Online Crib Safety Resources

Every year, thousands of children are killed or injured due to problems with their cribs. Sometimes, as we’ve seen with the recent Delta Enterprise crib recall, these problems are due to manufacturer defects. In other instances, parents have unknowingly created unsafe situations for their children. If you have a child sleeping in a crib, it is important to always stay current with crib safety information. There are a number of online sites that make this possible. Check out the following resources so that you’re creating a safe environment for your baby.

First and foremost, as a parent, you should continuously check with the Consumer Product Safety Commission for new product recalls. Over the past few years, hundreds of items have been recalled, and many of those have been baby items. The Consumer Product Safety Commission issues press releases whenever there is a voluntary or mandatory recall, but if your local news doesn’t report it, you may miss the information. By checking their website, located at http://www.cpsc.gov, regularly, you can stay up-to-date with defective crib recall information. In addition, their website allows you sign up to their email service. That way, whenever a product is recalled, you’ll get a message about it. They’ll also send you other safety news, and you can use their website to report products that you’ve found to be unsafe.

A great website that provides you with all kinds of baby-related news is BabyCenter, which is located online at http://www.babycenter.com. This website has a really handy database of baby products that you can search to see if they have been recalled, which you can find at http://www.babycenter.com/product-recall-finder. Not only does this database list the recalled products, but it also tells you about the problem and offers advice for dealing with the recall if you own the product. There are quite a number of cribs listed on this site, but you can also find other baby product recall information. They also offer information about how to buy a crib at http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-buy-a-crib_432.bc.

Just looking for general crib safety tips? The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a great list of tips located at http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/5030.html, but you can also find a number of other online resources sharing crib safety information. Dr. Laura Jana offers a number of tips at http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,5226,00.html, which are broken down into categories covering crib slats, posts, cutouts, mattresses, bumpers, mobiles, and more. The AAP (American Association of Pediatrics) has also published an article on crib safety at http://www.aap.org/family/inffurn.htm.

Remember, the safety of your child depends on more than just the crib. Make sure that all of the items you use in your home are safe for baby, whether they are made for children or not. Baby-proofing your home is simple – check out a great guide at Parenthood.com, located at http://www.parenthood.com/article-topics/article-topics.php?Article_ID=2122. You can also find other helpful product safety information at this website, so new parents can ensure that they are keeping their children safe. Although product recalls can sometimes mean that you’ve had no way to know your baby was in danger, make sure you do your part to educate yourself about the ways you can make a difference.