Report: Soft bedding a playpen hazard

By Julie Vallese
CNN Consumer Safety Editor

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Soft bedding in playpens and other portable baby beds may be a contributing factor in some 200 infant deaths, a federal agency report said Thursday.

The report from the Consumer Product Safety Commission said more than 200 children have died in playpens since 1988. In the report, the CPSC puts playpens, play-yards and portable cribs in the same category.

"Many parents and caregivers know the dangers of soft bedding in cribs," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. "This study shows, for the first time, that the same dangers exist when using pillows, quilts and comforters in playpens."

To raise awareness of the hazards cited in the report, the CPSC and Mattel Inc. on Thursday launched an educational campaign called "Sleep Safe, Play Safe." The campaign includes a lullaby written by singer-songwriter Tom Paxton, which will be distributed as a public service announcement to 3,400 radio stations nationwide. The CPSC will also work with pediatricians to educate parents, and Mattel will provide doctor's offices and heath care organizations with more than a million posters and brochures displaying the "sleep safe" message.

In at least 100 of the fatal cases -- 50 percent of which occurred in infants less than 6 months old -- soft bedding or additional mattresses were found in the structure. Of those cases, 68 were ruled to be due to suffocation or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In 25 cases, mattresses or extra cushions were in the playpens. In most of these cases, children became trapped between the playpen and the mattress or wedged between large items in the playpen.

During its investigation, the CPSC also found other playpen hazards. The report cites side rails that collapsed and entrapped children; rivets that snagged clothing and strangled children; and wooden playpens with old hardware that failed and posed an entrapment hazard. It also found mesh sides of playpens that posed a strangulation hazard; playpens that were placed too close to windows and window cords; plastic bags in playpens; and playpens modified to have lids on them, creating entrapment hazards.

Last month an 11-month-old boy died in a Cleveland, Ohio, suburb when the playpen he was napping in collapsed on him. Preston Bolon was visiting his grandparents and was put down for an afternoon nap. His father found him two hours later, lying half out of the playpen and not breathing.

The CPSC reports 26 of the deaths listed in the report occurred in day-care centers; four children died in the care of a baby sitter; and in 11 deaths, the children were in a grandparent's home.

The CPSC is applying many of the same rules to playpens as it does to cribs. The following are those rules:

1. Always put a baby under 12 months to sleep on its back.

2. Never put soft bedding like quilts, pillows, or pillow-like toys in a child's playpen.

3. Make sure the playpen is properly set up and all sides are locked into place.

4. Use only the materials and padding provided by the manufacturer.

5. If the playpen contains mesh, make sure the holes are less than 1/4-inch wide and the mesh is securely fastened to the structure.

6. Remove any strings or cords from a child's clothing to prevent strangulation hazards.