Remembering When Chicago Banned Crib Bumper Pads To prevent Infant Wrongful Death

“Despite objections from the industry, Chicago became the first city in the country to ban the sale of crib bumper pads due to concern that the popular products pose a suffocation risk to babies in September 2011,” according to the Chicago Tribune. The Chicago wrongful death attorneys applauded the city’s aldermen in getting this important ban passed.

The ban comes after many months of research after a Tribune investigation in March 2011, which the Chicago wrongful death lawyers have been following. The Trib report found that federal officials had investigated several infant deaths where crib bumpers likely were a contributing factor, if not the cause of death. However, federal regulators were hesitant to classify the crib bumpers as the definite cause, as other items were also in the crib.

The Tribune investigation found that in many of the cases, the babies who had died were found with their faces pressed into their crib bumpers, according to the agency’s records. Additionally, there were at least 17 additional cases that were never investigated in spite of reports on file suggesting that crib bumpers may have been a contributing factor to the infants’ wrongful deaths. Medical examiners and coroners for some of these cases indicated that crib bumper pads were involved in the suffocation of these babies.

Chicago wrongful death attorneys, consumer product safety groups and parental advocate groups are all well aware of the dangers posed by crib bumpers – as well as many other items marketed to new parents as “must-have” items for their infants. New parents must use the following “safe sleep” guidelines, provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics to avoid infant injuries or sudden death:

• Safe Crib: Your baby’s crib should be adhere to the new crib safety standards with a firm mattress and well-fitting sheet. Additionally, the crib should not contain crib bumpers, stuffed animals, comforters or pillows because they create a suffocation hazard.
• Back to Sleep: Babies should be placed in their cribs on their back – not their side of stomach.
• Climate Control: Do not “bundle up” your baby for bedtime. Keep their room a comfortable temperature rather than adding layers of clothing or blankets.
• No Smoking: Never smoke around babies or children; it is vitally important that baby’s sleeping environment remain smoke-free.

People from Chicago are pleased that the Chicago Tribune and the City of Chicago are at the forefront of this critical ban. Hopefully, it will save infants’ lives and parents’ heartache.