Oaklee’s guest post by Laura Nikolovska, Program Director for Kids In Danger, a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to improving children’s product safety.
KID joins the Dr. OZ show to ask: Why are crib bumper pads still for sale?
After new research about the increasing dangers of crib bumper pads thrust the issue into the public eye, television host Dr. Oz posed the question: Why are crib bumper pads still for sale? KID’s Nancy Cowles appeared on the Dr. Oz Show earlier this month along with NJ Sheers, former project manager of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Infant Sleep Project, and Dr. Michael Goodstein of the American Academy of Pediatrics to discuss this critical safety issue in a national platform.
Because bumpers are still in stores (except in Maryland and Chicago) and often appear in magazines and online style articles, parents and grandparents often assume they are safe, making it hard to convey the dangers these products pose. However, the Dr. Oz Show reached millions in 20 short minutes. As a result, Nancy was able to share stories of babies who have lost their lives to bumper pads as well as the following important safety messages related to these dangerous products:
- Bare is best – no crib bumpers, pillows, extra padding or soft bedding. Use a wearable blanket or warm pajamas on your baby instead.
- Back to bed: Putting babies on their backs to sleep has saved 35,000 babies since the education campaign began. Babies sleep safest on their backs every time, including naps.
- Don’t substitute: While mesh liners may not pose the same suffocation risk, there isn’t enough data on them, and they aren’t needed.
Keep the conversation going with other parents, grandparents, and caregivers about the dangers of crib bumper pads by:
- Watch and share the Oz Show and read the show’s blog post about bumper pad hazards.
- Sign and share Dr. Oz’s petition asking CPSC to take action to get this dangerous product out off store shelves.
- Sign up for the KID Action Team and help turn attention into action.
It has been heartening to see the many comments on our Facebook posts and in the comments on the petition – so many families and organizations are committed to sharing this safety information. Keep up the good work and help KID get this product off the shelves once and for all.