Is anyone still planning on using a drop side crib?

jennz201

I don't know everyone's feelings on this subject, so I hope I am not opening up a can of worms, but I am really wondering. We have an opportunity to inherit a very nice, very expensive crib, but it is a drop side... She paid like $800 for it new 10 years ago and it has gotten very little use. DH said that he can make it so that the side will never be able to drop down, and I think we should take it, but I am not totally sure. Is anyone else going to use a drop side despite the recalls?

Saemilyn

Mass recalls happen for a reason, these drop down cribs were causing infant deaths, so I'd be hesitant. IF you use it, I would bolt the drop down side to a static position, guaranteeing it can't fall down as DH promises.

cantalopes24

My parents have a Jenny Lind style crib from my son (its about 4 years old) that's a drop side. I have no issue with them using it now that it's set to be a fixed side since I know where it came from (they bought it new and have been the only people to use it) and they have all the original hardwear.

kagl04

DD is in a drop side crib and has been for the last year (since birth). We also have another drop side crib for DS.

skruhmin

cantalopes24:

My parents have a Jenny Lind style crib from my son (its about 4 years old) that's a drop side. I have no issue with them using it now that it's set to be a fixed side since I know where it came from (they bought it new and have been the only people to use it) and they have all the original hardwear.

Ours is the Lenny Lind dropside that both my sister and I were raised in, so we know where it came from.  DH will be putting L-Brackets on it so that it won't be drop side anymore.  The slats are current with the slat size, so that won't be a problem either.

aliciaroset

We have one and will be fixing the drop side.

KimnCurt

DS used the drop side crib we have and we plan on using the same crib for this baby. If you bolt the sides up you will have nothing to worry about. If you don't and you check the bolts frequenty to make sure nothing is loose (as the directions say to do) everything will be fine. We are still deciding whether we want to screw the sides up or not. I guess it will all depend on how much baby moves around once he becomes mobile. When they are infants you can use the sleep positioner to keep them in one place and have nothing to worry about.

The recalls with this issue happen mostly when parents neglect to follow the instructions correctly and misuse the cribs features.

alison2379

Saemilyn:

Mass recalls happen for a reason, these drop down cribs were causing infant deaths, so I'd be hesitant. IF you use it, I would bolt the drop down side to a static position, guaranteeing it can't fall down as DH promises.

This is what I was thinking. I have no idea why you'd risk this to save yourself a couple hundred bucks. If the money is that big an issue, then that should have been thought of a long time ago. I would not risk it for a second. If the problem could have been fixed with some simple home repair, then why was the mass recall issued? Seriously.

cantalopes24

alison2379:

Saemilyn:

Mass recalls happen for a reason, these drop down cribs were causing infant deaths, so I'd be hesitant. IF you use it, I would bolt the drop down side to a static position, guaranteeing it can't fall down as DH promises.

This is what I was thinking. I have no idea why you'd risk this to save yourself a couple hundred bucks. If the money is that big an issue, then that should have been thought of a long time ago. I would not risk it for a second. If the problem could have been fixed with some simple home repair, then why was the mass recall issued? Seriously.

Not all drop side cribs were recalled really. And you can get retrofit kits on some newer cribs that make them just as safe. Would I use a 20 or 30 year old crib, no. But some drop sides can be made safe.

HappyAardvark

cantalopes24:

alison2379:

Saemilyn:

Mass recalls happen for a reason, these drop down cribs were causing infant deaths, so I'd be hesitant. IF you use it, I would bolt the drop down side to a static position, guaranteeing it can't fall down as DH promises.

This is what I was thinking. I have no idea why you'd risk this to save yourself a couple hundred bucks. If the money is that big an issue, then that should have been thought of a long time ago. I would not risk it for a second. If the problem could have been fixed with some simple home repair, then why was the mass recall issued? Seriously.

Not all drop side cribs were recalled really. And you can get retrofit kits on some newer cribs that make them just as safe. Would I use a 20 or 30 year old crib, no. But some drop sides can be made safe.

Seriously - I would rather spend $200 on a new, safe Graco crib from Walmart than risk my baby's safety for a super-speshul 10 year old drop-side crib. 

cantalopes24

HappyAardvark:

cantalopes24:

alison2379:

Saemilyn:

Mass recalls happen for a reason, these drop down cribs were causing infant deaths, so I'd be hesitant. IF you use it, I would bolt the drop down side to a static position, guaranteeing it can't fall down as DH promises.

This is what I was thinking. I have no idea why you'd risk this to save yourself a couple hundred bucks. If the money is that big an issue, then that should have been thought of a long time ago. I would not risk it for a second. If the problem could have been fixed with some simple home repair, then why was the mass recall issued? Seriously.

