New York State has officially banned crib bumper pads On Tuesday, August 13, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a package of bills to keep kids safe, including the Crib Bumper Bill, which makes it illegal for stores to sell crib bumpers anywhere in the state of New York. The state also passed Harper’s Law, which requires certain furniture to be tied down to prevent injury in children.
Though NYS is just now recognizing the danger of crib bumpers, parents have been concerned about them for years. These bumper pads, which are used to cushion the interior or babies’ cribs, pose a suffocating risk if children fall asleep with their mouths or noses against them. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has strongly advised parents against using them long before NYS’s ban. “Keep soft objects, loose bedding, or any objects that could increase the risk of entrapment, suffocation, or strangulation out of the baby’s sleep area,” the AAP’s website reads. “These include pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, blankets, toys, crib bumper pads or similar products that attach to crib slats or sides.”
Cumo spoke about his decision to pass these bills, referencing his own experiences as a parent. “As a father, I know full well that you never stop worrying about your child’s safety, no matter how old they are,” the Governor said, according to New York Daily News. “These measures will help give parents peace of mind at a critical time in their child’s lives and will help ensure that their homes or daycare facilities remain safe and secure environments.”
Similarly,Ohio’s crib bumper ban went into effect on April 6, 2017. This legislation, which was passed last year as part of Senate Bill 332, prohibits the sale of any non-mesh crib liners in the state.
The law allows the sale of mesh liners for at least the next three years. This means one cannot sell crib bumper pads for cribs that are made of non-mesh materials at yard sales or secondhand stores in addition to stores not being able to sell these types of crib bumper pads.
If you have any solid-material crib bumper pads, destroy them. Solid bumper pads can hinder an infant’s breathing and kill a child. Mesh material crib sides are still allowed to be used.
The Tuscarawas County Health Department offers safe-sleeping education and Pack 'n Play beds for qualifying infants through a Cribs for Kids program. For more information on the program call Nicole Dorsey at 330-343-5555 ext. 111.
Below is the wording of House Bill 332 as it was passed pertaining to crib bumpers:
"'Crib bumper pad' means any padding material including a roll of stuffed fabric that is designed for placement within a crib to cushion one or more of the crib's inner sides adjacent to the crib mattress. 'Crib bumper pad' excludes a mesh crib liner intended for placement between a crib mattress and one or more of the crib's inner sides.
Sec. 3713.021. (A): No person shall recklessly manufacture, offer for sale, sell, deliver or possess for the purpose of manufacturing, selling or delivering a crib bumper pad. (B): The superintendent of industrial compliance shall issue a notice of violation to any person found to have violated division (A) of this section.
Sec. 3713.022. (A): No person shall recklessly manufacture, offer for sale, sell, deliver or possess for the purpose of manufacturing, selling or delivering a mesh crib bumper intended for placement between a crib mattress and one or more of the crib's inner sides that does not comply with consumer product safety standards governing such bumpers that are promulgated after Oct. 9, 2016, by the United States consumer product safety commission (pursuant to section 104 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, 15 U.S.C. 2056a, as amended) for the purpose of ensuring sufficient permeability and breathability so as to prevent infant suffocation.
(B): In the absence of standards described in division (A) of this section, no person shall, beginning three years after the effective date of this section, recklessly manufacture, offer for sale, sell, deliver or possess for the purpose of manufacturing, selling or delivering a mesh crib bumper pad.
(C): The superintendent of industrial compliance shall issue a notice of violation to any person found to have violated division (A) or (B) of this section."
For questions contact the local health department.