US Ban Drop Side Crib (Cots)

Shelli2

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/647542.html

It's a bit shocking, I had a drop side co-sleeper, not as bad as far as I can see. But all the other cots I considered buying were drop side! :eek:

If they're that bad that the US government have outright banned the sale, re-sale and manufacture of them, should Ireland follow suit?

Hannibal Smith

Blimey...we have a drop side cot. I wouldn't be able to reach in and get him out the cot otherwise...I wonder how many deaths there have been here?

implausible

There was a thread on this a while back, but I can't find it.

However, I think the figures can be interpreted differently. The article says 30 children have died in the last decade. The only relevant statistic I could find was:

In 2006, there were 73.7 million children under age 18 in the United States.

Now, taking that figure, you're talking absolutely tiny odds that something would happen your child. The article doesn't mention if the cots were faulty, if the children were sleeping in the room with their parents, how often they were checked on or if a baby monitor was used.

To be honest, I think a ban is over the top. Why couldn't the U.S. just issue warnings or guidelines and let parents decide? I couldn't manage without mine, any parent knows how much abuse your back gets without banning something that makes life easier!

Shelli2

Thanks Dee, I was thinking the stats were a little odd. Thats a tiny percentage, that I'm sure could be applied to many infant products the world over. I guess it really comes down to common sense (something the US Government seem to lack, and this ban shows it).

On the other hand, my mammy brain takes over and says any risk, no matter how small should be avoided when it comes to my precious baby.

But, baby brain has been known to overthrow the most sound logic at times

How Strange

I remember this being discussed on here before. I'm always suspicious of these types of bans where the risks ate extremely low. Who lobbied to have one sided cots banned?

Everything you do for your child carries a risk of potential death or injury but you decide that the likelihood of injury is so small that's it's worth it regardless of the risk.

It's tragic when a baby dies from any accident but banning use of one sided cots because 30 babies across America died in 10 years from their use really does seem disproportionately excessive.

Gandhi

They were gradually being banned by market forces for years now. Manufacturers were pushing the fixed-side cribs because it seemed like almost every drop-side one ended up having an expensive safety recall. In my kids' creche they stopped using drop-side cribs not because of the safety risks, but because of the PITA of an inevitable recall.

Dianawalshe

From what info I can find on this from googling it, it seems a lot of the problems with drop side cots in USA were due to plastic hardware parts that failed and also, second hand cots that were sold/donated onwards with parts missing or without instructions leading to them being incorrectly assembled. So the first problem is certainly a correctable design/manufacturing issue and good quality steel hardware would probably sort that out. The second problem is to do with consumers exercising good judgement and common sense - well if your trying to do that by legislation alone then I doubt it will be particularly successful.
So unless I can find some better reasons why drop side cots are unsafe, I shall be using one with metal fixings & having read and thoroughly understood and carried out the instructions (that goes for husband, grandparents etc too)

pwurple

Link from OP doesn't work for me. Alternate anyone?

January

First link is a year old that's probably why...

pwurple

D'oh, zombie thread fail. Sorry january!

January

Haha, not your fault I'll try find a link for you later today.

bstar

They are banned in Canada aswell. It wasnt just because of deaths it was due to fingers, toes etc being lost due to them getting caught, which was happening frequently apparently. No figures to hand sorry just remember being told when we were buying our cot.

They just have the 2 different height bases for cots here which is working for us but then we are still raised at the minute.

January

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40678788/ns/health-childrens_health/t/after-dozens-deaths-drop-side-cribs-outlawed/

wmpdd3

That video is terrifying.

How did we all survive. Is it that people were using drop sided cots as co-sleepers? as opposed to an actual co-sleeper?

foxy06

America is just mental.

'can I have a drop side cot please?'
'no ma'am I'm afraid they are too dangerous'
'ok....can I have an AK 47 then?'
'sure! How many bullets do you require?'

Orion

Ludicrous. It's typical of the "blame someone else" culture that started in America and has spread everywhere like wildfire. Nothing takes the place of a bit of cop on. I raised my twins in drop side cot-beds and strangely enough their still alive and kicking. I always made sure that the side was securely locked when they were in it. As foxy rightly pointed out the irony of a gun being easier to get than a decent cot is obviously lost on them.

KGLady

This baffles me! I'd be interested in how many infant deaths could possibly be prevented by better accessible healthcare for example, better support/intervention for drug users (including alcohol) who are pregnant. Every little child who dies in accidental circumstances is a tragedy but surely there are bigger issues than drop side cots? Esp when there's factors like poorly assembled ones, second hand ones with parts missing and a question of the quality of the mechanism parts too. An average of 3 deaths a year in a country with a birth rate of 4million annually... baffling!

We had a drop side cot bed out of need, because I was already pregnant again when we were moving our first born out of the crib, no2 still sleeps in it and its operated properly and regularly checked, never once had a bit of hassle with it. Perhaps I'm turning into a raging cynic but I can't help wonder if there is some agenda behind pushing through legislation like that, I am presuming somebody campaigned hard and spent a LOT of money .. was it purely out of sympathy for the thirty grieving families in the last 10 years?