So after parent have been using drop side cribs for pretty much a hundred years or more now that they have been outlawed by the government I suppose that if your child is injured by one the parents will be charged with child abuse.

I have a drop side crib for one of my twins. Someone gave it to us...I hate it but can not afford to replace it. Does anyone know if we can take them somewhere to be replaced with something safer. We don't have the luxury of being able to just go out and get another crib...they are expensive.

It sounds like it is the NEW cribs that are faulty, not older ones. And if there is a gap, couldn't one simply fill the gap with a strip of foam or rolled towels so a baby can't creep into it?

Mom to Twins,

I would suggest looking around at your local craftsmen (I don't know if your crib is plastic or wooden) to see if anyone can secure the drop-side frame for you. If you or your husband are handy with tools, you could probably do it yourself for really just a few dollars (it might not look perfect, but I think that's an acceptable alternative).

Most of the older drop-side cribs don't have these problems. They're the ones with all metal parts. My wife and I had two of them for our 10 kids. The ones that have had the problems (to the best of my knowledge) are newer models with plastic parts.

We tried to give away our last drop-side crib after our youngest moved to a toddler bed last year, and no one would take it because of the warning about drop-side cribs. We ended up cutting it up for firewood, and tossing the frame and metal parts. Too bad, really, it was a wonderful crib.

How long before someone reports problems with the cribs that use door-gates on the side? Will they bar those, too? They should have simply tightened up the safety rules for the manufacture of drop-side cribs. They could require quality parts made of metal--metals don't wear down the way plastics do.

They are NOT that dangerous. I have had these cribs with all 4 of my kids and never had a single problem. I do inspect the hardware and the crib structure regularly to see if anything is wearing and needed to be replaced. I cannot however afford to just go out and buy a new crib because the government suddenly deemed them unsafe after decades of these cribs being on the markets.

Mom to 4

How would you feel if your child died in one of these cribs AFTER YOU FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS UNSAFE?

How would you feel if you relied on the government to tell you what was safe and what wasn't.

Oops. Never mind.

I was told by my daughter who works for a baby store that she wanted to get a new crib for her daughter because the one she and her sister used when they were little was so dangerous. Its a drop down and about 22 years old. I would never put my granddaughter in a crib that I thought would harm her. I agree that its probably the newer cribs made with cheap plastic and poor manufacturing that has cost those babies their lives... absolutely unacceptable! If you have an older crib and you've inspected the hardware and the security of the rail when locked in place, in my opinion you should have no problems, don't worry... were not getting another crib either.

Confederate Son

Easy question .... I would not feel nearly as bad finding out the government made a mistake as I would if my child died. I don't understand why the answer to that question would even be a close call.

Anyone who thinks that the legislation, and 'government intervention' of consumer law is fascistic, needs to study the subject as it evolved in this country, over the last century.

fgh

Good point. I believe it will always be true that what some people view as government services others see as government intervention, "big brother" or some other socialist/communist/nanny state plot. What some folks see as community spirit or people getting together to do thing together instead of "every man for himself" others will believe is a diabolical scheme to control their lives. I feel sorry for those in the latter category ..... it's a very negative way to live one's life.

Personally, I viewed some of the surveillance actions authorized under the Patriot Act to be much more of a government invasion into the lives of citizens than these actions by the government consumer safety authorities.

For those parents with the "I've had this type of crib for all my children and haven't had a problem" comments, you are probably just lucky. I had a problem with this type of crib, but was also lucky in that neither of my children were seriously injured or killed. On the other hand, I am also one of those who are offended by government officials trying to legislate our entire lives. Some of these guys have never had children and still think they know more than parents about how to raise their children. My husband and I simply fixed the crib in such a way that the sides would not accidently collapse. It was easy and didn't take a senator to do it. (They probably wouldn't have known how to handle the tools anyway) By the way, my children survived to adulthood, and even more surprizing, I survived their childhood, to have several grandchildren to love.

@Mom to Twins: my crib was in the recall last year and they sent me pieces that install under the side of the crib to immobilize it. Contact the manufacturer (all the information should be somewhere on the crib) and ask for a way to immobilize it.

I'm an engineer, and I think the drop down side issue has more to do with design flaws and material choice flaws than operator error. I found that if I wasn't very careful, the bottom portion of the rail would not be inserted correctly due to the flexibility of the plastic parts (hence giving you the failure that causes death). I can easily see how a sleep deprived parent at 4AM would not notice that it wasn't correctly inserted. Dangerous.

We have to have government intervention because of companies who care more about the bottom line than the safety of our children.

don you like the government telling you what to and what not to buy? ok well go to Russia that's basically Communism in a nut shell. I'm sorry for the families who lost children but what was it 30 in a decade? so the last ten years 30 children died from falling out of a drop down crib. Can we pull up how many toddlers electrocuted themselves or how many lost fingers to doors? you wanna ban closing doors and electricity too? "big brother" may not be real to you because you prefer not thinking for yourself but some people may like the option of going, do i want to risk putting my child in this or do i want to go with some other version.

I don't think the cribs sound too dangerous, I mean 32 deaths in 10 years out of how many births? But honestly it doesn't really matter if the crib side drops or not. I had a drop side crib for my daughter and I can't think of a single time I put down the side to get her out. We are talking about a baby here not so difficult to pick up.

Out lawing any product is detrimental to the economy, especially if it's manufactured here in the United States. Order the manufacturers to make their individual product offering safe is a more sensible approach. This precident is a slippery slope automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, and guns could be next! With all due respect to those who've lost a little one; I honestly don't see the need for a total ban with the numbers being presented in this article.

these cribs have been around for decades. they are fine. there have been more deaths from bicycles then cribs, should bikes be outlawed? how many people have drowned this year at sea? should the oceans be illegal? how many of us did not die from these cribs? this is total Orwellian bull$hit.

For all of you 'modern' parents who like being told what to do, another wish granted. For those of us old folks that have safely used these cribs for over 100 years, another little ray of freedom and self-regulation gone. I'm glad I'm getting old and will not be around to see the total end of self-control and self-regulation.

tobysmom-YOU are my hero today;). Yep, 3 kids here, we all survived each other AND these cribs! One Grand has also graduated from his older (real metal and wood) crib into a regular bed.

OF COURSE it's always heartbreaking when a child dies by any means, but 35 since 2000 out of MILLIONS of babies that have spent a couple of years in a dropside crib isn't "lucky" for the millions- I think it's more dreadfully unfortunate for the few.

Personally I feel alot of the issue is human. NO I don't intend to blame the parents, but human error in assembly must also be looked at. I have been asked to set up these older cribs many times (because I'm old, HA) and had volunteered with a group that provided items for those less fortunate. Have many here priced cribs in the last few years? I know, hard to imagine anyone in America having to use donated goods, huh? Well if the choice is a crib or a rent/power/food/gas in the car for work bill...MANY of us honestly DO have to make those choices.

Those that have used these older WELL MADE dropside cribs are also aware of the metal hooks that hold up the mattress by a bar on each corner, the mattress height can be raised or lowered as the child grows so they (conceivably) can't climb over the rail. I have never seen mention of the fact that if the mattress is on the highest hook and not firmly seated, the mattress will tilt and roll the child into the rails. THAT is human error and lack of someone getting beneath the crib to make sure each corner is seated in it's slot. PLEASE, if unfamiliar with the setup of these cribs- ASK an older neighbor to have a look!

Now I fear there will be many more deaths because those that can't afford a NEW crib will be afraid to ask for help, might be turned in to child welfare for abuse.

Mom To Twins -

Let's see if I have this straight. Someone GAVE you a crib, and now you want to know if someone ELSE will give you ANOTHER crib in exchange for this crib that you did not pay for.

Hello?? Who do you think is supposed to pay for your new crib???

BTW, if you could not even afford a crib, what are you doing having children in the first place? Children are for parents who can afford them - not for folks who want to foist all of their expenses onto someone else. It's called "personal responsibility."

Um John, maybe she could afford ONE child and OOPS...got two? S*** happens!

I am having a hard time understanding why people have a problem with regulation that is put in place to keep us safe. The issue here is that the manufacturer is using crap parts and bad design in order to maintain a lower cost so they can have more profit. What person in their right mind thinks that making a big profit is more important than people's safety - how is profit more important than a life???

Most people have an expectation that because we live in an industrialized regulated country we should expect that products we buy are safe for use. Expecting manufacturers to produce products that are safe is actually GOOD for business. With the standard being one of safety because of regulation people buy with confidence. If people thought it was a crap shoot when they bought products as to whether it would kill them or not then people would be less likely to buy anything new that they were unfamiliar with.

Also there is a big difference between a product being faulty and a product that is dangerous if misused. I think it is totally rational to think that if a product is used properly it shouldn't kill you or warns you of the potential danger if it could kill you (think warnings on cigarettes, chemicals, appliances, etc.) Also certain products are inherently dangerous if misused - i.e. cars, bicycles, blow torches, chain saws.) These things have know dangers if misused - a crib should not be a thing that could cause death if misused. There is nothing inherently dangerous about sleeping, like there is if you are driving a hunk of metal at 70 miles an hour down then freeway.

