Am I the only mom out there who is apparently trying to kill her child with a drop-side crib?

Question

Holy cow the way women talk about them in groups makes it seem like you're practically pushing your kid off the edge at the Grand Canyon. My heart goes out to all the women who have lost children through crib accidents, but 32 deaths in a decade seems a bit over the edge for everyone to act as though I am actively pursuing infant death. I had a friend years ago lose her nephew to window blinds, but do moms jump all over me about having blinds in my house? Why the fuss about the drop side cribs?

Answer 1

And what is with flame retardant infant pajamas? I don't have much experience, but is it common for babies to burst into flame?

Answer 2

I do not think you are trying to kill your child. But I also do not think you apathy is smart. You know that there could be a risk but you choose to ignore it because probably changing the situation would be inconvenient to you. This is unfortunately human nature and the cause of why so many accidents happen. I get it. It is annoying and the likelihood of something happening is small. But it is possible and you know about it. It is not like you can stop it from happening if you are not around and most people who use cribs do not sleep in the same room. And he spends half of the beginning of his life there. You can even get a kit which makes a drop down crib safer. It does not require much of you.



Btw blinds are dangerous and especially cords. I watch my daughter around them all the time because she has tried to hang herself. I still have the blinds but I hang up the cords. I did not go "oh well" I would have taken down the blind if I thought it was better.



In the US there is an average of 87 deaths from young children drowning in tubs. Does that mean its only 87 and we can leave our babies and toddlers alone in water as everyone is freaking out for nothing? Of t course all statistics are are minimized by the huge numbers of parents who follow suggestions and reduce the total number of deaths. That means of the parents who do what they want or forget safety, 87 died.



I think that although people can be more sensitive to mothers when they make suggestions on safety rather than accusing them of trying to kill their kid, mothers can also be less defensive and try to see if behind the emotionally charged conversation there isn't some wisdom to the warnings. It is a shame when our egos make our judgments and not our brains.

Answer 3

Meh. When its just as easy to purchase a non-drop side crib, or get the free screws to make it one, I really don't see why you'd fight so hard for the right to keep it as a safety hazard? Babies -have- died, some have had close calls. I dont really understand what makes you think your baby is the exception. Its not like those other babies who have gotten hurt purposely put themselves in those positions. Besides, Im a pretty short person myself who initially had worries about reaching my infant with the immobile sides but it was NOT an issue.



The invincibility argument is not a real argument. Drop side cribs can be dangerous, but that would never happen to My baby. My baby would never get stuck. My baby would never get hurt without my nothing. Uh, yeah, it could. That's the whole reason why drop down cribs have gotten recalled nationally (globally?)



Its like arguing over not putting sharp knives away, or refusing to buy medicine with the child proof caps. The chances of your child actually finding these things, and hurting themselves? Pretty low. But its happened and avoiding it is a simple, easy step away. Drop side cribs seem like the same situation to me.



"I had a friend years ago lose her nephew to window blinds, but do moms jump all over..."

No, but that would be why there are hazard warnings on the blinds, on the box the blinds come in, why you can purchase hooks to screw into walls to tie up loose strings, why the dangerous are mentioned on places like parenting boards/prenatal books, and why even people like your house inspector will mention such hazards.



When its easy to avoid the possible hazard, what reason do you have not to do it? That's my question.



All-in-all, I do not care what you do in your own home. But if you want to make an argument about it, It just seems ignorant (to me) to preach to have the right to use (proven to be) dangerous goods for your kids.



Should other parents jump all over you? Well, No. But their over-zealous behaviour doesn't make your argument sound either

Answer 4

We had one where only a little bit of the top part came down, not the whole side but I'm pretty sure all my sister inlaws used drop side cribs. My mother inlaw keeps a crib at her house for her grandbabies & it is drop side too.



Never heard of anyone making an issue out of it but believe me I know how it can get in mommy groups. It is like high school all over again. I left one when my first one was about 2yrs old & never joined anymore. Not worth the stress.

Answer 5

I don't think you are trying to kill your baby. But I disagree that this is like all the other possible hazards in the house. To me it seems common sense that the place where your baby sleeps - where your baby usually spends at the very least 12+ hours a day without constant supervision - should be as safe as possible.



Personally I don't understand your defensive "oh well, OTHER things can also be lethal, so why should I care about this danger" at all.



To take your example of blinds: because they are a known hazard I use my common sense and don't have the threads of the blinds dangling down where my child can accidentally strangle himself on them.



Don't you? Why would making sure you use a safe crib be any different? Is it really SO bad for us parents to warn each other of possible hazards that being right is more important to you than that (admittedly small, but still existent) risk to your child's life?

Answer 6

It depends where you live. It's illegal in the states, I believe. And although I totally agree with what you're saying, you should abide by the law.

Here in New Zealand they aren't illegal, and most parents use these cribs. I do. But if I were living in th US, I would abide by the law and purchase a legal crib, otherwise I would bolt the crib so it couldn't slide up or down.

Answer 7

I was hearin that people were getting four L shaped brackets and sscrewing them in the courners of the bed an making the crib "non drop side" they even sell a kit to do it but the brackets are cheeper

Answer 8

All 3 of my kids slept in a drop-side crib and NOTHING happened to them.

I know that 'today's' mothers think they are dangerous - but they are dead WRONG! There's so many things, in a house, that will kill a baby or child before a drop-side crib will.

Answer 9

Many babies have died while being carried around in those 'infant car seats', and thousands have been injured in those things used outside of the car. And yep, you don't hear about that.

Answer 10

If you let them jump into the crib like this, then its dangerous.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ7qFXneLpk

Answer 11

mike tyson's ( the boxer ) kid died from blinds too .