Kids in Danger calls for tougher crib standards

The Product Safety Letter is required reading for the safety blog team. Until recently, most of the content was for subscribers only but lately the editors have invited safety advocates and experts to share their views on a free part of the site called the Product Safety Forum.

Today's feature, "Crib safety at a crossroads" is by Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids In Danger (KID), a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children by improving children’s product safety. In it, Cowles talks about the need for tougher crib standards in the wake of the recall of millions of cribs over the past two years.

"Kids In Danger was founded in 1998 by parents who lost a son to an unsafe portable crib. Danny was trapped and strangled when the top rail of the Playskool Travel-Lite Crib collapsed around his neck," Cowles writes. "Danny’s death highlights the problems with sleep environment safety."

"The existing testing standards don’t go far enough," she continues. "Performance requirements in the mandatory and ASTM standards are currently not stringent enough as it pertains to: (1) the durability of drop-side systems and related hardware, (2) the durability of other crib hardware, (3) wood strength or quality, and (4) the hazards that can result from incorrect assembly." 

We couldn't agree more. Cowles hits on points we've made on previous blog postings on crib durability and we were happy to see her well-reasoned argument for tougher standards.