Safer Standards Approved for Crib Mattresses

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has approved new safety standards for crib mattresses. By the fall of 2022, crib mattresses and after-market mattresses used in play yards and portable cribs will be required to meet the new federal safety standards.

The new federal rule aims to further reduce the risk of injury-related to:
• Suffocation hazards from overly soft crib mattresses by adding a test for mattress firmness.
• Entrapment hazards.

The standard will require improved marking, labeling, and instructions to better communicate the risks of injuries to consumers and will address several hazards such as lacerations from coil springs and excessively soft mattresses. Suppliers should also communicate better to consumers the risks of SIDS and suffocation related to infant positioning, soft bedding, and gap entrapment.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Between January 2010 and April 2021, the CPSC was aware of at least 494 incidents, including 139 fatalities and 355 non-fatal incidents related to crib mattresses.

The CPSC reminds consumers that the safest place for a baby to sleep is in a flat, bare crib.