Why don't they just go back to using the metal hardware that the cribs had when my kids were small? I don't understand why they would write about how the cribs used to be sturdier in the old days and conclude that rather than making them sturdier again, they just ban them altogether. It is hard on a mother's back to have to reach down to pick up the baby.

I agree. I bought my drop-side crib about 18 years ago. It was to the newer standards of the time, which included the closer bar configuration to prevent little ones from poking their heads through. It had a fixed base, and metal fixings throughout, including the drop railing. It was very safe and I never lost a child to it - it has seen five babies now (four of my own).

It was stupid and risky to cheap out on the materials, and now cribs are going to be a bigger problem for future parents. Better quality would be better than just rules on what can't be done.

Maybe just maybe people should start taking care of and watching the babies more, like parents should. Like they did before and take time to check on them once in awhile. Instead of just putting them in the cribs and forgetting till morning. Sure some of the cribs are made cheaper these days, so is everything else. Bottom line is Parents need to take more responsibility for their children......and stop blaming others for their short falls

And Yes I have children.........

I agree with you Heartlight3. I'm 5'1" (on a good day) and would have a very difficult time reaching into a standard crib if the side rail were upright and fixed. It seems perilous to have to use a step stool to reach into a crib.

Wheres the mention of the idiots that use DUCT TAPE to tape the crib together and the poor child died?

9 times out of 10 the reason the cribs fail is because the crib wasn't put together properly. I've seen the reports that show the rails are put in upside down....why should we outlaw something because some people can't put it together right?

I do think we need to go back to using good strong materials, the plastic they use now should be outlawed but not drop sided cribs.

So 32 children, maybe 46 children died in drop-side cribs in Ten Years. Of Course we should outlaw them. 359 preschoolers drowned in a home swimming pool in 2009. How is it possible we haven't taken up a crusade against home swimming pools?

Better materials and workmanship, fewer parts for parents to assemble and more realistic pricing of the "better quality" cribs are what is needed here! I personally don't care for drop-sides; most are nearly impossible to use one-handed, and are just a big pain in the butt. But I WOULD like to see cribs being made with quality materials, little to no plastic and fewer parts for sleep-deprived new parents to assemble, and at a price that does not leave us wondering who can afford cribs like that?

I have a drop side crib. It's 31 years old. my wife's older sister was in it, her 3 children were in it, my wife was in it, now my newborn is in it. It has metal fittings. 12 bolts to put it together, all the same bolts.

If you buy cheap stuff for your chile, no matter what it is, you are taking unnecessary risks.

Theres always decent hand me downs, and if these things were made better in the past, accept them.

You have to find out these things not wait for people to tell you.

I've had my drop-side crib for 8yrs--3 kids plus we'll be using it for my 4th--and not a single problem with it. As long as you lock it in the upright position, there is little chance that it will fall back down.

I agree with the whole backyard pool comment: why aren't they being banned as a childhood danger? In fact, why aren't families banned from living lakeside/riverside/creekside/oceanside/any-type-of-water-side? It's ridiculous that carelessness of a few leads to the banning of the masses. As a side-note: Why aren't unsafe chemicals in foods being banned instead?? Now that's something Congress can spend some much-needed time on.

The drop side on my baby crib rides on metal "rails" and there is no possible way for it to come loose and create a gap in which a baby could get trapped. I think they really need to consider when these cribs were made. Mine is at least 12 years old and of very sturdy construction.....drop side cribs have only recently come under scrutiny due to shoddy construction and plastic parts that break and allow the drop side to pull away, create a gap, and pose a danger to a baby. Do more research before you ban the use of ALL dropside cribs.

Instead of targeting drop-side cribs, we should be targeting the stupid, idiotic parents that can't properly use them (make sure they are secure) and can't properly assemble them in the first place. I used a drop-side with all three of my kids and had no problems at all. But we made sure we had it assembled properly AND we made sure it was secure every time we raised the side.

Cribs always seemed like cages to me, so banning a particular type actually seems like a step in the right direction. I run a daycare for infants-only and when they grow out of the bassinet (on the floor), they're graduated to a toddler mattress (on the floor). And they nap the best when I'm in the room, so perhaps that tells you something about what's natural.

A safer alternative to the drop-side cribs may be found at www.safestcrib.com. How many more recalls must there be? How many more children have to die before there is real change?

I can only imagine how depressing it would be to come into your child's room and find they had suffocated because of a crib malfunction. These new standards are very important

What about parents with disabilities? Such as those in a wheel chair? They need the drop side crib to be able to access their child. Putting the on the floor isn't going to work in this situation as it would be just as hard to reach down as it would reaching up and over.