New Law Bans Infant Sleep Products: US President's Sign

May 17, 2022 – A new law will ban certain infant sleep products blamed for the deaths of more than 200 babies in the United States.

United States President Joe Biden signed a legislation that prohibits the manufacture and sale of crib bumpers or inclined sleepers for infants due to the risk of suffocation on May 16, 2022, according to CBS News.

H.R. 3182, or the Safe Sleep Act Babies Act of 2021, states that sleepers and bumpers are considered "banned hazardous products" under the Consumer Product Safety Act. The new rule gives manufacturers and retailers 180 days to comply with the new rule.

‘The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has been receiving reports of more than 113 deaths between 1990 and 2019 and 113 non-fatal incidents between 2008 and 2019.’

“The dangers posed to babies have been apparent for years,” Teresa Murray, who directs the consumer watchdog office for the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, said in a statement.

“It’s unfortunate that this law could take months to take effect,” she said. “Parents and caregivers need to recognize the dangers of these products and get them out of their homes now.”

H.R. 3182 defines oblique sleepers as products with an oblique sleeping area of more than 10 degrees and is intended for babies up to 1 year of age. Crib bumpers can include any material designed to cover the sides of the crib, including padding or vinyl bumper guards, but not unpainted mesh crib liner.

Importance of these Rules

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has been receiving reports of more than 113 deaths between 1990 and 2019 and 113 non-fatal incidents between 2008 and 2019.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - Overview
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is death of a baby, under one year of age that occurs in sleep and cannot be explained.

According to the commission, more than 100 children have died from child-based sleeping products, which has recalled several editions in recent years. But , according to CBS News, older models are still in circulation.

Last year, the commission approved a federal safety rule banning various types of sleep products for babies under 5 months. Coming into effect next month, products marketed for babies will meet the same federal safety standards required for cribs and similar products.

According to CBS News, parents and lawyers have called for a ban on these products for decades because they can cause suffocation if the baby's nose and mouth are blocked by a bumper or stuck between the bumper and cradle mattress.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, sudden unexpected infant death, or SUID – which includes sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS – is the leading cause of injury death in infancy. The panel's recommendations for safe sleep suggest that infants sleep on a firm, flat surface without extra padding, pillows, blankets, stuffed toys, bumpers, or other soft objects in the sleep space.

Source-Medindia