KID joins consumer, medical groups in support of Safe Sleep for Babies Act.

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 20, 2021

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Dear Representative:

As 47 national and state medical, public health, and consumer organizations dedicated to children’s health and safety, we write in support of the Safe Sleep for Babies Act, a bill to ban hazardous crib bumpers and infant inclined sleep products. We urge you to support this bill to protect children from injuries and deaths.

In their early stages of development, infants are uniquely vulnerable to sleep-related fatalities. Expert safe sleep recommendations have contributed to safer sleep environments for infants and fewer sleep-related fatalities. These safe sleep recommendations include placing babies on their back, and on a separate, flat, firm surface with no restraints, soft bedding, or other products. However, infants and families remain at risk due to the presence of dangerous infant sleep products that remain on the market.

The Safe Sleep for Babies Act would protect infants from sleep-related deaths by prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and distribution of padded crib bumpers and infant inclined sleep products. Crib bumpers are inconsistent with expert recommendations and have no place in a safe sleep environment. They have led to dozens of infant suffocation deaths and provide no meaningful safety benefit. The states of Maryland, Ohio, and New York, as well as several cities, have banned the manufacture and sale of crib bumpers. This bill would ban padded crib bumpers so that all infants in the United States are similarly protected.

Infant inclined sleep products are also inherently unsafe and incompatible with expert safe sleep recommendations. These products, such as the now-recalled Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper, have been linked to the confirmed deaths of at least 93 infants. They present several risks, including positional asphyxia when the inclined sleep surface leads an infant to sleep in a position that restricts their airway, and suffocation when the products’ soft padding interferes with breathing or when infants roll onto their stomachs while in the products. The Safe Sleep for Babies Act would ban any product with an inclined sleep surface greater than ten degrees that is intended, marketed, or designed to provide sleeping accommodations for an infant up to 1 year old.

We urge you to support the Safe Sleep for Babies Act to help prevent more families from experiencing the tragedy of losing a child to crib bumper pads and infant inclined sleep products. This bill offers a vital opportunity to protect children from preventable sleep-related deaths and promote safer sleep environments. If you have further questions, please contact Lucas Allen with the American Academy of Pediatrics at lallen@aap.org. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

National Organizations:

American Academy of Pediatrics; Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs; Charlie’s Kids Foundation; Children’s Advocacy Institute; Consumer Federation of America; Consumer Reports; First Focus Campaign for Children; Keeping Babies Safe; Kids In Danger; KidsAndCars.org; MomsRising; National Center for Health Research; Public Citizen; Safe Infant Sleep; Safe States Alliance; Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research Start Early; SUDC Foundation; The Claire Bear Foundation; U.S. Public Interest Research Group; What to Expect Project; 

State and Local Organizations:

Aden Lamps Foundation; Alaska PIRG; American Academy of Pediatrics – Arizona Chapter; American Academy of Pediatrics – Colorado Chapter; American Academy of Pediatrics – Hawaii Chapter; American Academy of Pediatrics – Orange County Chapter; American Academy of Pediatrics –  California Chapter 1; American Academy of Pediatrics – California Chapter 3;  American Academy of Pediatrics – New York Chapter 2; American Academy of Pediatrics – New York Chapter 3; American Academy of Pediatrics – Vermont Chapter; Benny Bears; Chicago Consumer Coalition; Consumer Federation of California; Delaware Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Florida Chapter – American Academy of Pediatrics; Idaho Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Indiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Iowa SIDS Foundation; Nevada Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; North Carolina Pediatric Society; Northwest Infant Survival and SIDS Alliance; Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; The Consumer Assistance Council, Inc.; Virginia Chapter; American Academy of Pediatrics; Virginia Citizens Consumer Council

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