Crying about how the government is taking away your right to use a potentially dangerous product that involves a child is ludicrous. The whole "I don't want any one to tell me what to do" sounds like the kind of thing a 5 year old would say. Every man for himself might be okay in some circumstances but people wanting the right to do things that cause injury or death if they want to impacts everyone and not just the person that gets hurt or dead. Remember we have a health crisis in this country that is fueled by people needing to use medical resources because they risk their health doing unnecessarily dangerous stuff. We all pay for that in our insurance premiums and the cost of medical care. I personally don't want to pay for the injury to someone's kid, because they got injured by an unsafe product any more than I want to pay for the dumbass that crashes his motorcycle and wasn't wearing a helmet.

And remember people YOU may want the right to use dangerous stuff or have access to cheap products that boost profits by cutting corners, but cribs are for BABIES - they do not get a right to say if they want to use the dangerous crib or not.

GREAT. First BIG GOVERNMENT is FORCING us to buy health insurance, and now BIG GOVERNMENT is telling us what kind of CRIBS we can put our own children in?

Welcome to the United COMMUNIST States of America, comrade! All Hail our MARXIST COMMUNIST KENYAN King Obama!!!!!!

Tea Party 2012!!!!!!

One of the things to remember are cribs are for sleeping, they are not for putting kids in to keep them contained. My kids were only put in their cribs at nap time and bed time, they weren't running around playing in them. As soon as they woke up I got them out. And they had a sleep routine where they went quickly to sleep when I put them in. Any child that has been left in a crib long enough for them to shake their crib apart was left in the crib too long.

dragynlady if i did ask a baby what kind of crib it wanted i bet it would pick the one with prettier sheets.

"Also there is a big difference between a product being faulty and a product that is dangerous if misused. I think it is totally rational to think that if a product is used properly it shouldn't kill you" that is VERY true, so why not recall and recheck the bad ones why do we have to never use this form of product because of one bad manufacturer or model problem?

Also if you want people telling you how to raise your child thats your right, I would prefer if you leave my right alone on letting me raise my child the way I see fit my morals and standards are far differant from yours.

@ tobysmom-

Um luck? I am no professor on luck. My idea on luck is not getting shot in a hail of bullets in which there is no place to run or hide...that is luck. Luck is playing the lottery and winning knowing that the odds are 1 and 15 million. That is luck. Having 4 children not die in a crib accident when there are tens of millions of children who also did not die does not hardly qualify as luck. Yes let's scare the population with the theory of luck.

Ok so let me get this straight. They want the industry to police themselves when it comes to CADMIUM in paint on drinking glasses but these cribs where some of the deaths were caused by not being assembled properly are the devil. Is it just me or is 2+2 not adding up to 4 for our government lately?

While I think sometimes the gov. oversteps its bounds, for all of you so worried about government regulation, there is a reason. If you walk into your local food store to buy some meat, there is almost no way to tell how that meat was processed. Government standardsare in place to set guidelines and laws for food proccessing companies. The reason that they do this is that people used to gell severely ill or die because of tainted products.

I imagine that the manufacturers support this legislation. No company wants to have even one child's death associated with their name, but if the public likes the drop side design, they will be sold. This legislation levels the playing field. Although I can't make and sell a drop side crib, neither can anyone else.

Out of tens of millions of kids that have used these only a few died?

Only our ignorant Gov't would focus on a few deaths from these instead of a much larger killer: STAIRS and BATHTUBS.

Tens of Thousands have died from these while only a few died from cribs.

But if you are scared of them, DON'T BUY ONE.

Only a moron would say: "I think they are dangerous, but I'm going to get one because the Gov't hasn't banned them."

So now we have a Gov't that treats everyone as though they are mentally challenged.

Don't get me wrong, people ARE pretty stupid. People move into houses next to refineries and then want to sue the refinery for health effects.

Just more of the devolution of our species encouraged by an ever spreading nanny state.

Well-made drop-side cribs are particularly useful for parents with disabilities (arthritis, bad backs, MS, wheelchair users, etc.).

Now that drop-side cribs are banned, how are these parents supposed to cope with the already difficult job of raising their child? Waivers should be available as a "reasonable accommodation" in these instances.

Fine for the government to test products and inform the public. But it's up to the parent to choose and maintain a solidly made crib and re-evaluate its safety as the baby grows.

willinot

Perhaps you need the whole luck thing explained to you in terms that you can understand. Probability is a better way to think about it. The fact that these cribs have a potential safety problem does not mean that every child who is placed in the crib will die .... it only means that that child is more likely to die in this crib than in a safer crib. Therefore, if a someone survives a childhood of sleeping in an unsafe crib we might say that that child was lucky. And it's really not a scare tactic .... it is information that can be used to provide a safer environment for children, right?

SammieBear

You have what I think is a very strange perspective on this issue. Actually, the government is not telling anyone what they cannot buy. Instead the government is telling manufacturers and vendors what they can sell, just as they tell egg producers that they can't sell eggs tainted with salmonella; just as they tell toy manufacturers and importers that they can't sell toys that choke or poison children; just as they tell employers that they must provide a reasonable level of safety for their employees (and even provide those employees with necessary safety gear). I believe that government is providing a valuable service in each of those cases .... I am sure you believe that the government is placing limits on individual freedom in every case. Maybe I care more about my fellow citizens than you do .... yours appears to be the politics of selfishness. Tea party, anyone?

ttmadison

A smart parent would solve the problem you pose by shortening the legs of the crib. What would you do?

John-2402580: I wish you would ask more questions prior to assuming about anothers circumstances. The twins were a surprise arrival after my husband went in for the big V, and went to the follow up check up where they told him he was clear. Sometimes the human body is amazing and heals itself, not very often but yes, and surprise we ended up with twins.

I still had one crib from our other two children, and someone was nice enough to give us this one. Also while pregnant my husband lost his job and was diagnosed with M.S., which comes with a lot of medical bills....so don't put your you shouldn't have kids if you can't afford them b.s. because sometimes circumstances arise that are out of your control and you do the best that you can with what you have.

don97524 - You could just put the kid on the floor, to use your logic.

Don't forget that the GOV'T CREATED THIS PROBLEM BY MANDATING HOW HIGH THE SIDES HAVE TO BE. That's to keep the kids from falling out.

For shorter people, they cannot reach over the high side and back down to the kid. Don't forget, you then have to lift the kid out, which is itself a hazard.

Again, there is no problem that could not be addressed by by a Gov't safety rating system that then leaves the consumer in control.

If they rated some eggs as likely to have salmonella, but others unlikely, we could choose which ones we want. If you want runny eggs, that would be a factor. There would be a natural price difference, but you would be in control.

That's called freedom of choice.

Sadly, because some can't handle freedom, our Gov't limits it for all. It wasn't set up this way. This is a recent change.

The time has come for an "OPT OUT" option. Let those who want big Gov't pay for it themselves.

Children are for parents who can afford them

Troll of the day award goes to ....

John-2402580

Or perhaps you were referring to expensive cribs and not the children themselves, either way the award is yours.

If you cannot afford children, don't have them.

We have no problem enforcing this rule when we are talking about a dog.

It's not my responsibility, to feed, house, cloth, and insure YOUR kid.

Seems like some people think it OK to make other people pay for their actions.

Then go find those people and ask them to help you out.

PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS: TAX A LIBERAL.

Ryan in Texas

My logic says that a child in a crib is better than a child on the floor. Apparently your logic is different. Shortening the legs of the crib really is a reasonable accommodation, but maybe you don't see it that way in your narrow, anti-government mind. Actually, the government does not mandate the height of the crib ..... the manufacturer decides based on ergonomics for the average size of the people likely to use the crib.

You seem to focus so much on whether someone is going to tax YOU in order to pay for SOMEONE ELSE'S KID that you can't understand that the purpose of this crib standard is to SAVE THE LIFE OF A KID.

don - If the sides were shorter, kids would fall out. Gov't has forced recalls on sides being too short.

Also, the legs are usually a few inches high, that doesn't really help much.

I guess you could just buy 5 or 6 cribs to cover the height spread as the baby gets bigger.

But what I don't get is why you couldn't just be informed of the risks and make your own decision.

Or at minimum, have an opt out so that those of us who can take care of ourselves are not governed by regulation of those that cannot.

Ryan

I did not advocate lowering the sides .... only the legs. And a few inches lower might help a short person a great deal. The "5 or 6 cribs" argument you make is dumb ..... the accommodation (shortening the legs) was suggested FOR THE ADULT USING THE CRIB, not the child. The regulation affects the MANUFACTURER and is invisible to the consumer. The consumer merely is able to choose from a selection of safe cribs. I can't understand why you are opposed to safe cribs.

Sammie,

At some point they figured out that cribs that have bars that are too far apart allow babies to get their heads caught and this is dangerous. So they regulated to say that you could not sell a crib that had bars spaced too far apart. How is this any different ? It has been shown that that these cribs with the drop down sides can allow a child to get their head stuck, so they are saying that you can't manufacture and sell cribs with the drop down sides. So what is the big deal? They are not banning the sale of cribs all together they are just saying that a certain feature is not safe - just like they said the feature of wide spaced bars are not safe.

I would prefer if you leave my right alone on letting me raise my child the way I see fit my morals and standards are far differant from yours.