Not all drop side cribs were recalled really. And you can get retrofit kits on some newer cribs that make them just as safe. Would I use a 20 or 30 year old crib, no. But some drop sides can be made safe.

Seriously - I would rather spend $200 on a new, safe Graco crib from Walmart than risk my baby's safety for a super-speshul 10 year old drop-side crib. 

Oh yeah agreed. If the crib my parents had was 10 years old they'd be buying a new one but Id be concerned about the general safety and homemade fix.

jennz201

alison2379:

Saemilyn:

Mass recalls happen for a reason, these drop down cribs were causing infant deaths, so I'd be hesitant. IF you use it, I would bolt the drop down side to a static position, guaranteeing it can't fall down as DH promises.

This is what I was thinking. I have no idea why you'd risk this to save yourself a couple hundred bucks. If the money is that big an issue, then that should have been thought of a long time ago. I would not risk it for a second. If the problem could have been fixed with some simple home repair, then why was the mass recall issued? Seriously.

Just for the record, it is not one of the cribs that has been recalled, you can buy a kit to retrofit it to become stationary, and money is not the issue. We planned carefully for this child and are more than capable of providing for her. My sister gernerously offered us the crib that my nephew was raised in, and I was just wondering if it was worth taking. I am not interested in putting my child at risk, but I do know that many times these recalls come from inept parents who do not follow manufacturers reccomendations, nor do they maintain them as they are supposed to.

tmmckenney

You should not use any cribs that are more than 7 years old.  you can check out  www.cpsc.gov for information on crib recalls.  There is a reason why these shouldn't be used anymore.

LCass

We were given a two year old drop side crib for free, but it came with a kit to secure the drop side.  I asked a public health nurse to check it out when she was here for a survey I agreed to do, and she said that with the kit it's completely safe.  If it were older, I'd be more hesitant.  Like others have said, I think you need to check out what has been said about that specific crib.  Contact the company and find out more information.  If they've developed a repair kit, I would trust it more than whatever homemade fix your husband can come up with

alexa08

I'm in the same boat - a girl friend of mine is giving us their drop side. I know it's been set up once (it's still set up in fact and being used by their yougest) and they're very paticular people.  I'm going to order the fix kit, or DH will bolt the drop side in place.  If I'm unhappy with the end result and don't feel it's safe we'll order something else, but first it's worth trying out.

Janimal

We got rid of the drop side we had for DD and bought this baby a new crib.  I didn't feel confident that the drop side we had would be safe enough.  But that being said, if the crib is pretty new, and a kit is available from the manufacturer, that sounds just fine to me.  From all my reading, the issues with drop sides are that hardware and plastic pieces can wear out and that makes them unsafe.  And as cribs are handed down, pieces go missing and that made them not secure also.  A drop side crib that was new and put together well was never a safety issue.  It was time and misuse that made them unsafe. 

UFCasey

I have yet to see a report with a breakdown of exactly why each of the 32 infant deaths caused by a dropside crib happened.  Until I do, I am going to give the parents of those 32 infants the benefit of the doubt - that at least one of them bought and correctly put together a brand new drop-side crib which seemed safe and sturdy up until the day it killed their child tragically.  So until that assumption can be refuted with facts, my child will not go anywhere near a dropside crib, even if it does have a retrofit or has been screwed together somehow to make it stationary.  I had to have this discussion with my MIL unfortunately.  She somehow seemed to think that the historical safety of a 10 year old crib in regards to two family member's children would be comforting to me should something happen to my child while in that crib!  Anyways, here is the information on the ban on drop side cribs so you can read it for yourselves: 

https://www.cpsc.gov/onsafety/category/safety-qa/safe-sleep/

Highlight for the lazy:

• As a consumer, what can I do if I have a drop-side crib?

  Some drop-side crib manufacturers have immobilizers that fit their cribs. Drop-side crib immobilizers are devices that are used to secure drop sides to prevent dangerous situations in which the drop-side either partially or fully separates from the crib. As part of a recall, CPSC staff works with companies to provide fixes, or remedies, for products. For drop-side cribs, that remedy has been immobilizers.

  Check the CPSC?s website for companies that have recalled their cribs and are providing immobilizers to secure the drop-side on the cribs. These immobilizers were evaluated and approved by CPSC staff for use with these particular drop-side cribs.

  If your drop-side crib has not been recalled, you can call the manufacturer and ask if they are making an immobilizer for your crib. Remember, though, that those particular immobilizers have not been tested or evaluated by CPSC staff for use with your specific crib.

  Note that a drop side crib, even with an immobilizer installed, will not meet the new CPSC crib standards.

jennz201

Thanks for the advice guys, I think I will pass on her offer.

preggersin2011

my friend gave me a crib that is a safety gate(?) the top folds down. have your friend see if her crib is covered under a warranty and maybe the company will replace it.