After the deaths of two infants in Maryland from suffocation, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is reissuing its warning about the suffocation risk of putting infants to sleep in adult beds or on top of soft bedding. Press reports indicate that on May 13, 1998, two 5-month old boys apparently suffocated on an adult bed with soft bedding while at a Stevensville, Md., home daycare center.
Infants should never be put to sleep on top of soft bedding. Whether used on cribs or adult beds, soft bedding, such as comforters, pillows and sheepskins can mold itself around an infant's face. This hazard may contribute to as many as 900 infant deaths each year.
In addition to the dangers posed by soft bedding, infants placed on adult beds can become wedged between the mattress and bed frame or wall, and between the bed and an adjacent piece of furniture. Suffocation also can occur when infants sink into waterbed mattresses while sleeping on their stomachs.
"The only safe place for infants under 2 years of age is in a crib, whether putting them to sleep for the night or putting them down for a quick nap," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. "An infant should never be left on an adult bed."
CPSC recommends the following safety guidelines for preventing infant suffocation:
- Place infants to sleep on their backs on a firm, tight fitting mattress in cribs that meet federal safety standards and industry voluntary standards.
- Never place infants to sleep on adult beds, youth beds, waterbeds, day beds or bunk beds.
- Do not place infants to sleep on top of soft, fluffy products, such as pillows, comforters or sheepskins.
About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. Since the CPSC was established more than 50 years ago, it has worked to ensure the safety of consumer products, which has contributed to a decline in injuries associated with these products.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.
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