A ban on drop side cribs went into effect at the start of 2011, and retailers, daycare centers, hotels, and secondhand stores have six months to a year to remove and replace all drop side models with safer designs. Retailers of baby furniture appear to be having the easiest time. Parents now shopping for cribs at chains and smaller baby boutiques will no longer see drop side models on shelves. Although this model, prior to the ban, was going out of favor for convertible furniture, parents shopping for a new crib can find safer models only in stores.
Those needing to replace a large quantity of drop side cribs, such as daycare facilities and hotels, may experience the most financial strain over the next six to 12 months. As all drop side cribs need to be gone, 59,555 daycare centers may need to spent $550 million to fully replace them with safer designs. 43,000 hotels and inns have six months to remove and replace all unsafe cribs.
Consignment and thrift stores are also restricted by this ban, and they need to make sure drop side cribs do not end up for sale. Although such secondhand stores have seen overall sales increases, taking drop side cribs out of circulation may reduce the amount of baby products offered. Parents, when looking to save on baby furniture, should still examine all products for safety hazards.
As many brands of cribs saw recalls this past year, other aspects of baby sleeping areas are being questioned. Recently, this has been crib bumpers. Added to cushion a child against the wooden sidebars, crib bumpers have caused 14 suffocation-related deaths over the past year, and Illinois wants to ban this product. Although crib bumpers have not been removed from stores, parents should consider alternative methods for cushioning their child.
