http://www.mchlimo.com/baby-corner-safety/
New Standards for Baby Crib Safety
For first-time parents, getting ready for a new baby is not only exciting but comes with a lot of decisions. With the sheer number of choices that need to be made in order to be ready for your new addition, important considerations can be overlooked. One of these is the potentially deadly hazard of using a drop-side crib whether you intend to purchase one to be passed down baby-to-baby or a convertible crib that is specifically designed to adjust to your child’s growth.
In the past five years, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (www.cpsc.gov) has issued 11 recalls encompassing more than 7 million drop-side cribs as a result of the suffocation and strangulation hazards created by drop-side construction. This is because a drop-side crib tends to be less sound, structurally, than a crib with four fixed sides and normal use seems to cause the hardware to be easily damaged or sustain breakage. If the hardware bends or breaks, it can cause one or more corners of the crib to come loose making a space between the frame and the mattress where a child can become wedged causing suffocation or strangulation.
In December 2010, the CPSC unanimously approved new mandatory standards for baby cribs as stipulated by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). These are the first changes in the federal standards in 30 years and are aimed at producing a safer generation of cribs or convertible cribs. They are to go into effect June 2011. At that time, the manufacture and sale of drop-side cribs will be prohibited; crib hardware must be more durable; mattress supports must be stronger; and safety testing must be more rigorous. For more information on crib safety and safe sleep environments for baby, visit CPSC’s crib information center at: www.cpsc.gov/info/cribs/index.html.
In the meantime, the buyer is responsible for finding a well-built and safe crib to purchase for the new baby. Here are suggestions to help make this all-important decision.
1. It needs an adjustable height mattress that makes the drop-down side obsolete.
2. It needs to be sturdy and durable; sturdy enough to take the use, and sometime misuse, a child will give it; durable enough to look good while doing so.
3. It needs to be made of hardwood Furniture manufacturers prefer rubberwood because of its durability, dense grain and attractive color that accepts finishes well. Also, it is an eco-friendly wood.
4. It needs to have mortise-and-tenon joints and a hook-and-pin system that provides steel reinforcement to ensure maximum strength. Mortise-and-tenon joints interlock for stability and the hook-and-pin system creates a strong, lasting connection between the headboard and footboard while reducing stress on the frame when there is movement in the bed.
For cribs and convertible cribs that are constructed to meet and exceed ASTM standards and the new CPSC standards NOW, visit Southview Bunk Beds at: www.southviewbunkbeds.comconvertiblecribs.
About the Author
Ronald Foster is a graduate of Niagara University and received a Mastersf degree in economics and retailing from NyU. He has been active in retailing for over 40 years.