Another Crib Recall Prompted by Death of Infant Causes CPSC to Seek New Rules

Delta Enterprise voluntarily recalled more than 1.5 Million cribs today to repair missing or failed pegs needed to secure the crib’s drop-side mechanism. One baby is known to have died due to missing pegs. The incident has prompted the CPSC staff to recommend an evaluation of design and durability issues, potentially leading to stricter standards for cribs.

In the last five years alone, there have been more than thirty product recalls of cribs, bassinets and play-yards in the US. The fact that many of these recalls were prompted by the death of a child is heart wrenching. Just as devastating and even more maddening is the number of children who continue to get hurt or die in defective cribs after they have been recalled. In the vast majority of cases, parents and caregivers are simply unaware of the recalls.

Cribs pose a problem that is complex, albeit not unique. While some crib recalls are due to design flaws or poorly written instructions, others are due to the quality of the materials used in the crib. For example, less expensive plastic components may fail at a higher rate than their more costly metal counterparts. Yet, because many families cannot afford a top-of-the-line model, there is a large demand for lower-priced cribs. Therefore, some manufacturers continue to use the less-expensive components to meet this demand for cheaper products.

Although the quality of a less expensive crib may meet all the current CPSC standards when it leaves the warehouse or testing facilities, clearly our little tikes are putting more stress on cribs than some manufacturers anticipate. Not only are side rails put up and down multiple times per day, but as an infant rocks in her sleep, or begins to pull herself up, the latches and brackets are exposed to several pounds of repeated force on a consistent basis.

To make matters worse, because cribs are a durable good, and even relatively inexpensive ones can cost more than $100, cribs tend to be passed from one family member to the next, then sold or given away. Should a recall announcement be missed by a crib-owner, which is the case as often as eighty to ninety percent of the time, the defective product remains in circulation, putting babies at risk for years after the manufacturer and the government are aware of the problem. For example, the Delta cribs recalled today were sold as early as 1995, making it highly unlikely that they are still in the original owners’ possession.

As with many products, cribs present a three-part safety problem: 1) Too many potentially unsafe products are getting to market, 2) Children are dying before the defects are detected, and 3) Even
after being recalled, parents remain unaware of the dangers.

With today’s announcement, the CPSC has shown a commitment to at least consider additional steps to address the first problem – making the cribs safer in the first place. While there are already both mandatory requirements and voluntary standards in place for cribs (links below), the CPSC staff is recommending that the Commission issue an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) to investigate the need for additional requirements.

To address the second problem, the CPSC began developing a pilot Early Warning System (EWS) in 2007, which the agency says has led to “five crib recalls where the hardware was broken, missing or otherwise failed to function.” In its 2009 Performance Budget Request, the CPSC explains that the EWS program is first focused on cribs, bassinets and play-yards, but may be expanded to include other products if the program proves successful in identifying and addressing emerging hazards more quickly and effectively.

With regard to the third problem, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), passed in August of this year, takes steps to address consumer notification by requiring manufacturers to include registration cards with durable children’s products, such as cribs. The Act also specifies that, for all children’s products, manufacturers must stamp a tracking number on the item to allow consumers easier identification if a recall does take place. You can read more about the Act here.

Additional Reference Materials:

Mandatory Requirements for Full-Size Cribs: Code of Federal Regulations Title 16, Part 1508

Mandatory Requirements for Non-Full-Size Cribs: Code of Federal Regulations Title 16, Part 1509

Voluntary Standards for Full-Size Cribs: ASTM F1169 – 07 Standard Specification for Full-Size Baby Crib

Voluntary Standards for Non-Full-Size Cribs: ASTM F406 – 08a Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Non-Full-Size Baby Cribs/Play Yards

Voluntary Standards for Full and Non-Full Size Crib Corner Posts: ASTM F966 – 00 Consumer Safety Specification for Full-Size and Non-Full-Size Baby Crib Corner Post Extensions