Baby Sleep Space Safe Advice
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The holiday season is approaching, and families are preparing to visit friends and family. Each year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns parents and caregivers of small children to keep infants’ sleep space safe and offers safe sleep space tips. This year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has teamed up with Congress and safety advocates to provide sleep space advice and reminders to keep their children safe while at home or when staying at a family member’s house.
CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric, pediatric experts from Lurie Children’s Hospital, experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Kids in Danger safety advocates, Safe Kids Worldwide advocates, members of the Consumer Federation of America, and Congress to boost the public’s awareness of the best safe sleep practices for infants. The group also aims to highlight new laws that will help to create a safer marketplace for babies.
CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric stated that he was excited to be working with these special groups to grow their reach to parents, caregivers, and grandparents about the best sleep practices for infants during the holidays and throughout the year. According to CPSC Chair Hoehn-Saric, the group can reduce these tragic fatalities and create a much safer marketplace for small children.
This year-long project included aggressive Congressional and CPSC actions to protect infants from product hazards and launched the following initiatives:
- Infant Sleep Products Rule. The CPSC’s new Infant Sleep Products Rule began in June 2022, and it mandates “all new infant sleep products to have a sleep surface angle of 10 degrees or lower” and meet one or more of the current safety standards for sleep products such as cradles, bassinets, cribs, or play yards. The CPSC has sent over 125 letters to manufacturers alerting m of their new obligations. As a result, 26 products were removed from the market.
- Safe Sleep for Babies Act. The CPSC issued letters to online retailers and brick-and-mortar stores urging them to follow the new requirements of the Safe Sleep for Babies Act. The law went into effect on November 12, 2022. Safe Sleep for Babies Act also bans all inclined sleep products and padded crib bumpers, no matter when they are manufactured.
- Additional safety measures. Congress also enacted Reese’s Law, which protects children from dangerous “button cell” batteries. The CPSC also published the final rules that establish safety standards for magnets, crib mattresses, clothing storage units, and window coverings.
Crib bumpers and infant-inclined sleep products have been linked to nearly 200 deaths. The Safe Sleep for Babies Act will ban these dangerous products and provide families with the peace of mind new products they purchase for their newborns are safe.
CPSC’s most recent nursery product injury and death report state that most nursery-product infant deaths happened in cluttered sleep spaces and when soft bedding was added to the playpens/play yards, bassinets, cribs, and cradles. There are nearly 100 infant deaths that occur annually in unsafe sleep environments. The CPSC is reminding both parents and caregivers to observe these methods to make sure babies’ sleep space is safe:
- “Back to Sleep.” The safest sleep position for babies is on the back. This sleep position reduces the risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS/SUID) and Suffocation.
- “Bare is Best.” Always only use a fitted sheet and keep the baby’s sleep area bare to prevent suffocation. Never use padded crib bumpers, pillows, comforters, or quilts.
- If your baby falls asleep in a bouncer, swing, lounger, or similar sleep product, immediately transfer them to a firm, flat bassinet, crib, bedside sleeper, r play yard.
- Never use inclined baby products, such as gliders, rockers, swings, and soothers, for infant sleep. Babies should never be left unattended, unrestrained, or with soft bedding material because of the risk of suffocation.
Always visit CPSC.gov to see if any items you purchased for your baby have been recalled.
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