During September 2024’s “Baby Safety Month,” the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published its annual report detailing injuries and deaths associated with nursery products among children under the age of five. CPSC emphasized that the statistics in the report related to incidents that involved a nursery product that was in use at the time of the incident—the nursery product involved did not necessarily cause the injury or death. The report notes:
- 2023 saw over 60,000 emergency department-treated injuries among children under the age of five that were associated with nursery products. About 64 percent of those injuries were associated with highchairs, cribs, mattresses, infant carriers, and strollers.
- Consistent with prior years, falls were the leading cause of all nursery product-associated injuries in 2023. Most of the injuries were treated by the emergency department and the infant was released. Only about 3 percent of injuries required hospitalization.
- Between 2019 and 2021, CPSC received 523 reports of fatalities involving children under five years of age, an annual average of 174 fatalities a year. Cribs/mattresses, bassinets/cradles, playpens/play yards, inclined infant sleep products, and infant carriers were in use during 76 percent of these fatalities.
CPSC did not observe “any statistically significant trend in the injury estimates” from 2023 compared to prior years dating back to 2019.
After it published the report, CPSC urged parents and caregivers to put babies only in sleep products that are safe for sleeping and that meet federal standards with no soft bedding added. CPSC Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric stated, “Babies aren’t little adults. They don’t need pillows and blankets to feel comfortable and safe when they sleep. The safest way for your baby to sleep is without blankets, pillows, or other items surrounding them. A firm, flat surface in a crib, bassinet, play yard or bedside sleeper with just a fitted sheet is all they need.”
This report and related statistical analysis assisted in CPSC’s development and revisions to safety standards for nursery products, which has been a clear area of focus for CPSC in recent years. Since 2022, CPSC has issued new standards for crib mattresses and infant sleep products, and it banned crib bumpers and inclined infant sleepers. CPSC also revised standards for infant swings, carriages and strollers, highchairs, baby changing products, infant bathtubs, frame carriers, slings, bouncer seats, infant walkers, and bedside sleepers. CPSC has indicated that it intends to turn its focus to developing rules for infant support cushions, nursing pillows, and infant rockers.
CPSC’s commentary on the report is consistent with the recent increase in its enforcement efforts and focus on infant products. But the report also provides important insights for industry members on the potential risks associated with their products. Manufacturers of nursery products should remain vigilant and proactive in their safety and risk mitigation practices to address potential risk exposure. We will continue to monitor and report developments as new regulations are proposed and passed.