Some callous parents may think, "So What?" these are just two crib recalls.

Actually, sadly, there are many, many, many others (3).

This is really a simple choice. This year more than 2,000 babies will die in cribs while less than 40 will die who sleep with their parents. Why take the risk?

In addition, if you let your baby sleep on its stomach in the crib it is more likely to die of SIDS than if it sleeps on its back. The only problem with infants sleeping on their backs during the first few years of life is that they grow up stupider and with less motor skills than kids who sleep on their stomachs (4).

This is the problem with cribs: to lower the incidence of SIDS, you must keep your child on its back. But stomach sleeping infants had higher gross motor scores, social skills scores, and total development skills scores than the back sleeping infants. Sleeping with your child can solve the problem. When your child is in bed, you can keep it on its stomach while you read or watch TV. When you are ready for sleep, you can then place the infant on its back. Having your child in a crib while you are doing this is dangerous since you are likely to forget that your child is on its stomach and so you'll be asleep while your child is choking.

When your baby is sleeping next to you, it is almost impossible to forget about him or her.

But I know some of you are just too stubborn to change your mind, so if you are absolutely determined to keep your child in a crib, at least keep it in the same room where you sleep. This has been linked with a lower risk of SIDS because the closer the infant is to you, the more likely you will be to hear it gasping for breath.

Heeding My Advice Saved Your Child's Life

A word to the wise: those readers who read my post from 2007 and followed my advice are 50 to 60 times less likely to have had their child die from SIDS.

But let me give you the whole disclaimer: Research has shown that the best way to prevent SIDS is by putting your baby to sleep face up. Don't smoke anywhere in the house, or light candles, or use room air fresheners. Don't let your baby get too hot (how can you do that if you are sleeping 20 feet from your baby?). Breastfeed if you can. Don't bother with home monitors to reduce SIDS (they just give a false sense of security), and when not feeding, give your baby a pacifier when sleeping.

[Update added Feb 8 2010 with thanks to reader Mark.V.: If you are obese, an alcoholic, a smoker, or a drug addict read this before putting a baby in bed with you or before even getting pregnant.]

The information here is intended as a public service to my readers. I have made every effort to provide accurate data according to the resources available. While I believes the information to be reliable, error remains a possibility. As of this writing, at least 50 times more children will die in cribs than in beds with their parents, but this does not mean your child cannot die in bed with you. Therefore, I shall not be held responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the use or results obtained from the use of this information. I would appreciate it if you do find an error or omission, outdated material, or other problem, to bring it to my attention so I can update this article.

ENDNOTES

(1):

US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Nov 23 2009, Infant Entrapment and Suffocation Prompts Stork Craft to Recall More Than 2.1 Million Drop-Side Cribs

The cribs’ drop-side plastic hardware can break, deform, or parts can become missing. In addition, the drop-side can be installed upside-down, which can result in broken or disengaged plastic parts. All of these problems can cause the drop-side to detach in one or more corners. When the drop-side detaches, it creates space between the drop-side and the crib mattress. The bodies of infants and toddlers can become entrapped in the space which can lead to suffocation. Complete detachment of drop-sides can lead to falls from the crib.

CPSC, Health Canada, and Stork Craft are aware of 110 incidents of drop-side detachment; 67 incidents occurred in the United States and 43 in Canada. The incidents include 15 entrapments; 12 in the U.S. and three in Canada. Four of the entrapments resulted in suffocation: a 7-month-old in Gouverneur, N.Y.; a 7-month-old in New Iberia, La.; a 6-month-old in Summersville, W.Va.; and a 9-month-old in Bronx, N.Y. Included in these incidents are 20 falls from cribs; 12 in the U.S. and eight in Canada. Fall injuries ranged from concussion to bumps and bruises. The cribs involved in these incidents had plastic drop-side hardware that had broken, missing, or deformed claws, connectors, tracks, or flexible tab stops; loose or missing metal spring clips; stripped screws; and/or drop-sides installed upside-down.

(2):

Injury Board NYC, Attention Parents: Another Massive Recall of Cribs

Dorel Asia SRL, of Barbados, in cooperation with the CPSC is recalling about 635,000 drop side and non-drop side cribs because they pose suffocation and strangulation hazards to infants and toddlers. The drop side hardware can fail and cause the drop side to detach from the crib, creating a space in which an infant or toddler can become entrapped and suffocate or strangle. The recall also warns that if crib slats become damaged in storage, assembly, disassembly, or during shipping and handling, they may pose a serious entrapment and strangulation hazard.

