On Friday, September 23rd, the Commission voted unanimously to protect sleeping babies. We
rejected the ASTM revision to a voluntary standard that would have made bassinets less safe and
would have allowed firms to end-run the landmark Infant Sleep Products Rule (ISP Rule). With
today’s vote, we reaffirm our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us by
maintaining both a strong bassinet standard and infant sleep rule.
We rejected the revised bassinet standard not only because it is weaker than the current bassinet
standard, but because it would have allowed the sale of compact bassinets, an entire class of
unsafe and less stable products that are currently prohibited under the ISP Rule. Unlike
traditional bassinets, compact bassinets have no legs, allowing them to be placed on beds,
countertops, and in other unsafe locations where they could fall. The data clearly show that head
injuries and deaths from falls occur in these products when they are used on elevated surfaces.
Suffocation risks from tipovers also increase when these products are used on soft surfaces, such
as couches or beds.
Simply put, these changes would put infants at risk.
We cannot allow our safety standards—especially for infants—to be diluted in this way. We
must—and we will—reject any attempt to do so.
Our vote today is a victory for consumers and for infant safety.
September is Baby Safety Month and CPSC will continue to reiterate that infants should only
sleep on a firm, flat surface, like a crib. A strong bassinet standard and ISP Rule will help to
make every day a safe day for babies. We cannot allow otherwise.