Drop-side cribs banned!

[justhat]

yes, but this is going to lead to an entirely new set of problems as soon as ababy can pull up. Drop sode cribs are deep for a reason. It is harder to climb out. A shallower crib without drop sides is going to make it really easy for a mobile child to climb right over the side!!! I have seen the cribs you are talking about, and I cannot see how they are safe for a child that can pull up on the side and stand. THAT scares me a lot more that drop sides.

The rail height is the same from the top of the mattress to the top of the crib rail. The difference it the height of the mattress positions/fixed rail. *Usually* fixed rail cribs have a higher rail in the back and a lower one in the front. Sometimes they are actually touching the ground in the front, so the mattress can be very low.

So basically it would be like lowering a baby into a pack n' play, if that makes more sense. A drop side crib"s lowest mattress setting is still pretty high, way higher than a pack n' play. But a fixed side crib has lower mattress settings. The rail is still the same height, not any shallower.

 

[justhat]

What about just wathching your kids??? I am another short mom who could not safely place a newborn in a crib without drop sides. I NEVER left DD in her crib and left the room without a baby monitor. I never left her in the crib and took a shower, went outside, ect. It is simply not safe. Cribs are not meant as child containment. The article talks about kids jumping up and down, running, and banging on cribs so much that thier moving parts fail. No child should be allwed to do that without being immediately removed from the crib.

I see what you mean with having kids running and jumping in the cribs, but you really NEVER had your baby alone in the crib? Ever? I have often put my baby to bed for the night and then showered afterwards, and even though she has a video monitor, I can't see it if I am in the shower. I have also had to take the dog out to the potty when she's asleep. I have no guarantees that she isn't waking up and running wild (well, I do now, as she is only 10 months, but if she's still in it a year from now, all bets are off.

If I don't shower when she's sleeping, I would either have to bring her in the shower with me (which just isn't always feasible) or I'd be pretty smelly.

 

[Becky2005]

I'm 5'2' and always had to drop the sides. It's fine when they are little and the mattress is high, but when you drop the mattress to the lowest setting, how do you lay a sleeping baby without waking him/her? I didn't even breathe..lol!

EXACTLY...there was a science to it besides not breathing and VERY, VERY, VERY carefully attempt to remove your arm from underneath and get out of the room!!!!

I don't know if I would have made it without the drop sides.

 

[justhat]

Also, to everyone stating that they have their old crib saved for their grandbabies... No offense, but I would not accept a crib that had been recalled, and I would not let my parents or in-laws watch my child if I knew they were going to use that same crib. Call me paranoid, but I would not feel comfortable putting my child in a recalled crib, even if it was the same crib that I had "survived". Lots of baby products have changed since I was a baby - no one would advocate using a car seat from the late 70's, just because the children who used it then turned out fine.

I completely agree with you, even though I am using a "death trap crib". In my case, we bought it brand new for our oldest, so 6 years ago. She never used it so it was our son who slept in it for 20 months, and now our daughter who has been in it since 7 months (and she's now 10.5 months). We had the older 2 in a bed around 1.5yo so I imagine we'll do the same with this baby, so she doesn't have much time left in it anyway. We also checked it when we assembled it in September and decided we'd get a new one if anything at all looked off.

BUT, do I think there's a chance in heck that any of my kids will want to use this crib 20 years from now for their own kids? No way. By then the whole "drop side cribs are dangerous!" will be history and all cribs will be fixed sides. And quite honestly, I don't know that *I* would trust the crib 20 years from now. I'd have to remember how to assemble it properly and not sure I'd want to take that chance on my grandchild, even if my kids were okay with it.

 

[rie'smom]

Weren't the majority of us in drop side baby cribs? SURPRISE, we're still here and so are the billions of others world wide. If I had a grandchild and they're at my house, they're going to be in a drop side crib.
If cribs were not assembled correctly with the drop side, what makes anyone think that new ones will be? Some maroon will no doubt not put the mattress supports in correctly and a mattress will fall and a baby might die. So then what, no baby mattresses? Pretty soon parents will have to leave their babies/ children in the hospital until they're 18.

 

[bicker]

Baseless pot-shots? Tell me what is baseless about that post.

The assertion that "the people who made this decision are government stooges being paid under the table by lobbiests". Baseless; self-serving; and serves no purpose other than to incite others to unwarranted upset. Assuming that everything that happens that someone personally doesn't like must therefore be the result of someone else being evil in some way is a form of entitlement mentality. It has no basis in reason; it serves no constructive end. It just causes continually increasing disaffection and dissatisfaction for everyone and everything.

You are starting to sound like GWB.

Not funny at all. Please stop with the personal attacks when you don't like what someone's posted. Attack the post, not the poster.

 

[bicker]

The government doesn't engineer cars, yet they manage to set and modify safety standards.

And yet we still have fatalities due to mechanical failures. And with cribs, "Just think of the children!"

They don't throw up their hands and say they can't insist on seatbelts or airbags unless they design the entire vehicle.