And some peoples morals and standards say that they want to beat their kids, or give them whiskey to get them to sleep, or let their 2 year old smoke pot, or sell them into slavery. You can't just let people make their own decisions about the welfare of kids completely unregulated, there has to be a baseline of safety. It has been shown you can't assume that all people are going to have the same good sense about raising their kids that you and I have. If I may presume to make an assumption about your standards for child rearing. And I am not equating the crib safety to child slavery I am only saying that your request for child rearing to go without any regulation is impractical at best.

All I am wondering about is why we are suddenly making a new regulation because 3.2 children a year die due to faulty equipment. Why not make the companies' CEO's liable for producing crap. Why not make the parents responsible for ensuring the sides are properly locked in?

These cribs are not exactly the most advanced piece of equipment. Given the low odds that something bad could happen, and the 100 years of use by parents, i feel pretty confident saying that the design is not the issue, manufacturing and use are.

As for it being too tall, cut the top half off, hinge it away from the child, and then get two slide locks to hold it in place. When you need to take the child out, unlock the top half, swing it down, and get your baby. Of course some moron is going to drop the top half on their kid's head and that will be banned too.

Sadly, many, many more children have died as a result of accidents while co-sleeping than in one of these cribs. I agree that the manufacturers started using cheap parts, bad designs, and confusing instructions that contributed greatly to the danger, but a ban just seems to be an extreme reaction to the problem.

As a very short mom (five feet), I would have not been able to reach my babies were it not for the drop side. After all, once the babies can move and pull themselves up, you have to lower the mattress so they can't get out or topple over the side. Now that the gov't has banned the drop-sides, manufacturers need to lower the leg height so mothers are not forced to stand on stools to get babies out of the crib; or at least offer a choice of crib height. This would not affect safety in any way (just aesthetics) and have the added bonus of a smaller distance to the floor for when toddlers climb out.

So, lower manufacturing standards, cheap parts and materials have killed a perfect and reliable design that worked without incident for many years when the creators used metals and wood in their craft. Way to go America.

For those of you who believe that "at least 30 deaths in the past decade" is too small of a number to be concerned about, please focus on the "at least" aspect of that statement. How many other similar crib deaths have occurred? Since this type of death is not a crime and statistics are really not gathered in a systematic way the actual number of deaths due to drop-side cribs may be much higher. But even if the number of deaths is "only" 30 in the past decade and these deaths are avoidable, don't you really think that it is worth the effort.

Several posters have presented some strange arguments on this blog .... noting, for instance, that more deaths are caused by infants sleeping in the bed with parents who roll onto them. Why are these crib deaths minimized because a larger number of deaths occur from a different cause?

Well said, Don97524! In fact dozens of babies died in the 1990s but the total number should not matter. Cribs should not kill babies. Extra bedding in the crib and cosleeping also kills babies but those deaths can be avoided by not cosleeping and not placing extra bedding in cribs. To put your baby to sleep and wake up to find your baby crushed to death by a crib is horrific! Thanks for posting!

I had a fixed-side crib for my first child, but the sides were too high for me. So I just co-slept with her whenever my husband wasn't around to put her to bed for me (which was often, since babies nap during the day when parents work).

For the second child, we bought a drop-side crib and I love it. I'm keeping it for #3. It's the only way I can reach the mattress, and I get a lot better sleep when Baby has his own bed. Besides, who puts a newborn to bed in a separate room?? You should notice if something bad happens to the crib, unless you banish Baby to another room.

More babies die of co-sleeping than drop-side cribs, which is what parents will resort to when they can't reach over the sides of the HUGE fixed-side cribs currently manufactured. I've seen models in the store where the top of the rail was almost even with my neck! The average woman is 5'4", so the average 5'10" man shouldn't be designing cribs. (And cribs need to accommodate women much shorter, since 5'4" is just an AVERAGE.)

Once again drgnylady i would prefer you leave my child raising rights alone. Did you know that in other country's instead of swinging a child side to side gently in your arms they shake the baby back and forth because that was the way they were taught to rock children. In our society we would see that as wrong and possibly charge them for abusing their child. You are not forced to buy a side drop crib you could have looked it up the statistics and death rate and decided not to buy it on your own. Why do the people who want side drop cribs lose them just so you can go "Look my government works hard to keep me safe."

Don- to your cut the legs thing. You realize those are sanded properly and have things on the bottom of them to insure stability so yea parents just go saw those right off as long as you don'ttake the risk of your baby getting hurt by a drop down crib. But hey what am i thinking every man is a trained brilliant carpenter these days. Also hey if they are limiting my individual freedom then yes i do speak up. The government has no right to out right ban A THING, or A GROUP i still believe its unconstitutional that smokers in Illinois have to be 15 feet away from a door but it made all the Illinois voters (nonsmokers) happy so hurray for that. I care about me and you saying you obviously care more about other people is bull because if you did you wouldnt be posting on here because you would be thinking of the other people who want those type of cribs so dont come to me faking a bleeding heart.

Baby's will die, we try to avoid it as much as possible but sometimes the will of the universe is just against people. if a baby is in a crib shaking bars and sticking its head through them you left your child unattended for too long.that's that. Old people die from hospital related mess ups all the time but you aren't regulating that are you, No because they're old in your eyes they were ready to go weren't they. My only hope to this post is i get banned for personally attacking you because your a wolf in sheep's clothing and i think everyone else should see through your ruse

Once again drgnylady i would prefer you leave my child raising rights alone.

So when I say that there has to be some kind of baseline for safety for children - you disagree. All parents and only parents should have the say in how a child is brought up and protected. You are against car seat laws and child endangerment laws with leaving them home alone, or child labor laws. Not that you would leave you child alone, or drive without them in a car seat, but you don't want the government to say that you should have to put your child in a car seat. You think a parent should have the choice to stick their infant in the back of a pick up if they want to. And you don't care if kids die because a bad parent endangered them. You don't think kids deserve protection from bad parenting. Is that because you think all parents are attentive and conscientious or because you think children of bad parents deserve to get hurt or die?

The government has no right to out right ban A THING, or A GROUP

So just to be clear - you feel that there should be no regulation of any kind, because it might get in the way of YOu getting to do what YOU want regardless of any potential danger to another person. Did I get that right? That seems to be your point. That what YOU want is more important than protecting other people, that YOUR needs and wants take precedence over what is for the greater good. There is a word for people like that.... is begins with an S.

Drop-side cribs are a personal choice; the government had no right to ban them, although they could have enforced higher manufacturing standards, including sturdier materials. The smoking within 15 feet of an entrance laws are not a ban on personal choice; you can still smoke, you just can't force everyone around you to do the same. If you're too feeble to walk 15 feet for your fix, then wear a nicotine patch... sheesh. The options for short parents utilizing fixed-side cribs are much more limited.

I never said there should be no regulations i just think they shouldnt be allowed to say this is no longer allowed. Read carefully here. Banning and changing are very different banning means no more of it. That i disagree, with making changes understandable. As to the bad parents getting their way thing no i dont beleive that a BAD parents should get away with anything if theirs signs of neglect take the child away but i dont see how a crib thats faulty has anything to do with bad parenting. Also yes what i want is more important than what you want thats my right as a citizen of the united states of america. Im assuming your calling me selfish and if you want everyone to share your ideals and your schild standrads and your food standards. MOVE TO A COMMUNIST AREA. your asking for lack of options im asking my optioins stay open so yes i am selfish.

sorry about all the miss spellings my computer froze before i edited.

Sammie - I never said I wanted everyone to share my ideals on everything - I am only stating that some basic regulation to protect people is a good thing, because not all parents can be relied upon to make safe choices for their kids. That is why I am in favor of car seat laws - there should not be an option to let a child ride in a car with out a car seat, that is just taking too great a risk with a little person that does not have the capacity to stand up for themselves.

I am all for personal freedom - I want the freedom to have a giant television, and eat organic, and immunize my child, and I support anyone's right to personal freedom. As long as that freedom doesn't negatively impact another person then I am all for it. But a person's choice that infringes on the safety/rights/freedom of another is not defend-able. You mentioned the smoking restriction for being 15 feet from an entrance and I agree with JLM this doesn't ban you from smoking it only keeps you from inflicting your smoke on others that don't want to inhale it.

I still say that the drop crib ban is not a ban on cribs only a ban on a certain design. This is America and lots of smart folks are here and I have no doubt that someone will come up with an alternative before the drop date to stop selling/manufacturing the cribs hits. Someone is going to come up with an alternative design that allows access to the crib with out the entire side sliding down along one side of the mattress. If folks are so adamant that they want a drop side crib you have 6 months to buy one, and take the risk with your kid. If you already have one then you get to keep it and use it as long as you want. The ban does not included owning one, only selling or making them.

And BTW I make lots of typos so I am not one of those grammar/spelling nazis that will taunt you for mistakes. It's all good. :)

Six months apparently isn't enough time to design a new crib suitable for shorter parents. They've been debating the ban for over a year now, and no alternate designs have surfaced. Not even shorter crib legs!! We've seen adjustible mattress heights, but how practical is that? It's not like you can put the child in the crib with the mattress on high, then lower it while the child is inside. It doesn't even compare to the drop-side cribs in convenience. (Not to mention, when parents are forced to use adjustible mattress heights en masse due to the drop-side ban, those same parents who faultily assembled the drop-sides are going to faultily assemble the mattress boards, and we're going to see new cases of infant deaths due to one side of the mattress board "slipping" out of place and trapping the child in a new type of wedge.)

