Online buyers of baby furniture should be on the lookout for dangerous cribs. Drop-side cribs have caused 32 infant deaths, and they do not meet new crib-safety standards. Unfortunately, shoppers can still find these dangerous products offered for sale on sites like Craigslist and eBay.

Child injuries and deaths have occurred because furniture was assembled incorrectly or because it had loose, defective or missing hardware. A child's head can become trapped in small gaps and in between broken slats, causing strangulation.

The CPSC recommends:

  • Cribs should have no cutouts in the headboard or footboard.
  • The mattress should fit snugly so that a baby's head can't get trapped beneath it.
  • Corner posts should not protrude more than 1/16th of an inch, so they can't snag an infant's clothing.

Some online sellers unwittingly list substandard cribs for sale, not realizing that the products were recalled. The listings on most classified ad and auction websites are self-service, and illegal cribs often sell through to buyers before the site has time to take down noncompliant listings. The CPSC reports that sites such as eBay, Craigslist, Babyhaven.com and MyStrollers.com have all offered the unsafe and outlawed cribs for sale. All the sites except Craigslist cooperated with the Commission's takedown orders.

To prevent accidents, the CPSC also suggests that parents minimize the risk of suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome by removing pillows, quilts, comforters and pillow-like stuffed toys and bumper pads from the crib. Babies should be placed in cribs on their backs. If parents use a blanket in the crib, it should not be tucked in higher than the baby's chest.

Sources: USA Today, "Illegal used cribs still for sale on Craigslist, eBay," Jayne O'Donnell and Oliver St. John, Aug. 7, 2011

CPSC.gov, "Crib Safety Tips"