How To Check If Your Old Baby Crib Is Safe

Many parents enjoy keeping their baby cribs to save money on the next child, or passing it down as a family heirloom. But the truth of the matter is that your old crib is highly unlikely to meet the new requirements set forth by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). In recent years, over 10 million drop-side baby cribs have been deemed unsafe and recalled by manufacturers. And as of June 28, 2011, all cribs manufactured and sold are required to comply with new federal safety standards. These new crib standards require:

• manufacturers to completely stop making or selling traditional drop-side cribs, including the sale of immobilizers and repair kits
• the construction of wood slats to be made of stronger woods to prevent breakage
• anti-loosening devices for crib hardware to prevent it from coming loose or falling off
• mattress supports to be made more durable
• and safety testing to be thorough and implemented rigorously

Although the drop-side crib recalls and new crib standards have been some what of a nightmare for parents, the new generation of baby cribs adhere to the safest standards in the world. Even if your old baby crib does not have a drop-side rail, you still can run into the following risks:

• mattress may be too soft and can become a suffocation hazard
• mattress may not fit tightly and baby can become wedged between crib and mattress
• wear and tear may cause missing or broken crib hardware or slats
• child's clothing may get caught on high corner posts

If you do decide to keep your old baby crib, you should ensure:

• crib has not been recalled from the CPSC News & Recall list
• mattress is firm and fits tightly inside the crib
• slats are no more than 2 3/8" apart
• corner posts are no higher than 1/16"
• there are no loose parts, wood or anything else than can become a choking hazard or cut your baby
• there are no design cutouts in the headboard and footboard where baby's finger or hand can get stuck

The moral of this article is that before baby cribs were manufactured according to the new safety standards, most baby cribs posed several risks that can seriously harm your child. Thankfully baby cribs today are built exceptionally well and tested rigorously. There are also many baby cribs that will fit a very tight budget, so stop cutting corners and put a new crib on your wish list today.