Drop-Side Crib Dangers

In an effort to protect infants and toddlers from injury, the Consumer Protection Safety Commission instituted new federal safety standards regarding new and resale cribs. Effective June 28, 2011, all cribs must not have a drop-side rail that moves up and down. The dangers associated with drop-side cribs were so significant that the cribs were deemed not safe to use for children.

  1. Improper Assembly

    • Crib assembly can be complicated and confusing for consumers, according to the CPSC website. If consumers install the drop-side rail of the crib or the hardware holding the drop-side rail incorrectly, serious safety issues could occur. The drop-side rail may appear to be assembled correctly and it may even function without issue. Over time and with moving the drop-side rail up and down, however, improper assembly may cause the rail to shift and move dangerously.

    Moving Parts

    • The moving parts of a drop-side crib have a higher incidence of failure than do stationary cribs, simply because cribs with unmoving parts will be stronger and sturdier. Hardware that enables drop-side cribs to move often fails, breaks, bends or falls with time. As moving parts fail, the drop-side rail may become detached from one or more of the four corners, which will create a space for a baby to move into and become entrapped between the rail and crib mattress. This entrapment can cause a baby to suffocate or strangle.

    Older Cribs

    • As parents reuse an older crib, it̵7;s common to assemble and disassemble the crib between babies. The more times parents assemble and disassemble a crib with a drop-side rail, the more likely the moving parts and hardware are to wear or fail.

    Homemade Solutions

    • Parents may try to modify a crib with a drop-side rail by immobilizing the rail to prevent it from moving, but this is not a safe alternative, according to the Juvenile Products Manufacturer̵7;s Association. The danger with a homemade modification to a drop-side crib is the possibility that the modification will fail. If the drop-side rail suddenly shifts to create a space, the parent may not be aware of the failure. The child could become trapped without the parent realizing that the danger exists.

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