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JPMA Crib Safety Guidelines

JPMA dedicates Baby Safety Month 2010 to Safe Sleep Practices

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. January 20, 2010--The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), the not for profit trade association that promotes infant safety and the development of recognized ASTM International product safety standards, reminds the public on the proper use and safety of cribs and is dedicating Baby Safety Month in September 2010 to the promotion of safe sleep practices.

“JPMA has always been committed to providing safe sleep guidelines and recommendations for parents and caregivers,” said Michael Dwyer, Executive Director of JPMA.  “Each year September marks JPMA’s Baby Safety Month and in 2010 we are dedicating Baby Safety Month to reinforce safe sleep practices for parents and caregivers.”

Parents and caregivers are reminded that when you assemble a crib to the manufacturer’s instructions and use it properly, a crib provides the safest sleeping environment for baby.  The safest place for a child is in a fully functional, properly assembled crib. Parents are urged to closely inspect the hardware and stability of their cribs regularly to ensure all parts are in place and secure when assembling and re-assembling cribs.

Each year hundreds of deaths occur when children are placed in a sleep environment that is not specifically designed for children. If you are a crib owner and have any questions regarding a specific model, please contact the manufacturer directly for replacement hardware and instructions.

 JPMA suggests the following safety tips to sustain the proper lifespan of your crib:

• Parents should not use any crib with missing, broken or loose parts. Make sure to tighten hardware from time to time to keep the crib sturdy. 
• Crib slats or spindles should be spaced no more than 2 3/8 inches apart, and none should be loose or missing. Also NEVER use a crib with corner posts over 1/16 of an inch above the end panels (unless they’re over 16 inches high, such as for a canopy).
• Never place infants to sleep on pillows, sofa cushions, adult beds, waterbeds, beanbags, or any other surface not specifically designed for infant sleep. NEVER place the crib near windows, draperies, blinds, or wall mounted decorative accessories with long cords.
•  When using a drop side crib parents and caregivers should check to make sure the drop side or any other moving parts operate smoothly. Always check all sides and corners of the crib for disengagement. Disengagements can create a gap and entrap a child.  In addition, do not try to repair any side of the crib, especially with duct tape, wire or rope. Parents should be sure that hardware is installed properly. When assembling and disassembling drop side cribs, parents should always confirm that the parts are reassembled following the manufacturer’s guidelines as listed in the instructions.

 Additional safety tips to sustain the proper lifespan of your crib:

• Always check all sides and corners of the crib to assure proper assembly with no openings that may entrap a child. The crib mattress should fit snugly with no more than two fingers width, one-inch, between the edge of the mattress and the crib side. Otherwise, the baby can get trapped between the mattress and the side of the crib.
• Do not try to repair any side of the crib without manufacturer approved hardware.
• Putting a broken side up against the wall does not solve the problem and can often make it worse.
• Many older cribs do not meet all current safety standards. Even if you are on a tight budget, you should not purchase an old crib at a garage sale or accept a hand-me-down crib that may not meet Federal and ASTM standards.

 The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association is a national trade organization of more than 250 companies in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. JPMA exists to advance the interests, growth, and well-being of North American prenatal to preschool product manufacturers, importers, and distributors marketing under their own brands to consumers. It does so through advocacy, public relations, information sharing, product performance certification, and business development assistance conducted with appreciation for the needs of parents, children, and retailers.  Each year, JPMA sponsors Baby Safety Month in  September. JPMA initiated Baby Safety Month to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of the safe use and selection of juvenile products.

For additional tips on how to keep baby safe, including a list of JPMA Certified cribs, please visit www.jpma.org .

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