Drop Side Cribs
Drop side cribs used to be one of the more popular cribs in the market as the crib is designed to allow the guardian easier access to their baby. The problem is that drop side cribs have now been found to cause plenty of safety issues, which then inadvertently led to the banning of drop side cribs by the U.S. government.
There are plenty of hazards caused by drop side cribs, the most common being the problem of the plastic hardware either warping or breaking while the baby is still in the crib. Even drop side cribs made from soft wood suffer from design problems as the material is found to rapidly loose it's fastening fixture. It pays to do a lot (and I mean days) of research before you get a crib. Do check out the baby furniture safety section that we have here.
Installing drop side cribs is not exactly fool-proof either as a study has found plenty of parents who install their crib upside-down. While drop side cribs that are the wrong side up can still function, there is an increase of wear and tear on the crib which will then lead to a malfunction. As the drop side cribs are used much more frequently, more drop side pieces also tend to go missing, which will then cause the crib to fail in terms of functionality.
The biggest problem with all of these mistakes and issues is that it can then cause a gap between the drop side and crib mattress. In the event that your baby falls into this gap, he or she may get stuck and sadly suffocate without their parent noticing.
The Recall Movement
Since 2007, over twenty type of drop side cribs have been recalled. While the specific reasons for recalling such cribs vary, it is estimated that over four million drop side cribs were taken off the market simply because it was too dangerous for the average consumer.
Do You Own One?
Despite the halt in drop side cribs manufacturing, plenty of the cribs are still in circulation as plenty of parents buy such a crib and store it between pregnancies. Should you choose to reuse your drop side crib, make sure that your crib still has all of its hardware including screws and bolts. Tighten all fixtures as the last thing you want is to have your baby carried around in a crib that is falling apart. Our recommendation is that if you do come across a cheap drop side crib at a garage sale, just walk away.
Crib Safety Standards
After all, Nancy Nord, chairman of the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CSPC) has already officially issued a warning in October 2008 that warned parents of the potential dangers when it comes to using old version of drop side cribs. To further highlight the seriousness of the issue, the crib issue was revisited again in November 2009. Inez Tenenbaum, newest chairman of the CSPC has vowed to rewrite crib safety regulations to further ensure the well being of all infants.
The Role of the Industry
As of April 2009, large companies such as Toys R Us also denounced drop side cribs due to the large concerns surrounding such baby equipment. Having said that, Chief Executive Jerry Storch of Toys R Us was also adamant that the newer versions of these cribs were not dangerous.
The Parental Role
Chances are, most American homes would still have such a crib, regardless of whether or not there is a ban on the product. While it is technically not illegal to own a crib, it is still every parent's due to make sure that your double check your crib before placing your precious infant in it.
Some of the smarter moves you can take is to log on to the CSPC web site and make sure that your baby's crib has not been recalled. If your crib is an older version, make sure that it is assembled correctly and that it still has all of its nuts and bolts. If your crib is broken, do not attempt to fix it on your own.
When buying a new crib, opt for the latest design that has stationery sides. Whatever you do, stay away from second hand cribs as there is a higher likelihood that it is faulty.
Other Options
While the drop side design is undoubtedly popular, there are also other crib designs in the consumer market. Ideally, whichever crib you choose for your baby should have stationery sides in order to avoid safety issues. In order to make it easier to reach into the crib and lift up your child, get cribs with a lower front rail as opposed to getting one with a drop side.
The drop gate crib is also an interesting alternative where one segment of the crib will fold downwards in order to allow maximum access to your child in the crib. Best of all, both the mechanism as well as the hardware needed in a drop gate designed crib is much simpler than a drop side crib, meaning that it's less of a hassle but is so much safer for your child.
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