MONDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) — New mandatory safety standards for cribs in the United States that take effect Tuesday “are an important step in ensuring a safe environment for infants as they sleep,” according to a statement from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Under the new Consumer Product Safety Commission rules, the manufacture and sale of dangerous drop side cribs will be banned, mattress supports will be stronger, crib hardware more durable, and safety testing of cribs will be more rigorous, Yvonne T. Maddox, deputy director of the institute, said in the statement released Monday.
Since 2000, drop side cribs have been linked to at least 32 infant deaths in the United States, according to the CPSC. Problems with the cribs can cause infants to become trapped in a gap between the crib mattress and drop side rails, resulting in suffocation.
Along with the new crib standards, there are several steps parents and caregivers can take to ensure a safe sleep environment for infants, Maddox said in the statement:
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