A report released on February 28, 2008, by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that over 66,000 nursery-related injuries required hospitalization in 2006, the latest year analyzed. The CPSC?s 2005 data identified approximately 59,800 such hospitalizations, and the upward trend in nursery-related injuries is a cause for concern.

Perhaps most troublesome is the number of infant and toddler fatalities related to cribs and play yards ? nearly 43 per year according to the CPSC report. The CPSC also estimates almost 12,400 injuries each year are associated with these two products.

Perhaps indicative of an inherent problem with respect to these products, over 1.5 million cribs and play yards were recalled in 2007, primarily due to a lack of durability. The CPSC does regulate cribs and play yards, but not for durability. Over time, cribs that take punishment from active children suffer from loosening hardware and fatigued parts.

Consumer Reports and the CPSC recommend the following guidelines for crib safety:

• Always use a baby monitor to keep tabs on your children when they?re not in view
• Ensure your nursery products have not been recalled by checking the CPSC website routinely
• Never place extra pillows in a child?s play area as they can become a suffocation hazard
• Ensure the gaps between sides of the crib and the mattress are less than two fingers width to avoid suffocation hazards
• Never use cribs older than five years or broken crib equipment to avoid strangulation or crib railing failure
• Use tight-fitted sheets and remove soft bedding and bumper pads to avoid the risk of strangulation and/or suffocation
• Always place infants to sleep on their back to avoid the risk of SIDS or suffocation

Source: ?CPSC report on nursery-related deaths highlights crib and play yard dangers? (http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2008/02/nursery-deaths.html). Consumer Reports. February 28, 2008