The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association last week launched cribsafety.org as part of its new consumer crib safety campaign.

 The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) said it supports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's latest recall of more than 2.1 million cribs.

The JPMA, which represents more than 250 companies based in North America, issued a statment, urging consumers owning the recalled cribs to contact the manufacturer for a free immobilization device and installation instructions to make the crib safer.

"JPMA is dedicated to creating an awareness of the safest sleep environments for babies. We support the efforts of the CPSC and the JPMA member manufacturers who are providing a free immobilization device or other solutions for drop side cribs cited in today’s recall announcement," said Michael Dwyer, CAE executive director of JPMA. "The seven companies cited in today’s voluntary recall want to give drop side crib owners a remedy to allay fears they may have with their crib."

Dwyer added, "JPMA reminds crib owners that infants should only be placed in the safest sleep environment. To this end, it is important for all parents and caregivers to be aware that the safest place for a child is in a fully functional, properly assembled crib," said Dwyer.

As part of this effort, the CPSC has acknowledged that issues with drop sides can occur due to misassembly or age-related wear and tear and have advised consumers to get new cribs if their cribs are older than 10 years of age. JPMA is focusing its efforts on safe sleep initiatives which the CPSC has acknowledged in their announcement. Also included in CPSC messaging is an acknowledgment for the first time that many times more infants are at risk from being placed in unsafe sleeping environments than in a perfectly safe crib, as well as acknowledgment that cribs are the safest place for infants to sleep.

Each year, JPMA sponsors Baby Safety Month in September, and in 2010 JPMA has launched a multifaceted campaign aimed at Safe Sleep education. In addition, JPMA has launched a website for consumers at cribsafety.org, a repository of Safe Sleep information. It includes information and videos on safe sleep practices, plus links to the parts, hardware and assembly instruction sections on several crib manufacturers’ website.

The JPMA's crib safety campaign also focuses on reminding pParents and caregivers to routinely check all of their baby gear for stability, misassembly or age-related wear and tear. If a crib is older than 10 years of age, JPMA advises consumers to get a new crib as it may not comply with current standards. "Consumers should not use a crib if any parts are loose or missing, or if there are any signs of damage. Only parts obtained from the original manufacturer must be used for repairs. Do not repair broken parts with tape, wire, or rope."
 
Read story about CPSC's June 24 recall of more than 2.1 million cribs.

Read Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association's press release on crib recall.

Read Juvenile Products Manufacturers Assocation's press release about its new webiste: cribsafety.com.

Read Editor-at-Large Rich Christianson's blog about the June 24 recall.