CPSC's Crib Bumper Analysis Results from September 2016

October 01, 2016

For parents out there like my wife and I concerned about infant sleeping risks, and especially crib bumpers, the wait is now over for independent data and answers!

On September 9^th 2016, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Division of Hazard Analysis (EPHA) staff published a study two years in the making. This took a deep look at the safety benefits of crib bumpers/alternatives, incident data involving crib bumpers, and made both conclusions and recommendations.

The full 154 page report can be found HERE. If you want a summary, read on below! As a preface, as parents and a company focused on safety, we believe that even 1 infant fatality is 1 too many. So as a company, we’re focused on providing and advocating for safer environments for children. And without further ado, a summary of the CPSC’s EPHA report:

Safety benefits of crib bumpers/alternatives:

Crib bumpers likely prevent some incidents and injuries involving limb entrapment or crib-structure impact that otherwise would have occurred.
Eliminating crib bumpers also might result in some caregivers using other soft bedding as an alternative protective barrier against the crib structure.
Crib bumpers likely prevent some incidents and injuries involving limb entrapment or crib-structure impact that otherwise would have occurred.

Incident data involving crib bumpers between January 1990 to March 2016:

12 addressable infant deaths of 107 total analyzed by the CPSC, which equals about 1 fatality every 2 years across the day-to-day use of approximately 5.0M bumpers annually in the US
23 unknown addressability infant deaths of 107 total
72 unaddressable infant deaths of 107 total

Conclusions:

If the [CPSC] Commission chooses to pursue rulemaking under the CPSA or FHSA, the Commission must find that crib bumpers present an "unreasonable risk of injury" or constitute a "hazardous substance." Based on [EPHA] Staff's review of the incidents, making such findings would likely prove difficult.
CPSC staff could continue to work with the ASTM Infant Bedding subcommittee to identify and implement safety improvements to ASTM F1917 that may address the risk of injury associated with bumpers.
CPSC staff also supports ongoing efforts to inform and educate consumers about safe sleep practices, and staff believes that continued, repeated messages that emphasize the importance of keeping pillows and other loose, soft bedding items out of cribs are critical.

So with this comprehensive government led analysis, the data is now known, and recommendations have been made to continue partnership with the ASTM Infant Bedding SubCommittee to create additional product performance standards, and consumer education about the dangers of loose bedding or items in the sleeping environment.

Our mission at Bitzy Baby continues. We look forward to supporting and implementing the CPSC’s ASTM Infant Bedding standards recommendations, as the SubCommittee’s Task Group Lead. And we're also thrilled to offer parents our safer product alternative to support the struggle with safe infant sleeping.

I’ll continue to guest blog with updates on how we’re developing and implementing important changes to the ASTM Infant Bedding standards, and be your voice on the SubCommittee.

In Service,

Seabren