since 2000, the federal agency noted the drop side crib dangers are not limited to any particular manufacturer. In the last five years alone, the CPSC has issued 11 recalls involving 7 million drop side cribs due to hazards created by the drop side.
In their investigation of drop side cribs, the CPSC has found drop side cribs to be more dangerous than fixed side cribs. Factors that exacerbate hazards in older drop side cribs include:
• The longer a crib is used, the more wear and tear on hardware and joints, allowing screws to loosen and fall out and plastic parts to flex and break.
• Repeated assembly and disassembly increases likelihood that crib parts can be damaged or lost
• Wood warps and shrinks over time and glue can become brittle. This can lead to joint and slat failure

Jared Green
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