The End of Drop-side Cribs

Since 2005, nearly 9 million drop-side cribs have been recalled by manufacturers because of the risks they pose for infants and small children who sleep in them. The problem with the drop-side crib involves the drop-side itself, which inevitably becomes weakened with use and the resulting gap between the mattress and the drop side of the crib can trap babies, suffocating them if they are not found in time.

Perceived Convenience over Common Sense

Even though recalls have been in place for years, drop-side cribs continued to be popular sellers until recent months, when it became clear that the drop-side design itself was fatally flawed and that the dangers of the cribs far outweighed the perceived advantages they offered. Anyone who has ever used a drop-side crib understands that this is not a well-designed or engineered feature of an otherwise foolproof piece of furniture.

Prior to drop-side cribs, there were four stable and secure sides to cribs. The primary safety concern with traditional cribs was the spacing of the slats, ensuring that children could not become trapped in them. With the advent of the drop-side design, the crib contained several moving pieces, which were usually assembled in the home by an unqualified adult. Even with crystal clear instructions and pictures to help things along, many drop-side cribs were constructed incorrectly, exacerbating an already bad design.

When drop-sides were properly constructed, the movement of the moving side was often inconsistent and difficult. The side was usually loose and easy to move about within the brackets and tracks used to guide it from the up to the down position and back again. This contributed to the problem of the side separating too far from the side of the mattress and allowing room for babies to suffocate or strangle as a result.

All of us who have had drop-side cribs in our homes probably questioned the design at one time or another, but left the cribs in place because it seemed convenient to have the drop-side feature. As a purchaser and owner of two drop-side cribs (none currently in use), I can say definitively that the drop-side feature was never used in our home. Not because we felt it was dangerous, we just never encountered a scenario where it was easier to lower the side and raise it again as opposed to simply lowering the child into the crib with the side already locked into its highest position. Ultimately, common sense told us that there was no need for the drop-side, but the mere appearance of potential convenience was too much for us to simply scrap the drop-side crib when we knew we had no need for the feature.

What to Do with Your Drop-side Crib

Many manufacturers are offering kits that are easy to apply that will disable the drop-side feature of the crib. If you own a drop-side crib that is currently in use, it is likely that it has already been recalled for safety reasons. Even if it hasn't, I'm guessing that the drop-side feature is used rarely and absolutely not worth the potential dangers it poses to your children.

If you must keep the drop-side crib in use, then it would be highly recommended to use the manufacturer-provided kits to lock the crib side in the upright position and eliminate the possibility that the side will separate too far from the crib mattress. Even with the new braces in place, there is still unnecessary movement and instability in the sides of the cribs where the braces are mounted.

Ultimately, the solution is to move past the drop-side crib. Ironically, the safest and most reliable cribs are often those that are inexpensive and simplest in design.