The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted this week to develop rules that would ban drop-side cribs.
Between November 2007 and April of this year, 36 children died due to structural problems with drop-side cribs, reports the commission. Thirty-five of those fatalities occurred when crib components detached, disengaged, or broke.
The commission proposed new rules that would ban the manufacture, sale, and resale of drop-side cribs. The new crib standard, likely to take effect later this year, would also outlaw drop-sides at motels, hotels, and childcare facilities.
Under the new standards, full-size cribs would have to undergo more rigorous testing, have stronger construction, and be equipped with stronger mattress supports to prevent malfunctions that have led to infants suffocating.
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