Startling Chicago Tribune report sheds more light on danger of crib bumpers.
Back in August, The Safest Line partnered with Mothers Investigating Safe Sleep Options for Newborns (MISSION) to ask parents, physicians, medical professionals and local governments to investigate the use of traditional crib bumpers, like the one pictured below.
Photo Credit: Flickr, Jigabug Baby
The Chicago Tribune recently published a great article about the use of traditional crib bumpers that sheds some light on why MISSION’s goal to take traditional crib bumpers off the market is so important.
Infant Death And Traditional Crib Bumpers
Traditional crib bumpers have been used for decades to protect infants from hitting their heads against crib bars. Due to tragic infant crib bumper related deaths like the two cited in the Tribune article, there has been an outcry from parents and health officials that traditional crib bumpers are lethal to infants.
According to the paper, 14 infant crib bumper related deaths have been reported to the National Center for Child Death Review since 2008, and in the last 20 years, the CPSC has received 52 reports of infant deaths that cite bumper pads as playing a role in the deaths, but not as the causes of the deaths.
A 2007 study from Washington University attributed the deaths of 27 babies from 1985 to 2005 to bumper pads, but despite being supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the study was dismissed by the safety commission due to a lack of evidence.
The Tribune also claims that the group responsible for setting federal safety standards for crib bumpers is heavily influenced by the bedding industry, a very likely cause for a slow reaction to infant deaths caused by crib bumpers.
The Safest Crib Bumpers
While it’s evident that traditional crib bumpers are unsafe, parents are not without crib padding options. Go Mama Go Designs’ Wonder Bumpers allow parents to pad crib bars individually without creating a space for an infant’s head to get stuck.
Photo Credit: Go Mama Go Designs
Breathable mesh crib bumpers (pictured below) are also available, but experts recommend that parents abstain from the use of crib bumpers altogether.
Photo Credit: Buzzillions
Sign Petition Against Crib Bumpers
It’s astonishing that with all the evidence against the use of traditional crib bumpers, parents still use them in homes across the country. But the blame doesn’t necessarily rest on the parents. The Tribune quotes Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids in Danger, as saying, “This is something people are buying and are told is safe to put into their cribs.”
MISSION’s petition is still online and needs signatures. Please take a moment to sign a petition that could help save a family the loss of a infant due to a traditional crib bumper.
Has your child’s life been put in danger by crib bumpers or other infant sleep accessories? Please let us know.
__________
Ken Levinson is a Chicago child injury lawyer and child safety advocate. If your child has been injured or worse, please call Ken Levinson at Joseph, Lichtenstein and Levinson at 312-346-9270 or e-mail ken@thesafestline.com. Although based in Chicago, Ken works on child injury cases across the country.
Related posts:
- Crib Bumpers: a continuing cause for concern
- Child Safety Petition: Crib Bumpers
- Drop-Side Crib Ban Goes Into Effect
- Crib Safety: Bumper Pad Bans
- Updated Crib Bumper Pad Policy by the American Academy of Pediatrics
