A new federal rule to ensure that products marketed or intended for infant sleep provide a safe sleep environment for babies up to 5 months old has taken effect. The new Safety Standard for Infant Sleep Products makes it unlawful to sell non-compliant infant sleep products and applies to products manufactured on or after June 23.
The new rule applies to inclined sleepers because infant sleep products must have a sleep surface angle of 10 degrees or lower. It also applies to any flat sleeping products that do not comply with the mandatory Safety Standard for Bassinets and Cradles.
“As a parent, I know there is nothing more important than the safety of our children. I am pleased to announce this new safety standard will protect our most vulnerable population, babies,” says Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) chair Alex Hoehn-Saric, in a release. “The new rule will support parents in making the safest possible choice for a product intended for babies’ sleep.”
The new rule will effectively eliminate potentially hazardous sleep products in the marketplace, such as inclined sleepers, travel and compact bassinets, and in-bed sleepers that do not currently meet a CPSC mandatory safety standard for infant sleep.
Items that are not intended or marketed for infant sleep are not subject to the rule. CPSC reminds consumers that the safest place for a baby to sleep is a flat, bare surface dedicated to the infant. The rule ensures that products marketed for sleep meet these basic safety requirements.
CPSC plans a comprehensive outreach effort to manufacturers, importers, and sellers to enforce the new rule, including educating them about the requirements, and making sure they are aware of their compliance obligations. The effort will include direct communications, online resources, and other activities.
The infant sleep products rule requires that any product marketed or intended for sleep must meet one or more of the federal safety standards for cribs (full-size and non-full-size), bassinets and cradles, play yards, or bedside sleepers, and if the product does not already meet one of these regulations, then it must meet the safety standard for bassinets and cradles.
More information on Section 104 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (the Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act), which requires the CPSC to issue consumer product safety standards for durable infant or toddler products, is available online.
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