Today, the Commission voted unanimously to advance a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to revise the safety standard for bassinets and cradles. I thank CPSC staff for their work over many years to develop the array of strong safety standards for durable and infant toddler products that CPSC now has on the books following Congressional direction—over 15 years ago—to put such standards into place. This latest effort builds on the statutory command that the Commission periodically review and revise these standards to ensure that they provide the highest level of safety for such products that is feasible.

It is fitting that the Commission’s first such review involves bassinets, a product geared not only for infants generally, but largely for the youngest of infants—from newborns to three or four months of age—a cohort that is at heightened risk. For example, infants two to six months of age, premature infants, and infants who are born as a set of multiples are at the highest risk of positional asphyxia because they may be able to move in the sleep environment but can lack the physical capability to self-rescue from a hazardous situation.

Indeed, data from a number of our recent rulemakings confirms that the majority of incidents involve the youngest infants. Of the fatalities associated with infant loungers, for example, more than 80% involved infants three months and younger. The recently approved notice of proposed rulemaking on Infant Rockers showed a similarly concerning pattern in the youngest age group. That is why I offered amendments to that proposed rulemaking, approved by the Commission, seeking comment on a number of issues, including whether a minimum age should be specified; information on the biomechanical differences that impact the risks of injury and death for premature infants and infants under 4 months; and whether the product should include a warning label aimed specifically at that age group.

In the context of bassinets, a product intended largely for the youngest of the youngest, providing the highest level of safety feasible must inform the path forward. As we continue our work on infant products in general, including the review and revision of rules already in place, we should continue to focus on the youngest age group and those infants with immature physiological systems, so that we can reduce the heightened risk for this most vulnerable population. One of the most solemn responsibilities we have is to protect that population, and I believe the proposed bassinet rule provides a roadmap to do so through improved performance requirements and enhanced warnings. I look forward to receiving stakeholder comments on these proposals.