New Regulations Make Sleep Safer

As a parent, you want nothing but the best for your children. Your main priority is keeping them fed, clothed, and protected. When you lay them down at night, you may expect the occasional feeding cry, but one thing you never expect is for the crib they rest in to cause them harm.

I remember when my husband Ken and I had our daughter Rachael. Ken’s dad gave us a crib from his childhood. Although it was much older, I was excited to fix it up and use it for our daughter. Once we refinished the crib, I felt so proud. One day, after I put Rachael down, she decided that she was going to attempt an escape. She managed to wiggle through the slots of the crib and when I caught her, she was dangling by her neck on the outside of the crib.

I had this flashback after reading about 10-month-old Tyler Witte . In 1997, Tyler suffocated when his drop-side crib malfunctioned and his head was trapped between the headboard and side rail. Since that day, Tyler’s mother has been on a mission to get new legislation and regulations passed to make cribs safer for infants.

The crib safety standards in the U.S. are about to get much tougher according to an article posted on Tuesday. Not only are drop-side cribs banned, but the hardware, mattress support durability, and slat strength are going to undergo much tougher testing.

Progress is being made to remove drop-side beds from the market. 11 million cribs have been recalled in the U.S. since 2007. The new regulations will also change the child beds used in day care centers and hotels.

There are still drop-side cribs being sold online, but Commissioner Robert Adler of the CPSC assures us that his office is scanning the classifieds and cracking down on the sale of these dangerous beds.

Luckily, Ken and I were able to avoid a terrible outcome. My heart goes out to the parents of Tyler. I couldn’t imagine going through such a tragedy. Ms. Witte fought hard to make sure more families didn’t suffer such a loss and I want all of my moms out there, looking for cribs, to be better informed about the merchandise being sold.

Does anyone have any cribs they recommend?