New Play Yard Safety Standard Issued to Protect Infants and Toddlers

What Happened

A mommy-to-be has a hundred things on her mind and one very special thing in her belly. With all the presents that come with a baby shower and donations from well meaning friends and relatives it may be easy to overlook that some of these items aren’t brand new and may have been recalled. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a new safety standard which goes into effect this month that involves infant and toddler play yards or as my mother likes to call them “play pens.”

The new standard for play yards is being passed as part of the Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act and mandates that:

• Side rails that do not form a sharp V when the product is folded. This prevents a child from strangling in the side rail.
• Stronger corner brackets to prevent sharp-edged cracks and to prevent a side-rail collapse.
• Sturdier mattress attachments to the play yard floor to prevent children from getting trapped or hurt.

Danny Keysar was killed in Chicago in 1998 when a previously recalled play yard in which he was napping collapsed, suffocating him. You may be saving a few dollars by buying a play yard from a consignment shop or thrift shop but please go online and check for any and all recalls that may affect the product or buy one new that meets the new safety standards.

Companies often put profits ahead of safety; this is particularly bad when the product is marketed for children. Our Virginia (VA) personal injury lawyers have blogged on many dangerous recalls of children’s products.

Potentially Helpful Info

If your baby has been hurt by a poorly designed or unsafe product, you can get information about your legal rights and options by reading our Virginia personal injury law firm's free guide to filing a personal injury lawsuit claim on behalf of an injured child.

Have Questions? Check Out Our Firm's FAQs.

We also maintain a library of attorneys' answers to frequently asked questions regarding recalls and injuries caused by dangerous and defective products.

CT

About the Editors: Our personal injury law firm has offices in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC). The attorneys with the firm publish and edit articles on three Legal Examiner sites for the geographic areas of Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Northeast North Carolina as a pro bono service to the general public.

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