I've always envisioned a hatch-back style crib side as preferable to even a drop-side. That would work best for parents of any height, and it's not like the side could accidentally slip "upward," as that would defy gravity. The key to safety would be secure locks at the bottom to keep older children from "lifting" the side and slipping out. But we haven't seen anything like this from crib manufacturers. Apparently drop-sides were their last stroke of brilliance, and now it's over. Our only recourse now, I guess, is to grow taller. I mean, they have not given even one statement addressing the problem of fixed sides for short parents!!

Actually they make cribs with side doors, and cribs with sides that fold down on one side to allow access for shorter folks.

Yeah, the folding-down side would be a drop-side crib, which is what they are banning. I haven't seen the side door option on cribs in any retail or furniture outlet, or even online. I searched extensively for a more user-friendly crib than standard fixed sides, and drop-sides are the only design in production. If you've seen alternatives, post a link!

JLM, The ban is for drop side cribs where the entire side drops down. I am talking about fold down sides where only the top part of one side folds down. Here is an example from Dream Baby

http://www.kids-n-cribs.com/baby-s-dream/baby-s-dream-ocean-collection/baby-s-dream-ocean-safety-gate-crib-espresso-p-817

And here is an example for cribs with doors.

http://www.babeetenda.com/crib.htm

To be sure these are not the norm in babies r us, but hopefully with the ban in place more stores will start carrying alternatives.

My thoughts exactly.

Maybe things were constructed better (and in the USA) way back then

they were

if there's a space between the crib and the mattress that tells me something. either the cribs have gotten larger and the mattresses haven't - OR the cribs have stayed the same size and the mattresses have gotten smaller. or some combination thereof. ...

I'm usually against a lot of government regulation and control, but in this case it's really a good idea. These cribs look safe but there are just too many ways for them to break and trap the infant's neck or face. We had one and it broke the same way many children died from, but we noticed in time and didn't put her in it.

All three of my children slept in a drop-side crib. All alive and well. Thank you big government for saving them from a horrible death. I couldn't possibly have done it without you.

My thoughts exactly...dunno how I survived or my own kids...who are still kids and not that many years out of a crib.

Parents need to be responsible for their children...if there are things about the crib, or ANY other item around the baby, that you think raise a question of safety (whether they are legal or not), be responsible and protect your child.

On the other side, if this will save lives of children whose parents are not diligent enough or what not, then it will be a good thing. Children are innocent, it is our job to protect them and raise then successfully.

no one particular.. it is soo easy for ppl to blame a parent for not noticing a flaw that is expected to be manufactured safe. Why would you assume a crib would kill your child? Your comment is grandiose and condescending at best.

When I was a kid I didn't know what a seatbelt was...however I wear one now.

You were too young to appreciate their ability to read the assembly instructiions!

So 30 infants over a period of decades, which must be something like 30 million children that used those kinds of cribs. Therefore, the odds of dying in a drop-side crib are probably much lower than the child drowning in the bathtub or any number of other hazards in life. The government can't accident-proof life!

We had a drop-side crib for our two children and it did require monitoring to make sure that the sides remained tight just like anything else with a mechanism. For shorter people, the drop-side crib was a valuable feature that was overwhelmingly safe when maintained properly.

@Baby Turtle, not in the least. I am a parent and I have HIGH expectations of myself...my children's health and life depend on it...it was part of the deal of becoming a parent, and I remember the stress of putting together that crib and my spouse and I making sure it was absolutely right.

It is the same reason we don't eat fast food, only fresh, local produce, no processed foods...my kids have had fast food on occassion out w/a friend or such and have commented how gross it is. Well, that is parenting, leading by example, admitting to mistakes, learning from them, but always, always, always believing at the end of the day 'the buck stops here...with the parent'.

As I said, I support this ban, as it will save lives, the loss of a child is never acceptable. It doesn't ever change the fact that at the end of the day, the only person truly responsible for a child SHOULD be the parent.

In my opinion, the problem with some of these safety agencies is that they feel like they need to push some new restriction every so often lest the general public develop the opinion that they are doing nothing of value. I really hope that's not how it really is, but from all I've see, these decisions seem tailor-made to say "See! We're performing a vital public service!".

Recent studies about sledding accidents have been in the news lately, too, and some are hoping that government will step in and require safety gear, or some safety standards for sledding. Falls and car accidents are still the two main causes of major injury (and death) among children (even though kids are in car seats!). The other commentor was right--we cannot regulate away every possible risk.

FLHRI, GO USA

The immediate response from both of you is that the government is somehow overstepping its boundaries. Perhaps you both ingested too much lead before the government introduced regulations intended to prevent children from being brain-damaged by paint, toys and other items that contained high levels of lead.

I want the government to regulate consumer safety in the United States and, no, I am not in favor of a "nanny state" and I am capable of taking care of myself. I just happen to realize, as you apparently do not, that it is much more efficient for the government to take steps to protect the food supply, toys, baby furniture, drugs and thousands of other commodities than it is for each consumer to go it alone.

Obviously we do not want every aspect of our lives regulated and a risk-free society is impossible, but striving to improve our society by eliminating obvious risks seems like a reasonable goal for government.

Some of us see government as the way we work together to achieve things that are difficult or impossible to achieve alone. Some of us see government as the enemy that interferes with our freedom and takes our hard earned money. I am in the first group. You, FLHRI and GO USA, seem to fall into the second category.

No one..

I'm sure you send out a newsletter each year telling everyone how fabulous you are too. Be glad you are lucky enough to have the money to spend on your childrens fantastic diet and the time to spend monitoring their every move...

Everyone isn't quite as fortunate as you

Geez, I can't agree more. Perhaps because now we are such all so lawsuit happy that the government has to step in? I grew up with both parents smoking 2 packs a day, an alcoholic mother, no seatbelts, I was a latchkey kid, no bike helmet, no computer, cell phone...the list could go on. It's absolutely amazing I have lived nearly a half century!

@Baby Turtle, no wrong again. We are not a boastful family and as I said before, I am fortunate. I only mentioned food because it is one of those things people say 'well what can you do'...well, we can all do better, if we choose. Children don't need to be hovered upon, they need to be parented with responsible accountability.

It never changes the responsibility of a parent. As someone else said, the government can do some great things to help w/safety, this is true, and if this will help, then it is a good thing for children.

Pardon me for striving to be accountable, for not being a parent who will not blame others for anything regarding my children. It is a bit old fashioned, yes. No need for me to blame anyone for my parenting, I am accountable, for good and bad. Mistakes are learning opportunities, not reasons to point the finger.

HEY JIM

Read again please. It said those 30 deaths were in the past decade (SINGULAR).

Kelly

I don't understand why you are opposed to children growing up in a better environment than was provided for you. I'm glad you survived your childhood, but I don't believe that you would not have wanted (and deserved) something better.

THANK you! Seriously - how the heck have all these things suddenly become dangerous?? I'm kinda thinking it's not so much the manufacturer as the consumer and a lack of ability to read directions. Or maybe it's the dolts who don't notice a "v" shaped gap that their baby can get into. Ummmm, personal responsibility anyone?

This reminds me of the govenment idiots who suggested making 5 gallon pails that leak somehow, so that toddlers couldn't drown in them. All you need to do is warn people that babies have died, and we parents are smart enough to try to protect our babies...all by ourselves...without the almighty government doing it for us!

@don97524 - you contradict yourself so many times in one missive that I almost got nauseous from the spinning 'round.

What utter buffoonery to believe that government regulation is "for our own good". Congratulations, you are part of the problem.

Parents should forgo kids. Too much trouble.

Confederate Son

Does it occur to you at all that the government regulation and safety information provides a service to parents, helping them to provide a safe environment for their children? Does it occur to you that cars are safer than they used to be? That the food supply is safer than it used to be? That children's toys are safer than they used to be? That the air is cleaner than it used to be before EPA? That employees are actually safer than in the days before OSHA?

Oh, I can see from your screen name that you still live in the 19th century. Never mind.

Regarding the comment about this being too much government intervention:

I get your point about government intervention. In this case I think it was needed. Comments were made that back in the day drop side cribs had stronger more durable parts. Manufacturers, in an attempt to add to profitability, cheapened up the parts. Even after infant deaths over many many years did the manufacturers organization decide to ban drop sides. Probably this was due to law suits from parents of dead babies.

if this alleged government intervention saves the life of just ONE baby, it is worth what you seem to consider government intervention. Seems manufacturers needed a boot in the ass to inspire them to make the long needed changes that they should have realized was needed YEARS ago. But no, they seemed to be much more concerned with their bottom lines.

Your level of insensitivity to this issue makes me think that perhaps, while you avoided being killed in a defective crib as a baby, you might have been dropped on your head!!

mine too . I am 60 and now only have to worry about government intervention killing me when I turn 65

jh

What a silly comment. I suppose that was a lame reference to the fictional Sarah Palin "death panels."

@ don97524

Cars are not safer. To think that having to have a plastic bag exploding near 300 mph towards your face in the event of a collision is somehow safe is laughable at best. The only things that make modern cars safer are improved suspensions, steering, and brake systems.