There have been regulations on cribs for many years, so I think your implication that they have thrown up their hands is way off-base.

I think a lot of that rests on the caliber of people we elect to make those decisions these days. The all-or-nothing mindset that is running things at the moment is a surefire way to make sure nothing rational gets done.

Which comes back to my points about how we Americans regard those who serve us, in government and industry. We have crafted an environment where the most rational decisions are not the most efficient. We immediately rush to the baseless pot-shot, as demonstrated by another poster earlier in this thread, instead of fathoming that there are more objectives and obligations than just making one citizen happy at one particular moment.

And as long as people continue to try to place blame on others, rather than on ourselves as a society, it not only won't get better, but will get continually worse.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

And as long as people continue to try to place blame on others, rather than on ourselves as a society, it not only won't get better, but will get continually worse.

That's why I'd like to see the data to see the ratio between faulty equipment and user error.

I can't fathom not hearing an entire rail fall off the track - it would make some form of noise - how can you not notice?? My heart aches for the babies that are the victims in the isolated incidents, but because John and Marsha can't fit the crib together properly... well...

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

nm...

 

[Colleen27]

Also, to everyone stating that they have their old crib saved for their grandbabies... No offense, but I would not accept a crib that had been recalled, and I would not let my parents or in-laws watch my child if I knew they were going to use that same crib. Call me paranoid, but I would not feel comfortable putting my child in a recalled crib, even if it was the same crib that I had "survived". Lots of baby products have changed since I was a baby - no one would advocate using a car seat from the late 70's, just because the children who used it then turned out fine.

Not all drop-side cribs have been recalled, though. The recalls have been of specific models/styles with the design flaws discussed on this thread, and there are plenty out there that don't fit the bill. That's why some of us fail to see the sense in a ban - it seems an overreaction to ban a product entirely when only some models of that product are faulty.

The hand-me-down crib we use has never been recalled, replacement hardware is still available from the manufacturer, and it was ahead of its time in terms of newer (than the crib - not really new) rules about slat spacing, cutouts, and other decorative elements that have since proven potentially dangerous.

And not all changes are necessarily for the better. Many are motivated by unimportant concerns like appearance, others by secondary issues like weight and ease of storage, and of course many by the consumer demand for ever-cheaper products.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Not all drop-side cribs have been recalled, though. The recalls have been of specific models/styles with the design flaws discussed on this thread, and there are plenty out there that don't fit the bill. That's why some of us fail to see the sense in a ban - it seems an overreaction to ban a product entirely when only some models of that product are faulty.

The hand-me-down crib we use has never been recalled, replacement hardware is still available from the manufacturer, and it was ahead of its time in terms of newer (than the crib - not really new) rules about slat spacing, cutouts, and other decorative elements that have since proven potentially dangerous.

And not all changes are necessarily for the better. Many are motivated by unimportant concerns like appearance, others by secondary issues like weight and ease of storage, and of course many by the consumer demand for ever-cheaper products.

Our crib actually was part of a recall, but there was a quick and easy remedy to the situation that added metal "stops" to prevent the drop side from separating from the crib. Because of this 30-second addition to the crib, along with the fact that we routinely inspect the crib, I would have no problem letting someone else use this crib in the future.

 

[princessmom29]

I see what you mean with having kids running and jumping in the cribs, but you really NEVER had your baby alone in the crib? Ever? I have often put my baby to bed for the night and then showered afterwards, and even though she has a video monitor, I can't see it if I am in the shower. I have also had to take the dog out to the potty when she's asleep. I have no guarantees that she isn't waking up and running wild (well, I do now, as she is only 10 months, but if she's still in it a year from now, all bets are off.

If I don't shower when she's sleeping, I would either have to bring her in the shower with me (which just isn't always feasible) or I'd be pretty smelly.

No, never ever without another person in the house. I showered with her in a baby seat inthe batroom, or in a pack and play in the bathroom later, or waited until DH got home. I could stick my head out at any time and check on her. I never,ever left her where I could not hear her. Ever.

The rail height is the same from the top of the mattress to the top of the crib rail. Not on the ones I have looked at with my sister. There was easily a 6 inch differenceThe difference it the height of the mattress positions/fixed rail. *Usually* fixed rail cribs have a higher rail in the back and a lower one in the front. Sometimes they are actually touching the ground in the front, so the mattress can be very low. I am 5' 2". My sister is 4' 11". Even with the front rail being lower, neither of us could reach in and safely place a baby on the mattress at the lowest setting, even though the mattress to rail top distance was 6 inches less. Not to mention that it is impossible for us to get to achild that has scooted to the back of the crib.

So basically it would be like lowering a baby into a pack n' play, if that makes more sense. But it's not. Thes cribs are MUCH taller than a pack and play, but not as deep. A drop side crib"s lowest mattress setting is still pretty high, way higher than a pack n' play. But a fixed side crib has lower mattress settings. The rail is still the same height, not any shallower. Again, we looked at drop side and fixed side by side. The difference is about 6 inches, top of mattress to top of the front rail on the lowest setting. That is a lot when you are only 2 feet tall. When you add that to the fact that I would need a step stool to use it on that setting, I still think a drop side is the better choice.

