Old baby cribs - are they really a danger?

amother

Wallflower

Sun, Jun 04 2023, 2:02 pm

amother Apricot wrote:

I wouldn’t worry. If 6 kids were already safe and the crib is in good condition, I’m using it.
Same with car seats. If the belts and buckles are strong, I don’t go by “expiration” dates.
I feel that it’s a way for manufacturers to make more money.
Definitely safety first but you also have to use your own common sense.

The belts and buckles aren't the parts that break weaken over time. Have you even looked into this before deciding it's all a money making scheme?

amother

Ebony

Sun, Jun 04 2023, 2:30 pm

amother Apricot wrote:

Car seats should not be used after 7 years old because the material degrades. (That’s from Consumer Reports - not the manufacturer.). This is not about style. It’s about safety, and better to err on the side of caution, rather than risk what (probably won’t but) possibly could chv”sh end in tragedy.

amother

Clematis

Sun, Jun 04 2023, 6:28 pm

If the issue is only with the the drop side down, can you just not put the side down ever and use it?

amother

Melon

Sun, Jun 04 2023, 6:33 pm

amother Wallflower wrote:

The belts and buckles aren't the parts that break weaken over time. Have you even looked into this before deciding it's all a money making scheme?

It is the plastic material that degrades because of the kinds of conditions it is exposed to - car seats are generally left in cars and there is extreme heat; sunlight and cold causing the plastic to become brittle.

This would not be obvious on inspection which is why there are expiration dates.

amother

Snapdragon

Sun, Jun 04 2023, 6:34 pm

What about this style where the matress can be on two different levels?

Are these sold in the US? These are standard in the UK.

scintilla

Sun, Jun 04 2023, 6:38 pm

amother Snapdragon wrote:

What about this style where the matress can be on two different levels?

Are these sold in the US? These are standard in the UK.

Yes, that's standard here too. Three levels sometimes (I think top is for newborn).

amother

Feverfew

Sun, Jun 04 2023, 6:39 pm

Yes! They are a danger! I've had two of my babies fall out of the crib at two weeks old (two different cribs)! It was a very frightening experience! One baby thankfully fell along with the mattress, my second one the mattress tilted and my baby dropped to the hard floor.

amother

Snapdragon

Sun, Jun 04 2023, 6:40 pm

scintilla wrote:

Yes, that's standard here too. Three levels sometimes (I think top is for newborn).

Oh ok. Was wondering because a poster upthread asking how they should deal with getting baby out of crib if they can't have the side down. But, this is a replacement for that.

amother

Moonstone

Sun, Jun 04 2023, 6:50 pm

many yrs ago, we actually screwed the bar up so it no longer has the drop down option. what I do when my babies don't sit up yet is I put 2 crib mattresses on top of eachother so the little baby is closer to me and I can reach in.

amother

White

Mon, Jun 05 2023, 3:30 am

When my first child was born, my grandmother insisted on buying her crib. She was an orphan and grew up with very little in the way of material things. I picked out the nicest one available (which was a drop side) thinking that it would last through children and grandchildren. It was used for one more child and sadly has been recalled. No way would I use it for my grandchildren. It just isn't worth the risk.