The food chain is actually worse these days - mostly due to who's picking our fruits and vegetables out in the fields - migrant workers (most likely illegals) who don't understand hygiene.

Children's toys have been recalled so frequently in the past few years, its hard to keep track of it all. But the predominance of recalls have been due to inferior Chinese products tainted with heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic.

But in this case, regarding these cribs, a simple warning of the dangers - signs to be on the look-out for - is all that is needed. Not an outright ban - which is only in effect because the modern parent is too stupid to have any common-sense. There's a gap between the rail and the mattress? Fix it before you put the kid in there. The drop-side won't stay up? Fix it before you put the kid in there. It can't be fixed? Get a new one. Real simple. But then again, I just used my gray-matter and didn't expect somebody else to do it for me.

Why don't you call up the parents of the 30 that died and pass that on to them. ...And the rest of the boneheads that said that they made it to adulthood just fine.

What is the acceptable number of dead babies before the government should act? Should we wait until we have at least 1000?, 5000?

Really, DEAD BABIES is where you choose to rant about "big government?".

OK Reader,

Considering that there are 300M people in just this country and the average lifespan is 80 years, there could have been at least 30 million infants using those cribs during any recent decade. A great many risks to life are far greater than about 1 in a million.

I would strongly bet that there were far more infants that died from S.I.D.S. during any decade, than from cribs. Let the government try to legislate that!

For you anti-regulation people:

Every time the EPA, OSHA, Consumer Protection Agency, or many of the other government agencies propose these regulations they do a cost-benefit analysis. They consider both the cost to comply with the new regulation and the benefit (the value of lives saved and the cost of injuries that would be prevented by the regulation). A regulation has to be worth the cost of compliance in order to move forward.

Jim

Before you fall in love with your statistical analysis you need to be aware that only the people who use this specific type of crib are affected and the cost of compliance, which is very small, is passed on to consumers. Most of these consumers are willing to pay a couple more dollars to have a safer crib for their child .... those who don't want to pay can still use a laundry basket with a baby blanket, like my mother did. I'm interested to know why you don't place a higher value on the lives of children.

I have raised two kids ( still alive in their 30's) with a drop down side crib. No problems. However, what I do have a problem with is that my mini blinds on my 72" window have 6 seperate cords ( not attached at the bottom) because some mother of the year let her kid hang himself. My 6 cords are in such a birds nest of a knot that they are probably 100x stronger than the supposedly old unsafe blind cords. I could probably hang myself in them! and I may just may one day, they are so annoying. Common sense and alertness solves alot more problems than the government could ever dream of.

I bet your parents were not using products made in China - they were probably using products made in the good old US of A. It was probably also a time where quality was just as important as making a profit, and things were expected to last for years. Now everything is made as cheap as possible with intention that almost everything is disposable. Comparing your upbringing to the upbringing of children today is like comparing oranges to apples. The world is not the same place as it used to be.

Every time the EPA, OSHA, Consumer Protection Agency, or many of the other government agencies propose these regulations they do a cost-benefit analysis. They consider both the cost to comply with the new regulation and the benefit (the value of lives saved and the cost of injuries that would be prevented by the regulation). A regulation has to be worth the cost of compliance in order to move forward.

Absolute lie.

Food? Safer than it used to be? Bollocks. Air cleaner? Workplaces safer?

Such grasping at straws I usually only expect from the Brady Center. To hear a supposedly "independent thinking" citizen vomit such absurdities makes me wonder about a great many things.

You question my moniker. Would it be safe for me to assume, then, that you believe the invasion of my country was to free negro slaves?

If you believe that blatant falsification of historical fact touted by your government overlords, you're bound to believe just about anything.

My mother is 4'11, without drop down sides she would never have been able to get her children out of the crib.

So what, now short parents will have to use step stools to reach their kids, then I suppose once they start falling and injuring their kids in the falls they will out both step stols and cribs altogether.

I don't honestly have a problem with wanting to make certain cribs are safe, but some responsibility has to fall on the parents to check the products they use with their kids, tighten screws, test integrity of materials, and buy something that is well made not some plastic containing piece of junk from china with some toxic chemical added just for kicks.

Confederate Son

The so-called invasion of "your country" was in response to an act of treason. Employee deaths have decreased by 70% since OSHA was enacted in the early 1970's. The major contributing factor to ignorance is not lack of intelligence ... it is refusing to know the truth.

Let those that need a nanny state to rule their lives have it. (And let THEM pay for it).

Let the rest of us have our freedom.

NO ONE FORCES YOU TO BUY THIS PRODUCT.

You still have stairs and bath tubs, which are way more dangerous. So why focus on this tiny problem?

If the Gov't wants to set up some kind of safety rating system where the consumer can voluntarily weigh cost vs. benefit, fine.

It the way cars work. Cars are way more dangerous, but some models are more dangerous than others. We simply cannot all afford to drive the safest model. (And our Gov't blocks production of safer cars through fuel mileage requirements).

Welcome to the decline: Where Gov't controls everything and is responsible for nothing.

Confederate Son - Don't worry, the Union won't be much longer. It's so far in debt, when China cuts us off, the States will be scurrying for the exits.

You don't hear much in the history books about how the North rigged tariffs so the the South was their slaves.

On the plus side, once our nanny state collapses, we will get rid of alot of dead weight. They won't be able to feed themselves or figure out how to watch their kids long enough to keep them from dieing.

Before long, we'll end up like China. Regulations on how many kids per household due to the fact that the Government wants everything life proof. Hell, they're even coming up with new ways CONSTANTLY try to keep elders from passing. Its life. But overpopulation will happen eventually. Do we really want America to tell us how big or small our families can be??

Im FOR the ban of dangerous items, esp. where children and babies are concerned, BUT, they should aim to FIX the problem rather than ban. Cigarettes kill, drinking kills, YET THOSE HAVE NEVER AND NEVER WILL BE BANNED.

I have 2 kids, they survived the dropside cribs. But I never had to lower the side anyhow, to give it reason to malfunction. I'm for this ban...

My heart goes out to the ones that have lost babies (or loved ones for that matter) to the idiocracy and carelessness of what people do to save a buck ON PLASTIC! To the gov't: Where was the safety concern then?? Everyone knows plastic breaks! The government just wants to look good in the end, knowing that they could have regulated this PLASTIC USE in the beginning... The deaths of the babies lost to this, It's ALL ON THE GOVERNMENTS HANDS!

just another o - You do get that people made the decision to buy the cheaper, less well made cribs?

It's like a car. Did you buy the safest car? Probably not.

But if the Gov't banned all cars that were not the safest, would that work?

For some reason it doesn't.

There is always a cost/benefit analysis.

If we just say: "A few kids died, so ban it." Then there would be no stairs or bathtubs.

Ryan

The unsafe cribs are not necessarily cheaper or less-well made, just poorly engineered. And cars have been subject to the same kind of regulations for many years. The metal dashboards were replaced by padded ones in the mid-50's. Seat belts followed a few years later and have been steadily improved over the years. Exhaust systems have been improved so that occupants are not subject to carbon monoxide poisoning. Poisons have been removed from many household chemicals. The list goes on an on. The government provides valuable services by evaluating the safety of virtually every product.

I cannot understand why you think this would be a better country if we discontinued all government regulations and allowed businesses to sell anything without restrictions. Do you not realize that most of us have better things to do with our time and money than to become experts in every product we consider purchasing and conducts all of our own tests? Isn't it better to ban lead in toys than to follow your "buyer beware" system in which each person who buys a toy would be responsible to have their own chemical analysis done? What are your choices if you do find lead in the toy? Since the lead would not be illegal the seller would not even be required to offer you a refund.

Most of us understand that government is a community effort in which we can accomplish many things that are difficult, impossible, expensive, impractical, tedious, or boring to do by ourselves. Consumer protection is a prime example of that. I do not want to conduct my own food safety tests to know that when I buy a dozen eggs that I probably won't get salmonella poisoning.

I understand that I won't agree with everything the government does, but I am better off with the government than I am doing everything by myself. It is not about living in a "nanny state." It is about cooperation.

My sentiments exactly. Thank you!

Does it occur to you that cars are safer than they used to be? That the food supply is safer than it used to be? That children's toys are safer than they used to be? That the air is cleaner than it used to be before EPA? That employees are actually safer than in the days before OSHA?

The difference in all these examples is that the government forced the manufacturers to make their products safer - not completely outlaw them. Why couldn't they have done the same in this case?

The so-called invasion of "your country" was in response to an act of treason.

Cite, please?

It was a response to an act of SOVEREIGNTY. Read the Constitution. Read the ratification statements. Get your head out of your arse and learn the truth.

Confederate Son

You are the sad victim of revisionist history taught by far too many southern schools. This is among the best arguments against local control of school curricula.

Death Magnet

The ban is against drop-side cribs. Manufacturers can still produce cribs, just not cribs that cause child deaths. Why is that unreasonable?

@don97524: I should say the same thing about you. Substitute "Southern" with "yankee" and "schools" with "indoctrination centers".

I asked for a cite. You provided none.

The deaths have resulted because there is more room between the drop-down bar side and the mattress than between the other bars and mattress, therefore children get caught in that space, so, no, putting that side against the wall would be no safer....