 

[sbell111]

Baseless pot-shots? Tell me what is baseless about that post. You are starting to sound like GWB.

You basically stated that everyone in the government who makes a decision is taking illegal bribes. Unless you have proof of this widespread corruption, then you made a baseless pot-shot.

 

[sbell111]

also, to everyone stating that they have their old crib saved for their grandbabies... No offense, but i would not accept a crib that had been recalled, and i would not let my parents or in-laws watch my child if i knew they were going to use that same crib. Call me paranoid, but i would not feel comfortable putting my child in a recalled crib, even if it was the same crib that i had "survived". Lots of baby products have changed since i was a baby - no one would advocate using a car seat from the late 70's, just because the children who used it then turned out fine.

+1

 

[sbell111]

What about just wathching your kids??? I am another short mom who could not safely place a newborn in a crib without drop sides. I NEVER left DD in her crib and left the room without a baby monitor. I never left her in the crib and took a shower, went outside, ect. It is simply not safe. Cribs are not meant as child containment. The article talks about kids jumping up and down, running, and banging on cribs so much that thier moving parts fail. No child should be allwed to do that without being immediately removed from the crib.

Unless you plan on standing next to the crib every moment that the child is in it, I don't see how your method is protecting the child against being injured should a defective part break.

 

[cabanafrau]

And yet we still have fatalities due to mechanical failures. And with cribs, "Just think of the children!"

There have been regulations on cribs for many years, so I think your implication that they have thrown up their hands is way off-base.

Which comes back to my points about how we Americans regard those who serve us, in government and industry. We have crafted an environment where the most rational decisions are not the most efficient. We immediately rush to the baseless pot-shot, as demonstrated by another poster earlier in this thread, instead of fathoming that there are more objectives and obligations than just making one citizen happy at one particular moment.

And as long as people continue to try to place blame on others, rather than on ourselves as a society, it not only won't get better, but will get continually worse.

Did you not earlier in this thread place the blame for these deaths upon negligent parents leaving the side rails down? That was an incorrect analysis of the problem and might be considered by some people a baseless pot shot caused by your ignorance of the facts.

I think cool heads need to prevail in these types of issues and not be swayed by artfully verbose arguments with little underpinning of facts masquerading as rational and informed recommendations to solve the problem.

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

I never trusted drop side cribs. We bought Bonivita. DD has a Lifestyle crib so it will be with her forever. Totally worth the money.

 

[sbell111]

yes, but this is going to lead to an entirely new set of problems as soon as ababy can pull up. Drop sode cribs are deep for a reason. It is harder to climb out. A shallower crib without drop sides is going to make it really easy for a mobile child to climb right over the side!!! I have seen the cribs you are talking about, and I cannot see how they are safe for a child that can pull up on the side and stand. THAT scares me a lot more that drop sides.

I'm pretty sure that an earlier poster mentioned that she believes that the fixed side cribs, while less high overall, were actually just as 'deep' inside because the mattress lowered farther toward the floor than in the drop-side cribs. This feature allows a shorter parent to more easily reach all the way into the crib while still making it just as difficult for a child to climb out.

Based solely on our fixed-side crib and having no experience with drop-siders, I find this explanation to be plausible.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Unless you plan on standing next to the crib every moment that the child is in it, I don't see how your method is protecting the child against being injured should a defective part break.

That's the thing, though. There were no more "defective" parts in this case, then in anything else that people buy. For every 1 baby that was killed in one of these cribs, there were 100,000's others sleeping in the same crib, with the same parts, who were perfectly fine.

Why not refine the manufacturing practice? Require the companies to redesign the cribs? As I said, for our crib, it took 4 small metal pieces to make the required "fix." And, to be honest, ours didn't even need fixing in the first place, since we regularly checked it out.

Instead of looking into the individual cases which may have shown a faulty part, or even parental negligence, we get a sweeping ban...because it's just easier.

 

[sbell111]

Weren't the majority of us in drop side baby cribs? SURPRISE, we're still here and so are the billions of others world wide.

Many people survived cars with no safety restraints whatsoever, but there's a reason that cars are required to have them.

Just because those that die don't get a vote doesn't mean that avoiding unnecessary deaths is a bad thing.

If I had a grandchild and they're at my house, they're going to be in a drop side crib.

Actually, whether a grandparent uses this piece of equipment or some other should be left up to the parent of the child. If you were my parent (or -in-law), you certainly would NOT be placing my child in a drop-side crib.

If cribs were not assembled correctly with the drop side, what makes anyone think that new ones will be? Some maroon will no doubt not put the mattress supports in correctly and a mattress will fall and a baby might die. So then what, no baby mattresses? Pretty soon parents will have to leave their babies/ children in the hospital until they're 18.

The problem with those cribs is not completely assembly-related.