Two baby sleep products that have been related to almost 200 infant deaths may soon be prohibited under federal law, according to child safety advocates.
The Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021, signed by President Joe Biden on Monday, bans the manufacture and sale of crib bumpers and some inclined newborn sleepers. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, there have been 83 deaths linked to crib bumpers and 97 deaths linked to inclined sleepers.
Biden Signs the 'Safe Sleep For Babies' Act
In a statement, Nancy Cowles, executive director of the nonprofit Kids In Danger, stated, "For decades, consumer, health, and parent groups have criticized the selling of these dangerous products."
Some padded sleep goods put newborns at risk of suffocating if they roll over onto the cushioned surfaces. The law prohibits inclined sleepers with an angle more than 10 degrees that are "intended, marketed, or developed" for children under the age of one, as per NPR.
It also prohibits padded crib bumpers, vinyl bumper guards, and vertical crib slat coverings from protecting newborns from harming themselves on the edges of a crib or fitting between the slats. The prohibition does not apply to non-padded mesh crib liners.
Babies should sleep alone and on their backs on a hard, level surface, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Within 180 days of the law's enactment, both products will be recognized as hazardous products prohibited under the Consumer Product Safety Act.
According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 113 documented fatalities using crib bumpers from 1990 through March 31, 2019. Commission on Consumer Product Safety More than 100 infants have died as a result of infant inclined sleep items, which have been been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. However, older models are still in use.
The Danger of Using Crib Bumpers, Inclined Sleepers For Babies
Several types of sleep products for newborns under the age of five months are banned under a new federal regulation authorized by the Consumer Product Safety Commission last year and slated to take effect in mid-2022.
For decades, parents and advocates have asked for a ban on the products, which may cause asphyxia if an infant's nose or mouth gets caught between the bumper and the crib mattress.
Sara Thompson, whose 15-week-old baby, Alexander, died in a since-recalled Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play sleeper in 2011, stated in a news release from Kids in Danger, or KID, that "the Safe Sleep for Babies Act has finally been signed into law after years of persistence and many tears." "Hopefully, this will reduce the number of baby fatalities that could have been avoided."
Infants should sleep on their backs on a firm, flat surface without any extra padding, pillows, blankets, or toys, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
"Crib bumpers are killing kids," Dr. Bradley T. Thach, an emeritus professor of pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine and author of the first research to uncover crib bumper mortality in 2007, told CBS News in 2015.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' president, Dr. Moira Szilagyi, issued a statement following the passage of the Safe Sleep for Babies Act. In a statement, Szilagyi stated, "The advice from physicians has long been clear: the safest sleep environment for newborns is a firm, flat, bare surface."
Although the law is currently in effect, businesses have 180 days to comply before the prohibition takes effect. Despite many of these goods have been recalled in recent years, many are still in use. Consumer Reports advises parents to cease using these and any other sleep products that fail to satisfy federal safety standards, KRTV reported.
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