You'd be better off buying a new crib, but if you must use the old one I say remove the parts that allow the side to drop down and bolt that side to the rest of the crib. Make sure it fits squarely...

Aimee, just be safe about it. Ensure the crib is well constructed and the sides function as they should...if you have trusted the crib in the past, ensure it is still measuring up, given the details about drop side cribs.

These deaths are unfortunate, a tragedy beyond measure, but millions of people have successfully used these cribs...probably most people posting here were in one and/or have had kids in one. All of my children used one, if I were to have another child now (though I am done!), I would use that same crib...it was well constructed (we were fortunate to have the money to buy a very nice one) and safe.

Or as Unregistered User suggested, you can simply remove the moving parts.

I've had two drop-side cribs and neither had more space on the drop-side side. the entire side slid down along metal bars anchored on each headboard. Nothing in the design required additional space, since both sides were in equidistant position outside the hanging frame that supported the mattress.

As to putting the drop side against the wall, how are you going to get your baby out of the crib? I would have to stand on a step stool to reach down over the stationary side. Ooops, fall off stool, drop baby on head. Government will have to ban step stools now.

Bikermom you make a hilariously good point my mom is short so am i and she had trouble getting me out of the crib with the side up. This is all just a plot to get rid of short people.

but we could just saw off some of the leg till its about our size i guess. We need to mcgyver that excrement

Don97524:

From what economics records are you gathering data? Or, doing gov’t cost analysis?

Signs of great depression abound beyond comfort, hope and change for relief. Absent, is the US industrial production base which led to former recoveries. Gone are countless small businesses, steel mills, automotive factories, mom-pop service stations, and products proudly made in the USA.

The costs & regulations you tout as being passed on to the consumers closed these business doors and others, prevented more from opening, & created the cheapened goods about which you now crow. Add too, the costs of Prozac and the misery index, and it is easy to see the high value you place upon life is an illusory fallacy.

Death’s inevitability cannot be avoided. Regulators attempts to prevent death at the expense of life, is neither progress, nor a higher value.

Cut off the crib's legs, duh...

Hey Ashley, cut the legs off your crib and sit it on the floor, or put your child in the dangerous crib so you don't strain your back. You decide which is more important. Looks like NEA beat me to the punch on the obvious suggestion.

Hey Paul, It has nothing to do with straining my back, if it were that simple, I'd just walk around with a sore back my whole life.... I can't reach, strain or no strain...... Toddlers manage to climb out of their cribs even when they are high off the ground, sorry but I am not comfortable dropping the crib to a level where the child can climb out willy-nilly in the middle of the night.......

Cutting the legs off won't make it any easier for an infant to climb out. It will only be closer to the floor....

I don't think the walls of the crib would be any shorter, I think it would simply be lower to the ground, right?

Ashley, just be safe about it. Ensure the crib is well constructed and the sides function as they should.

These deaths are unfortunate, a tragedy beyond measure, but millions of people have successfully used these cribs...probably most people posting here were in one and/or have had kids in one. All of my children used one, if I were to have another child now (though I am done!), I would use that same crib...it was well constructed (we were fortunate to have the money to buy a very nice one) and safe.

cutting off the legs wont close the gap that strangles your child DUH

As I said, toddlers climb out even now, only they can't get anywhere since they are 3-4 feet off the floor, drop it down, and they are out and about in the middle of the night with no adult supervision..... Sorry, but more children die every year because they are not bring supervised than because of these cribs...

I mean if they're going to get out, they're going to get out, but the difference is if it's closer to the ground, A.) You'll be able to reach into the crib better, and B.) Your child won't fall 3-4 feet.

Or they could just let me buy the crib I want, put it together properly, and have a safe crib that I can reach into and that turns into a great little toddler bed when you remove the side completely....

Some of the newer cribs have a door/gate built into one side. You open the door to get access to the child.

If they use quality components for the door/gate latches, it should not create any additional risk, but if they use cheap plastic components, I'd worry when the child gets to the age of standing in the crib and shaking the sides (most of ours thought this was much fun). Then there's always the possibility that the child figures out how to operate the latch...

Well that's it, they are banning these cribs because of deaths due to bad parts, so I wouldn't trust that these door-gate cribs would be made with better parts... Our door on our crib actually did break, and so we took it off and used on of those folding safety barriers designed for toddler beds, worked wonders...

Seems to me if you periodically check the crib to make sure nothing seems loose, you're probably just fine using a drop side crib. And if you raise and lower the side regularly, you just gotta pay the slightest bit of attention to how it feels when you do so. If it starts to feel wiggly, tighten up the hardware and when doing so check to make sure it isn't cracked or otherwise looking worn. I'd be more worried about babies who are forced to "co-sleep" with their parents than I would about babies in drop side cribs!

Ashley - I'm 40, and I have a sister who is 9 years younger than I am. We used a drop side crib for her; I've used one for all 3 of my kids. And I'm a huge 5 foot nuthin'. I'm glad these people have offered you the option of cutting the legs off the crib. I, however, would not do it. I think if you're diligent and check the crib when you're putting the baby in and/or taking the baby out you'll be fine. Cribs are friggin' expensive and after spending like $500 on one I can't say I'd like to take it home and chop it up. Obviously these people have never had "short girl" issues!

Cutting off the crib's legs won't alter the DEPTH from the top of railing to the mattress, which is what's so hard for us shorties to manage. In fact, if the crib is lower, it would be even harder to reach the baby!

I, too, safely used a drop-side crib for all five of my sons, as well as for my grandson. But then, they all slept on their tummies, too...and had bumpers in the cribs...and all manner of things that scare the bejeebers out of parents these days.

I'm 5 feet tall and I used a crib without drop down sides. The mattress height was adjustable (higher for newborn, lower as my daughter got older), and the legs were only about four inches tall. I never had back problems, and never had a problem reaching down for her. By the time the mattress was at it's lowest height, she could stand up and reach for me anyway. Use a drop-down crib if you have to, but don't use your height as an excuse for it.

Interesting that much explanation is needed to determine exactly what will result when the crib's legs are cut off; yet confusion exists as to why a higher entity might want to get involved in such matters.

I have two children, I used the same drop side crib for both of them, without a problem. I am 5'7" and can understand the frustration of the shorter women. My problem reaching the bottom had nothing to do with getting my child out of the crib, like Michelle said, by the time the crib was at the lowest setting they were big enough to stand up for me to grab. However, when they fell asleep in their car seat or whatever and I was putting them in the crib, already asleep, is when I found the drop side to be the most helpful. Had it not been for the drop side crib, there would have stood a good possibility of me dropping them into the crib, as my children were both big for their ages (20 lbs adn 28 inches by four months) and the crib rail, when all the way up, caught my under the arms before I reached the bottom.

For those of us who don't put our kids in a crib and allow them to scream and wail until they fall asleep, I would think that the risk of dropping them, in a fixed side crib, will soon begin resulting in injuries or deaths also.

Here is a thought, make sure the crib is put together correctly, the article admits many of these injuries resulted in incorrectly assembled cribs, and if your child is big enough and active enough that they are shaking the crib hard enough to drop the side, take them out of the crib and put them in a toddler bed.

I am 4' 11" and I was just fine with the stationary side crib. My child's crib had an adjustable height mattress. For me the safety of my child comes before any discomfort I may come across. Yes I have to really reach to get to the bottom of my washer, and literally hang over the side of my deep freeze to get anything at the bottom, and it would be a wonderful world if cabinet makers were to lower everything by about 3 inches so I would not have to crawl up onto my counters to reach things. But the reality is that I am SHORT!

It took me a long time to find a crib that I felt met my child's safety and comfort, yet also was convenient enough for me. My suggestion is take a tour through Babies R Us or any other baby store, practice leaning into and out of the various cribs. I even had them adjust the height for me on one to test it out. I wish you the best of luck with coming to your own decision but do not blame anything other than yourself if your lack of compromise, harms your child in the future.

"...do not blame anything other than yourself if your lack of compromise, harms your child int he future."

I don't see it as a lack of compromise, but more of an issue of choice, I believe I should have the right to buy whatever product I deem safest and most useful for me. I do not think I a governement body should be telling me that I am not intelligent enough to purchase a decent crib, assemble it correctly and maintain it do a degree that will keep my child completely safe. I have already made my choice, I have used a drop-dwn for both my children, and would do so again... For the parents who are concerned, by all means, buy the other kinds, but I don't believe that for the for the 30 deaths that occured, out of millions of cribs used millions of times should determine what I am allowed to purchase........

And I am not using my height as an excuse, it is much more a reasoning in this case.... Everyday, dozens of times a day, I must adapt because of my height, many millions of us do, and that is fine, but the last thing I need is another minor irritation in my life because of it... No, the crib issue is not the be-all-end-all, but when you add up all the silly little things I have to do in my day to work around being under 5', it gets ridiculously annoying, and at the end of my day, when my child falls asleep in my arms, I would simply like to be able to lay them down in their bed without flopping them in there so hard that it wakes them up....

@ NEA and all the folks who said "Cut off the legs, duh"... can you tell me exactly HOW the drop side can properly function when that is done? On my Jenny Lind that I used for my daughter 18 years ago (with good quality parts), the drop side is fastened to the head/foot boards by a rail that goes from top to about 2 inches from the bottom. The top of the rail is only dropping about 6 inches or so, but so is the bottom! It ends up almost on the floor at standard height so cutting off the legs 6 inches to make it easier for us short folks to reach will make the drop side completely unusable. DUH!!

