Tough Safety Standards For Cribs To Take Effect Tuesday

Tara Vreeland, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Beginning Tuesday, the government is prohibiting the manufacture, sale or even re-sale of drop-side baby cribs, which have been blamed in the deaths of dozens of children.

A new federal rule bans the cribs that have a side rail that can be raised and lowered to allow parents to place or lift a baby more easily.

"I'm going to have to spend the money on the new crib. Which is devastating for people who can't afford tha," Jennifer Morrow, a mother, said.

New rules imposed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission include:

• Any cribs made before July 23, 2010 cannot be sold or donated to charity.
• Cribs made between July 23, 2010 and June 28, 2011 must have a certificate of compliance from the manufacturer or retailer.
• Cribs made after June 28, 2011 can be sold or donated.

Kami Snowbarger works with Just Between Friends, a children's consignment event. Her son Kellan's crib doesn't measure up to the new standards.

"The new regulations are strict," she said. "But there have been 153 infant deaths in the past four years. and 11 million cribs recalled since 2007. This is the first time in 30 years that a new crib standard has been issued so it was time for it to be updated."

Snowbarger said the updates include structural enhancements you just can't see:

• Stronger mattress support
• More durable hardware 
• More safety testing requirements

Both Snowbarger and Morrow said they'll keep their cribs, which convert into toddler beds. When their tots outgrow the beds, the mom's say they'll ditch the crib parts and sell the beds, as beds.

"It's a good thing because it's always important to keep babies safe," Snowbarger said. "The crib is the one place you leave your baby unsupervised for any length of time."

Snowbarger said Just Between Friends will makes sure the cribs at the events are compliant with the new rules and safe to sell.

The Associated Press contributed to this story