New York State considers ban on drop-side cribs

On Feb 3rd, New York State Senator Charles J. Fuschillo and his fellow co-sponsors, Senators Saland and Skelos, held a public forum on a proposed ban on drop-side cribs. Parents, pediatricians and child safety experts were all in attendance.

Thanks to the continued activism of Susan and Robert Cirigliano, who lost their child Bobby in a drop-side in 2004, three New York counties have already implemented a ban. If the bill is passed, New York would be the first state to directly prohibit the sale of drop-sides. Others states with the Children's Product Safety Act prohibit the sale of cribs that don't meet current voluntary safety standards, which in effect bans drop-side designs in those states.

"I think that what's happening in New York shows what parents throughout the whole country feel", said Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids In Danger. "They're thinking 'enough is enough'. There have been too many recalls and too many deaths, and they're expecting immediate change."

Drop-sides, with one side that moves up and down for easy access, continue to claim the lives of children. In most cases, faulty hardware, poor design or misassembly lead to a failure of one corner of the crib side -- leading to an entrapment hazard. Their threat is undeniable: just in the last three years seven million have been recalled, responsible for at least a dozen deaths.

It seems, however, that finally serious actions are being taken. Besides the admirable efforts of New York, the ASTM (an industry standards body) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have signaled that a nationwide ban might be in place by the end of the year.

If you are interested in seeing drop-side cribs banned in your state or the broader protections of the Children's Product Safety Act, contact KID.

For more information on crib safety, please visit the CPSC's Crib Info Center or Kids In Danger.