Will it will be easier to reach then? Nope, since the drop side is usually about an inch or so shorter than the stable side, you can't attach it to the crib. I guess one could cut the stable side to match, but then you would lose the inset hardware that the bolts thread into.

All in all, I think that government regulation is fine... within reason. Don't ban the cribs completely, MAKE THE COMPANIES THAT MANUFACTURE THEM USE SAFER AND MORE DURABLE MATERIALS!!!! Since this style of crib has been used over 100 years without this much incident, and the deaths that have made this legislation necessary have only increased so markedly within the last 10 years, that tells me not that the product is inherenly bad, but that the companies are now using cheaper materials to make shoddier products.

Little kids can injure themselves on lollipop sticks. Did they ban lollipops? No, they made ones that have a softer, looped cord designed for smaller children who don't know they could poke the stick through their palate.

And if we are truly concerned about infant deaths, then repeal abortion. That kills more babies each year than cribs, cars, bikes, dogs, stoves, stairs, etc put together... just sayin

I also had to use a step-stool to get my first child into her crib, because it had fixed sides. But I couldn't do this until she was about 5 months old. That's because a stool only gets you high enough to reach your arms over the rails; it doesn't get you high enough to bend your torso over the rail, which is what you have to do when you are putting a young child to bed who cannot support themselves yet. (A ladder might do the trick, but that has its own risks of misstepping, especially when your hands are occupied with a baby.)

Before my child could be placed in her crib in a sitting position, I just co-slept with her for naps and had my husband put her into her crib at night. I have no idea what true dwarves do with their babies. There definitely needs to be an option to replace the drop-side advantage, rather than an outright ban. Maybe a hatch-back style crib side?

BillyD43,it was called quality control which does not exist in China, that is the reason many companies moved their operations to China,the only way to bring quality back is that we stop buying that China junk.

Even more than the place of manufacture, I believe the materials used make a big difference. I was in a drop-side crib when I was a child, and we had two of them over the years for our 10 kids (our last one left the crib about a year ago). They were all of solid construction with metal components for the drop-side mechansism. Many of those we saw in stores had a combination of metal and plastic parts. Plastics wear more quickly, especially when wearing against metals.

You hit the nail on the head. But Congress doesn't want to hold manufacturers or China responsible. It's easier to regulate us!

In reviewing 2008 child fatality statistics (http://www.iihs.org/research/fatality_facts_2008/children.html), 77 infants per one million children died in car accidents, and another 163 children (per million) aged 1-3 died in car accidents--and that's even with mandatory car seat laws in place! Are we going to bar all infants from cars? The frequency of automobile-related deaths (~70 or more per million per year) is far higher than 30 infant deaths (in total) out of tens of millions of children over a number of decades.

@HikingStick:

Don't you trifle the serfs with facts and minutia. They only want to make sure they are complying with their government's mandates so that they will be rewarded for their obedience.

Perhaps they should ban automobiles. Cars kill far more than 30 kids every year. Don't let the government regulators know or we'll all be riding bikes with child seats rather than driving cars - then the kids would die from getting too hot or cold.

Baby Turtle:

If we measured every need for government intervention by the number of deaths caused by a particular food, piece of clothing, furniture, auto, etc., the resulting government regulations would be over-whelming. While any child's death is unfortunate and certainly unwanted, we are - and I hope we remain - human. We will, therefore, commit errors and have unintended deaths. I personally don't believe it advisable to request our government to enact laws for every situation where such a small percentage of our population is injured or killed. I believe the reaction to this matter is solely because very young children, who cannot protect themselves, are involved. We need to be reasonable.

No kidding, there have been deaths from every possible cause, from falling out of bed to an open window falling closed on someone's neck. But, if this is something pertaining to a product that we can improve to ensure the safety of children, I'm all for it. I do not think that a product should be banned, however. It seems lazy, like giving up instead of making improvements that could easily be made.

There has been 30 deaths in 10 years involving how many millions of children? I would call that a very safe product.

Just another example of the government sticking their noses in our personal lives.

you all call this "an example of the government sticking their noses in our personal lives" BUT ONLY UNTIL IT IS YOUR DEAD BABY.

Then you would say, " Why were these cribs not outlawed?"

I had a drop side crib with my older children, the side rail often slipped out of the plastic track, and I am very lucky that nothing happened to my babies.

@Angie - why did you not do something to fix the crib? If I had a crib, where the rail often slipped out of the track, I would have either figured out what was wrong and causing the problem, or I would have gotten a new crib. I would think common sense would tell most parents to do the same thing.

I don't remember which part of the drop-side broke on our crib, but I do remember that it was a simple matter of calling the manufacturer and them sending the replacement part out right away. All it took was a little attention to notice that the side had come lose (I don't remember where) and to do something about it right away. We shouldn't need the government to do what parents should be doing on their own, which is to make sure that whatever their child is using, be properly maintained and safe.

A more careful reading will let you know it was DECADE. That would be 10 years. NOT decades as you are stating.

30 children in ten years. Woop-de-doodle.

For the slow kids in the back that averages to three (3) children per year. Three.

More children have been killed already today by lightning strikes and alligator attacks than in one year of drop-side cribs.

Confederate Son, you miss the point, that some things can be prevented.

Children dying in auto accidents can also be "prevented". So you want to ban automobiles, too? There are probably at least three infant deaths per day due to some accident that could be considered "preventable". Life is a daily risk and not everyone makes it though alive.

@fgh: let the record show that not one tragic death has been prevented through government mandate.

If anything, government mandates have led to MORE TRAGIC DEATHS.

Solution: ban government.

Ban the government? What? Damn your comment is absolutely stupid!!!

Anyone blaming the government about this, needs to actually blame themselves!

Yes! Ban "Monster Parents"!

You know the ones that freak out over simple things like this. The ones that don't realize that SIDS accounts for 2,500 deaths a year and that 30+ in a decade for drop-down cribs is absolutely nothing! Thus demanding a recall is a waste of money. And more than likely due to improper use or failure to keep it's maintenance up. These Monster Parents are the same damn noisy parents are the ones that ruin PTA meetings and claim that their devil-of-a-child is an absolute angel. And that any problem with their child is everyone else's fault but theirs.

Lead paint on walls and in toys? Banning and recalling is a great idea. Small objects that may break off of a toy and could lead to choking? Recalling is a great idea. Banning baby walkers? No. Banning sales of baby walkers to parents who don't realize that a child can topple down stairs? Great idea. And this list can go on, and on!!!

Fail.

Government is the answer to a question nobody asked.

Banning sales of baby walkers to parents who don't realize that a child can topple down stairs?

Using the argument of such mental giants as yourself, the logical course would be to ban stairs.

Keeping people who take common sense for granted from buying such items would be worth while. And as for banning stairs? Very weird idea. Don't think it'll work.

I was making a point about the course of logic that the majority of mouth-breathers inhabiting this planet seem to take.

so you never slept when the children were in their cribs?
Why do you know it all parents always assume other ppl aren't watching their kids? Accidents happen even to the most diligent parents

You didn't have your children in their crib unless you were in the room with them?! What did you do, watch them sleep and make sure they kept breathing in and out?

(not because I thought it was unsafe, just why put them up there unless I'd be there - oh yeah, we didn't have baby monitors).

Sigh.... Indie&Bella... Please re-read.

so the parents are now killers for using a product advertised as safe......

No, the parents are killers because they are negligent idiots.

ConfederateSon

No, the parents are killers because they are negligent idiots.

That's just wrong on so many levels

J.D -

At what point does government become more involved than they should be? I totally understand what you're saying....there are a lot of stupid people out there trying to get a buck because they are dorks (Stella Awards, anyone??). But there has to be some point where we realize that no matter how much regulation the government imposes, there WILL still be stupid people and they will be convinced they have no responsibility for the actions caused by their stupidity. Don't get me wrong....I don't want babies put in danger by unsafe products. But instead of making the cribs illegal, wasn't there an alternative? I mean TONS of people have used this type crib for years with no issues. I'm just saying that we have to draw a line somewhere.

As a parent, I cannot imagine this pain or horror and my heart was saddened reading the article.

I don't think it requires a government ban (there are many legal things that put children's lives at risk that are not banned...second hand smoke anyone?), but if it will save lives not to have any more of them sold, it will be peace of mind for parents.

I cannot imagine the pain and anguish of losing a child to my own stupidity. These cribs are inanimate objects. Millions of people throughout many DECADES have not been killed by drop-side cribs.

Thousands are killed every year in automobile accidents. Let's outlaw them.

Heck, let's just go ahead and outlaw stupidity. Get to the real root of the problem and start punishing the people truly at fault: idiots.

A car is not just a potentially lethal product, but it kills more people than anything other than natural causes. Are you in favor of banning cars. And for those who don't agree, consult with an anti-car activist who lost family in a car accident. Let's have the government make all of our decisions for us based on emotion rather than any logical risk/reward analysis. It's just to dangerous for us to decide for ourselves.

Not quite "ALL".

