[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 53 (Friday, April 4, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E505-E506]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE INFANT CRIB SAFETY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ELLEN O. TAUSCHER

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 3, 2008

  Mrs. TAUSCHER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Infant 
Crib Safety Act.
  I originally introduced this legislation in 1999 at the request of 
the Danny Foundation, a national nonprofit organization established 
after the tragic death of Danny Lineweaver of Alamo, Calif. At the age 
of 23 months, Danny was injured while trying to climb out of his

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crib. He caught his shirt on a decorative knob on the corner post of 
his crib and hanged himself. Though his mother was able to perform CPR 
the moment she found him, Danny lived in a semi-comatose state for nine 
years and died in 1993.
  But Danny Lineweaver's parents are by no means the only ones to face 
this heartbreaking and preventable tragedy. According to the U.S. 
Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC, more than 12,300 infants and 
children are hospitalized--and more than 40 children die--each year as 
a result of injuries from unsafe cribs. These children include Amaya 
Jade Dummar, a 2-month-old who died of asphyxiation when she was caught 
in the gap between the crib railing and the side of her crib, and 
Garrett Davis, a 4-month-old who died at his grandparents' home when he 
became wedged between an added mattress and the vinyl side of his mesh 
crib.
  Madam Speaker. cribs are the only juvenile products manufactured 
expressly for leaving children unattended, and the design and 
construction of cribs must ensure that parents can have confidence that 
a crib is a safe place to leave an infant. Existing CPSC mandatory 
standards, as well as voluntary crib safety guidelines, have been 
effective in addressing most safety hazards associated with new cribs. 
The CPSC estimates that these standards prevent hundreds of deaths 
annually. However, these standards and guidelines apply only to new 
cribs, not to the sale or commercial use of second-hand and hand-me-
down cribs. Secondhand cribs, many of which predate stringent federal 
safety standards and have been subsequently recalled, are responsible 
for the majority of crib-related infant injuries and deaths.
  Used cribs can have any number of dangerous features. Missing or 
broken parts, excessive width between slats, poorly fitting crib 
sheets, inadequate mattress support, and faulty latches that do not 
prevent unintentional crib collapse all pose serious risks to infant 
safety. Nearly 4 million infants are born in the United States each 
year, but it is estimated that only 1 to 2 million new cribs are sold. 
This means that millions of infants are being placed in potentially 
unsafe used cribs. Secondhand cribs can persist for years in the 
secondary market in thrift and resale stores. Many hotels and motels 
continue to use second hand cribs that do not meet current safety 
standards established by CPSC.
  In 2007 alone, more than 1.5 million cribs were recalled. It is vital 
to ensure that these potentially dangerous products are removed from 
the stream of commerce. Twelve States, including my home State of 
California, have already adopted legislation that would make it illegal 
to manufacture or sell a crib that does not meet current safety 
standards. But children in every State deserve this basic protection.
  The Infant Crib Safety Act will save lives, and give peace of mind to 
the millions of parents who place their infants in cribs every single 
day.
  This legislation will accomplish four main objectives to keep our 
children and infants safe. First, it will bar crib makers from 
manufacturing, and commercial users from selling, products that do not 
meet the most up-to-date safety standards, including voluntary industry 
standards. As a result, it will keep structurally unsound, lead-
containing, and otherwise unsafe cribs out of the stream of commerce. 
Second, it will prohibit the use of unsafe secondhand cribs in hotels, 
motels, and inns. Third, it requires the Consumer Product Safety 
Commission to update its standards by including new rules on crib 
durability. Many cribs are not built to withstand the stresses that 
active toddlers place on them, rendering older, used cribs even less 
safe for infants. Durability standards will assure safe usage over 
time, as well as quickly identify failures in design or hardware that 
could lead to a hazardous crib.
  And finally, the bill requires new cribs to feature labels warning 
against the use of potentially dangerous soft bedding, to remind 
parents of the risk of infant suffocation from the use of pillows, 
blankets, and stuffed animals.
  Madam Speaker, this measure was approved by the Senate last month as 
part of comprehensive consumer product safety legislation, and I 
applaud my colleague from California, Senator Feinstein, who worked to 
ensure its passage. Now is the time for the House to act on this vital 
provision.

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