This past week, Maryland became the first state in the country to move, toward a total ban of baby crib bumpers. In making the move the state safety officials announced:
“If even one baby dies as a result of a baby bumper pad, that’s one baby too many,” said Joshua Sharfstein, the department’s secretary. “The course of action we’re taking is reasonable based on the evidence we’ve seen.”
The committee took a year to look at the research and found that the risk is ever present. There have been other writers here at the Injuryboard who have also looked at the issue:
Soft Crib Bumpers May Do More Harm Than Good, Jenny Albano | September 21, 2007 9:25 PM
Pottery Barn Kids Recalls Crib Bumper, Shannon Weidemann | July 25, 2007 1:11 PM
Baby Crib Bumper Pads More Harmful to Toddlers, Courtney Mills | 2007-10-23T15:08:51
The concern is that babies will suffocate in their sleep as they roll into the bumpers.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has been reviewing the safety of crib bumper pads for years and started taking a fresh look at the issue in January 2011.
“Agency staff have previously stated that overstuffed bumper pads can be hazardous and staff is currently re-examining the safety of all crib bumpers, in an effort to provide parents with our best advice,” Scott Wolfson, the agency’s spokesman, said in a statement.
For any new parent there are all sorts of sleeping concerns. Hopefully, a close look at this issue by all states would make the concerns a little lighter.