Pretty sure it won't be long before all newborn children will be immediately turned over to the government to raise until they are 18. Clearly parents can't be trusted.

Yeah, and if your child was killed in one of these cribs you would probably be first in line to sue the government for letting an unsafe product on the market. Open your eyes and realize the government did the right thing.

No...actually, I take responsibility for my actions or inactions...and failure to inspect the crib periodically is an inaction on the parents fault. 30 Deaths in 10 YEARS, while unfortunate, is not a lot, proven by the fact that there have been millions upon millions used in that time period with no injuries.

The cribs are NOT unsafe. They have to be inspected for loose parts, just like everything else. You would not blame the car manufacture because a tire blew out on your car, but hadn't checked the tires in several years.

Yours is a stupid argument. It's not the same as buying a car or a ladder, unless the car has a random chance of exploding while you drive, and the ladder has a random chance of bursting into flames while you use it.

There is a difference between unhealthy lifestyle choices and defective products that can kill babies.

And what if some parents aren't aware of the potentially fatal risk of owning a drop side crib? Not everyone keeps up with the news. Should their children be at risk, and potentially die because these cribs are sold freely? When you buy something for your child, especially your INFANT child, shouldn't there be ZERO risk of death ? Your laissez faire ideals shouldn't apply here.

And how can you say it is a defective product when ONLY 30 deaths in 10 years, while millions have operated as intended. And from a previous article, quite a few were from incorrect assembly.

"IA million Simplicity and Graco cribs were recalled in 2007 after three infants became trapped in the crib and suffocated. In each instance, the consumer had installed the drop-rail side of the crib upside down, the safety commission said. The misconstruction created a similar gap in the crib that children can slide into and get stuck."

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ConsumerNews/crib-recall-dropdown-sides-fatal-infants/story?id=9161897

are you stupid this is the one time i think they should step in i paid over 200 dollars for this crib an mine did come apart. I was right there or who knows what could of happened. What are you all to lazy to reach in an get your kids out you need the side drop to make your life easier an say fu#* your kids safety know what your talking about before you open your mouth

nicedream:

http://www.lemonauto.com/complaints/ford/ford_explorer.htm

http://www.switchfires.com/

Couldn't find combusting ladders though... although those are also recalled.

Anything can break. You just have to check that anything you have that could kill you is in good shape.

Leave us alone, you just pointed out even more reasons as to why they should be banned...thanks!

Steve: Why? Because people can't read directions? That is not the manufactures fault. What happened to common sense and personal responsibility?

Sorry about that ;D

Maybe we should register things that can kill you by wearing down, then, like with cars, you will recieve a letter or some form of contact on finding a problem or recalls. I only mean larger, expensive things that are not easy to just trash. Just a thought. Please don't be too cruel with rebuttals :).

Babies can't save themselves from the mistakes of their parents. Why hate on something that is meant to protect those who can't protect themselves? Should children have to die in order for the big bad gov't to stay out of matters? I'm no fan of big gov't but little one's need to be taken care of. You may hold yourself responsible for what happens in your house but not everyone does.

annon - The government is here to serve the MAJORITY of the citizens, so why do they need to regulate the MAJORITY because of the actions/inactions of a few.

Up next: Everything is banned, and all human beings are required by International stupidi---I mean Law, to spend the rest of their lives standing in the middle of a field and doing nothing; do not move, do not walk, do not run and do not look around more than 45 degrees. Do not wear shoes or clothes and do not touch one another. Do not eat or drink and try not to sleep.

Great. In a couple of weeks, those of us who have more sense than a marble will be the only ones left and can start over.

If we just let the companies making dangerous products have it their own way your kids would still be eating lead based paint chips. This has nothing to do with individual responsibility. It has to do with companies making unsafe products.

Since there have been only 30 deaths, apparently 99.999+% of all drop-side cribs never had any problems (made in USA or not). What if we banned every product with a 0.001% defect rate?

i used a drop side bed for all 4 of my kids.all they worked great.now they have been passed on to the grandchildren.you just have to use a little comen sence and check them when children get to shaking them.most people do thats why there are so few deaths.don't blam the bed if your to lazzy to check them.

How about "daddy's new girlfriend"?

Nothing a couple of lag bolts couldn't fix... Cheaper than a new crib at any rate!

I hear ya... I am having a baby in 5 weeks... and JUST moved my son out of his crib a couple months ago so I could use it for this one... yep its a drop side one..... that I spent a whole lot of money on... and I can not afford to buy a new one. I am using it regardless.

You do not have to buy a new crib just because the gummint says they're not safe. It is no less safe than it was yesterday. They will not be storming your house (well, maybe they won't) in search of contraband drop-side cribs.

Sounds like your crib is safe (as are 99.999+% of them, aparently). Just use it and check periodically for the problem.

My guess would be, like many others have stated, you actually put the crib together correctly and it will be safe. If you feel it is necessary to double check, shake the crib as hard as you possibly can, if the side stays up, more likely than not your crib will be just fine. I certainly wouldn't buy a new one simply because they are now telling you it is not safe, even though you haven't had any problems in the past.

Why are you having MORE children if you can't even afford to keep your son safe? It's not up to the government to subsidize your procreation.

If you can't well afford to have and raise a child safely until they're an adult (and have back-up plans if you lose your job), don't have kids. It's not a rite of passage, nor is it necessary or expected.

Nor is it up to YOU to give opinions or guidance on anyone else's procreation or child-rearing budget.

wow ttmadison... who the h double hockey sticks to you think you are!!!!! First of all it is none of your da** business what I do with my life... and I can afford to keep my son safe, eat healty food, blah blah blah... Not that it matters but we can live if either me or my husband loses our job and do it without government help thank you very much. BUT I live friviously and buying a new crib when the one I have is just fine does not make financial sense when I could put that $800.00 to their college fund. Its "i think i know it all" people like you that need to quit breeding. Keep your mouth shut next time.

Speak for yourself there, Bill

we looked for cribs for our children, now 4 & 7, could not find anything we liked so I built one. oh!..... it has a FOLD down side!

no manufacturer had anything comparable at the time.

My 1988 child had a well-made hardwood crib (and metal fixtures) with an upper half that folded down on the outside. Later, it converts into a child bed.

It's been passed down in the family and still is safer and of much better quality than most sold today.

To borrow a page from the conspiracy theorists, an outright ban will convince millions they need to buy new cribs instead of continuing to use the ones they already have and have had no problems with and since there will be no resale market, everyone will have to buy new=big profits for crib manufacturers. On the up side, maybe a rise in demand will create some jobs!

Michele - see, the problem with that logic is simply that, it is logical. WHat happens when people start dropping sleeping babies on their heads because they can't reach the bottom of the crib? An outright ban on cribs? Or will they simply have to be moved to the floor?

The way the new law is written it will not be legal to re-sell them, so they won't be on Craigslist, E-bay or garage sales...if they are and something happens the seller and the service will be held legally and financially liable.

Dang, I knew I should have sold our old (10 year) old crib earlier this year.

TJ... this makes me sad. I spent a ton of money on our crib and love it... but I will have another kid in it in 5 weeks for the next few years or so.... at least it is going to get some use before it becomes fire wood.

Ha, don't worry, you'll still be able to find these on craigslist. I don't think the officers will bust down your door with a search warrent looking for drop-side cribs...

Niblet:

"live outside the law"

:D excellent. Rogue parents on the run. They play by their own rules. They use... drop down cribs. "GET TO THE COPPAAA!"

WoW, people certainly are judgmental these days!! I am 5ft 2in and without the drop-side, I couldn't reach my two week old son to get him in and out. My crib is a year old, and I have no plans to get a new one! I checked to make sure it wasn't recalled, and that it was put together properly. I understand the government want babies to be safer, but unless they are going to go into everyone's house and parent for them, they should butt out. Also, some of us can't afford new cribs even if we wanted to buy them,not because we expect others to support our kids, but because of what life dealt us.

I agree with you 110%!!! It is time to hold manufacturers accountable...poison in the toys-lose their license, build crappy cribs, lose their license...Banning drop-down cribs is just plain stupid, it is a fantasic invention and works fine....with REAL working parts. Until we hold the manufacture liable, they will continue to make sub-par toys and equiptment....and we will continue to buy and lose out. How about a law that says if you have something recalled we fine you millions of dollars, oh, and if you do it again, you are out of business. The only one that gets the short end of the stick are the consumers. We lose OUR money and in some cases OUR children. Very sad day.

If we actually had a better means to hold companies more liable when they make and sell dangerous products that they deem safe which are in fact dangerous then this wouldn't be a problem. However, until a law comes out that literally shuts down a company for making unsafe products which isn't going to happen since 90% are made in "CHINA" anyways, we need a means to protect consumers. IT is next to impossible to hold a Chinese company actually liable for products they shipped to the USA for sale.

Those idiots that think the government shouldn't get involved realize this. If it wasn't for some government involvment your kids would be sucking on toys laced with lead and mercury based parts and paint. Without YOUR KNOWLEDGE of the chemicals. Your kids would also be eating all that lead based house paint chips like doritos. The forumla you buy from CHINA whould contain toxic chemicals to make it more real looking.

You can't just say, well, I just won't buy that product after finding out 10000 kids died from eating a toy with a lithium battery that falls out or magnets.