Uncertified Play Yards Present Risk of Suffocation
Product safety advocates have long warned parents about the suffocation dangers of padding and bedding in a child’s crib. Earlier this month, a related warning was given about padding in a play yard.
The issue was raised by The Safety Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes injury prevention and advocates for product safety. It noted that The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) advises consumers never to add a mattress, pillow, comforter or padding to a play yard.
These products are equipped by their manufacturers with a mattress properly sized for maximum safety, and designed to meet a standard established by ASTM International, a global outfit that establishes standards companies voluntarily accept.
But some companies, according to the JPMA, sell mattresses as “replacement” or “supplemental mattresses,” and the buyer must beware: An “add-on” or replacement mattress or bedding is not safe.
Potential danger lies in the gaps between a mattress that is too small or too thick, or with bedding a child can get wrapped up in — they present an immediate risk of suffocation.
A JPMA certification guarantees that products with its seal meet ASTM International safety standards. So if you’re shopping for a play yard, make sure you see that seal, which shows that it meets the voluntary standard.
Many of the supplemental, risky replacement parts are sold over the Internet, but bricks-and-mortar retailers offer them as well. Per the institute’s alert, “When industry suddenly creates a supplementary product which conflicts with the warning labels on the primary product it can be confusing and potentially dangerous. Products such as play yards are tested for foreseeable risks, and to the extent feasible, controllable risks are engineered out of the product.”
But consumers as well are responsible for ensuring the safety of these products. Don’t put anything on top of the existing mattress. If you need to replace it, call the company from which you bought the play yard. As the ASTM explains, each manufacturer tests its play yard with the mattress it supplies, so if you’re buying a replacement mattress from some other company, it hasn’t been tested for use with the play yard you have, and might not be safe.
Although the dangers are similar, play yards are a bit tougher to ensure for safety because their sizes and shapes vary more than cribs. Review the ASTM specifications here, and those for cribs here.
For play yards, the standard for total thickness of the mattress, including all fabric or vinyl layers, filling and material any structural components such as wood or hardboard, should not exceed 1.5 inches. Supplemental play yard mattresses and second-party replacement mattresses are available in different thicknesses, and some could raise the floor high enough so that a kid could get out of the enclosure.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC), a federal agency, is in sync with the JPMA and Safety Institute concerning these products. It endorses the Keeping Babies Safe initiative; Chairman Elliot Kaye has said, “CPSC staff will continue to support these efforts as we all try to address this hazard and protect babies while they sleep.
The issue was raised by The Safety Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes injury prevention and advocates for product safety. It noted that The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) advises consumers never to add a mattress, pillow, comforter or padding to a play yard.
These products are equipped by their manufacturers with a mattress properly sized for maximum safety, and designed to meet a standard established by ASTM International, a global outfit that establishes standards companies voluntarily accept.
But some companies, according to the JPMA, sell mattresses as “replacement” or “supplemental mattresses,” and the buyer must beware: An “add-on” or replacement mattress or bedding is not safe.
Potential danger lies in the gaps between a mattress that is too small or too thick, or with bedding a child can get wrapped up in — they present an immediate risk of suffocation.
A JPMA certification guarantees that products with its seal meet ASTM International safety standards. So if you’re shopping for a play yard, make sure you see that seal, which shows that it meets the voluntary standard.
Many of the supplemental, risky replacement parts are sold over the Internet, but bricks-and-mortar retailers offer them as well. Per the institute’s alert, “When industry suddenly creates a supplementary product which conflicts with the warning labels on the primary product it can be confusing and potentially dangerous. Products such as play yards are tested for foreseeable risks, and to the extent feasible, controllable risks are engineered out of the product.”
But consumers as well are responsible for ensuring the safety of these products. Don’t put anything on top of the existing mattress. If you need to replace it, call the company from which you bought the play yard. As the ASTM explains, each manufacturer tests its play yard with the mattress it supplies, so if you’re buying a replacement mattress from some other company, it hasn’t been tested for use with the play yard you have, and might not be safe.
Although the dangers are similar, play yards are a bit tougher to ensure for safety because their sizes and shapes vary more than cribs. Review the ASTM specifications here, and those for cribs here.
For play yards, the standard for total thickness of the mattress, including all fabric or vinyl layers, filling and material any structural components such as wood or hardboard, should not exceed 1.5 inches. Supplemental play yard mattresses and second-party replacement mattresses are available in different thicknesses, and some could raise the floor high enough so that a kid could get out of the enclosure.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC), a federal agency, is in sync with the JPMA and Safety Institute concerning these products. It endorses the Keeping Babies Safe initiative; Chairman Elliot Kaye has said, “CPSC staff will continue to support these efforts as we all try to address this hazard and protect babies while they sleep.
Comments
Post a Comment