The Wall Street Journal reports that in the wake of a rash of deaths and injuries of infants in drop-side cribs and the resultant recalls, a coalition of manufacturers is calling for a ban on this type of crib. “Malfunctioning drop-side cribs have been blamed in incidents in which babies were trapped or strangled when the cribs gave way. The proposal was drafted by the crib subcommittee of ASTM International, a voluntary standards-setting group. The group’s crib standards are set with input from a range of industry stakeholders, including product makers and users, testing labs, consumer advocacy groups and government regulators.”
The AP adds that the “Consumer Product Safety Commission said at least three children have died in drop-side cribs in the last 18 months and there have been five recalls involving more than 3 million cribs. Industry officials say the cribs are safe, but they decided to act after the recalls.”
From the American Association for Justice news release.