SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, is reminding stakeholders that the US is prohibiting the manufacture, sale and distribution of inclined sleepers and crib bumpers for infants.
US President Joe Biden signed H.R. 3182 ‘Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021’ into law on May 16, 2022. Inclined sleepers and crib bumpers are deemed to be hazardous and have been linked to nearly 200 infant deaths according to Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) data.
The Act defines the products as:
- Inclined sleepers – any product with an inclined sleep surface greater than ten degrees that is intended, marketed or designed to provide sleep accommodation for an infant up to one year of age
- Crib bumper:
- Any material that is intended to cover the sides of a crib to prevent injury to any crib occupant from impacts against the side of a crib or to prevent partial or complete access to any openings in the sides of a crib or to prevent a crib occupant from getting any part of the body entrapped in any opening
- Includes a padded crib bumper, a supported and unsupported vinyl bumper guard, and vertical crib slat covers
Note: definition for crib bumper does not include a non-padded mesh crib liner
The CPSC states that inclined sleepers are dangerous for infants when used at an incline greater than 10 degrees. They have been linked to the deaths of at least 84 infants, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
According to CPSC data, crib bumpers were linked to 113 infant deaths between January 1990 and March 2019. They present a risk of suffocation, strangulation and entrapment, and there’s no evidence that they prevent injury to young babies.
These two infant sleep products will be considered banned hazardous products, regardless of the date of manufacture, under section 8 of the Consumer Product Safety Act, no later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Act.
SGS Childcare Product Services
SGS offers a wide range of services to ensure that products comply with relevant standards for childcare articles and children’s equipment. They provide consulting, training, product development, testing, audit and inspection services to ensure that products comply with strict regulations worldwide, demonstrating the safety and quality of juvenile products being brought to the market. After all, it’s only trusted because it’s tested. Learn more about SGS’s Childcare Product Services.
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For further information contact:
Piyush Shah
SGS Consumer and Retail Technical Director (Hardlines)
Tel: +1 (973) 461-7953
Email: crs.media@sgs.com
Website: www.sgs.com/hardlines
LinkedIn: sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail
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