Although crib bumpers are theoretically designed to prevent injury to a baby, a recent study by pediatric researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis conclude that the risk of accidental death or injury to an infant from using them outweighs any possible benefits. In the study, which appears in the September 2007 issue of The Journal of Pediatrics, the researchers reviewed three U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission databases for deaths related to crib bumpers and crib related injuries from 1985-2005. In the search they found 27 accidental deaths reported by authorities of children from 1 month to 2 years of age that involved bumper pads or similarly padded bassinets. Due to the under-reporting of cases and lack of a consistent protocol of scene investigations and autopsies, the deaths in this study should be considered a minimum number, the study said. Of the 27 deaths, 11 infants died with their face resting against the bumper pad, 13 infants died from being wedged between the bumper pad and another surface and three infants died from strangulation by a bumper tie. “Many infants lack the motor development needed to free themselves from a potentially dangerous situation,” said Dr. Bradley Thach, MD, professor of pediatrics who researches infant apnea and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). “They are likely to suffocate because they are rebreathing their exhaled air instead of fresh air or their nose and mouth are compressed.” Dr. Thach is also a member of First Candle’s Board of Directors and chair of the organization’s Medical & Scientific Advisory Council. The study also examined 22 retail crib bumpers for features that could be hazardous to infants. They graded bumpers for softness and measured the potential space between the bottom of the bumper and the mattress, the width of the bumper pads and the length of the fasteners that attach the bumper to the crib (see full text of study). Thach said that all of the retail bumper pads they examined were hazardous because they all potentially leave a space between the pad and the mattress where babies can get their faces wedged. The CPSC database was also searched for cases of non-fatal crib injuries and found 25 reported cases. A review of these cases indicated that most were not serious injuries and might or might not have been prevented by bumper pads. Because of the potential gap between the pad and the mattress, it is still possible for an arm or leg to pass through the rails. It is conceivable that in these cases, the bumper could actually increase the likelihood of injury, making it more difficult for the baby to extricate the limb. The researchers noted that the seven reported cases of limb fractures and a closed head injury were likely not caused by accidents. It is not feasible to imagine that an infant could exert a force sufficient to cause these type injuries. In conclusion, because bumpers and similarly padded bassinets can cause death and prevent only minor injuries, Thach recommends that parents not use bumper pads in cribs or bassinets. “It doesn’t appear that bumper pads are doing any good,” he says. “Although the deaths and injuries may be rare events, they are preventable by eliminating the use of bumper pads.” First Candle warns that photos which re-create death scenes and descriptions of the infant deaths are graphic and may be disturbing to some. Read the full text of the study
|
||||