(3):

Injury Board NYC, Attention Parents: Another Massive Recall of Cribs

2010 Recalls

· Dorel Asia Recalls To Replace Cribs; Pose Strangulation and Suffocation Hazards (January 19, 2010)

· Drop Side Cribs Recalled by Caramia Furniture Due to Fall and Entrapment Hazards (January 14, 2010)

2009 Recalls

· CPSC, LaJobi Reannounce 2001 Recall of Cribs Due to Entrapment and Strangulation Hazards (December 2, 2009)

· Infant Entrapment and Suffocation Prompts Stork Craft to Recall More Than 2.1 Million Drop-Side Cribs (November 23, 2009)

· Simplicity Drop Side Cribs Recalled by Retailers Due to Risk of Death from Suffocation (July 2, 2009)

· LaJobi Recalls Babi Italia Pinehurst and Bonavita Hudson Drop Side Cribs; Risk of Entrapment and Suffocation (June 9, 2009)

· LaJobi Recalls Bonavita 'Cabana' Drop Side Cribs Due To Entrapment and Strangulation Hazards (June 9, 2009)

· Jardine Announces Second Recall Expansion of Cribs Sold by Babies'R'Us; Cribs Pose Entrapment and Strangulation Hazards (April 30, 2009)

· SunKids Convertible Cribs Recalled by Suntech Enterprises Due to Entrapment and Suffocation Hazards (April 2, 2009)

· Stork Craft Recalls More Than 500,000 Cribs; Mattress Support Bracket Failures Create Risk of Entrapment and Suffocation (January 13, 2009)

· Jardine Expands Recall of Cribs Sold by Babies"R"Us; Cribs Pose Entrapment and Strangulation Hazards (January 6, 2009)

2008 Recalls

· Munire Recalls "Newport Rubbed Black" Cribs and Matching Furniture Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard (December 23, 2008)

· Infant Death Prompts Recall to Repair 985,000 Delta Enterprise Drop Side Cribs; Missing Safety Pegs Can Cause Entrapment and Suffocation Hazards (October 21, 2008)

· Infant Death Prompts Recall To Repair 600,000 Drop Side Cribs By Delta Enterprise; Spring Peg Failure Can Cause Entrapment and Suffocation Hazards (October 21, 2008)

· Infant Death Prompts Recall of Convertible Cribs by Playkids USA; Crib Poses Entrapment and Suffocation Hazards (October 16, 2008)

· Simplicity Brand Drop Side Cribs Recalled By Various Retailers Due To Serious Entrapment And Suffocation Hazard To Infants and Toddlers (September 17, 2008)

· Baby Appleseed Recalls Cribs Due to Fall Hazard (August 5, 2008)

· Mother Hubbard's Cupboards Recalls Cribs Due to Fall Hazard (August 5, 2008)

· Stanley Furniture Recalls Cribs Due to Entrapment Hazard (June 26, 2008)

· Jardine Cribs Sold by Babies"R"Us Recalled Due to Entrapment and Strangulation Hazard (June 24, 2008)

· Bassettbaby Cribs Recalled Due to Entrapment Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Babies "R" Us (June 5, 2008)

· Munire Furniture Recalls Cribs Due to Fall Hazard (February 28, 2008)

· Bassettbaby Drop-Side Cribs Recalled Due to Entrapment and Strangulation Hazard (February 14, 2008)

2007 Recalls

· Cribs Sold By Bassettbaby Recalled Due to Entrapment and Strangulation Hazard: Sold Exclusively at Babies R Us (November 8, 2007)

· About 1 Million Simplicity Cribs Recalled Due To Failures Resulting in Infant Deaths (September 21, 2007)

· NettoCollection Recalls Cribs Due to Entrapment and Strangulation Hazard (September 4, 2007)

· CPSC, Stokke Announce Recall of Sleepi Crib Foam Mattresses Due to Entrapment Hazard (August 23, 2007)

· Simplicity Recalls Cribs Due to Fall, Entrapment and Choking Hazards (June 6, 2007)

· Song Lin Industrial Inc. Recalls Cribs Due to Fall Hazard (May 31, 2007)

(4):

Interscience, Influence of supine sleep positioning on early motor milestone acquisition

Only 22% of 6-month-olds could sit without arm support versus 50% expected in a normative sample. Remarkably, 22% of our sample exhibited gross motor delays (quotient<78). Tummy time (awake) was significantly associated with the AIMS (r=0.64) and PDMS GMQ (r=0.55) and FMQ (r=0.33) quotients, even after adjusting for confounders. Typically developing infants who were sleep-positioned in supine [sleeping face up] had delayed motor development by age 6 months, and this was significantly associated with limited exposure to awake prone positioning.