A new study revealed an increased number of crib bumper-related deaths among infants in recent years. With the prime purpose of protecting babies from getting stuck between the slats, this research reveals that it might actually pose potential suffocation threat.
In the research conducted, experts discovered that according to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, there have been 23 deaths accounted for crib bumpers between 2006 and 2012. "Crib bumpers are killing kids," Dr. Bradley Thach, pediatrics professor emeritus from Washington University School of Medicine, warned. "The infant deaths we studied could have been prevented if the cribs were empty."
The latest study also analyzed data from 1985 to 2012 of which 48 infant deaths accounted for crib bumper incidents. They further specified the study by analyzing which among were caused by crib bumpers alone and were contributed by other factors. More than 60 percent (32) of the 48 resulted from crib bumper incidence alone, while the rest were pinpointed to other crib clutters, for example, pronged between bumpers and pillows or bumpers and mattresses.
They further delved into more data from the National Center for the Review and Prevention of Child Deaths where they found that in 37 states, an additional 32 deaths were reported between 2008 and 2011.
Combining all these data, researchers got a total of 77 crib bumper-related fatalities. But they highly believe that cases could be much higher. "There may be many more deaths than we are reporting here," Thach said.
Despite this evidence, crib bumpers remain in the limelight. "When they go into a baby store to buy a crib, they see all cribs lined with bumpers, and that sends a false signal that if they are selling them, they must be safe," Thach said.
They further suggest that the sell and use of these bumpers should be banned across the country. Both the states of Chicago and Maryland prohibited the sales of these items in 2011 and 2013, respectively. "The safest way for babies to sleep is alone, on their backs and in a crib or a pack and play but without anything extra. No bumper pads, no pillows, no stuffed animals," Missouri-based SIDS Resources Lori Behrens said.
