Pack and Play Standards

[Chatter Box]

At the end of next week, February 28th, all manufacturers and importers of infant and toddler play yards are required to test their play yards prior to retail to ensure that they meet new federal safety standards. This means play yards must have:

–Side rails that do not form a sharp V shape when folded, to prevent a children from strangling in the side rail. –Stronger brackets to prevent sharp-edged cracks and a side-rail collapse.
–Sturdier mattress attachments to the play yard floor, whicfh will prevent children from getting trapped or hurt.

in order to meet the safety standards. These actions taken by the CPSC are to further ensure the protection of children under “Danny’s Law” (the Danny Keysar Child Protection Safety Notification Act). This law was passed after Danny Keysar was killed in Chicago in 1198 when a previously recalled play yard collapsed. The new play yard standard is in honor of Danny and his family.

As CPSC staff makes the first move toward making play yards safer, they’ve also taken steps to make cribs, children’s bed rails, baby bath seats, baby walkers, toddler beds and infant swings safer. Stricter safety standards are also underway for bedside sleepers, bassinets, hand-held infant carriers, bassient attachments to play yards, infant slings, infant carriers and strollers.

http://blog.thebump.com/2013/02/20/cpsc-safer-standards-for-play-yards/?cm_mmc=facebook-_-feb13-_-newplayyardrules-_-none

I wish they would add quilted sheets, ect for these. I understand the reason they should be tight but I have 6 pack and plays that I have bought quilted sheets for and the sheets pull them so tight that there is a 6" gap exposing the flooring of the pack and plays on every single one of them. I have tried every brand of sheet and I have all different brands of pack and plays. I don't think that making them tight like that is improving the safety of the pack and play.

[Country Kids]

–"Side rails that do not form a sharp V shape when folded, to prevent a children from strangling in the side"

I'm going to be interested in how they are going to fold down if they don't have the V shape sides.

Didn't the old playpens actually fold down this way.

They aren't going to collapse if they don't V fold!

[Blackcat31]

–"Side rails that do not form a sharp V shape when folded, to prevent a children from strangling in the side"

I'm going to be interested in how they are going to fold down if they don't have the V shape sides.

Didn't the old playpens actually fold down this way.

They aren't going to collapse if they don't V fold!

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says all PNP's must have "A test to prevent play yards whose top rails fold downward from using a hinge that creates a V- or diamond shape when folded to prevent head or neck entrapments." which to me means safety testing to make sure the sides don't collapse or withstand a ton of force before collapsing.

I don't read anywhere saying the sides can't have a folding mechanism like that.

http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Newsroom/News-Releases/2012/CPSC-Approves-New-Federal-Safety-Standard-for-Play-Yards1/

[mema]

Maybe they'll be like these

http://www.shopping.com/J-Mason-Elmo-Hopscotch-Play-Yard-SS5110/reviews

I had one when ds was little and wish that I had never given it up. It folded flat and was a little harder to carry, but it was the best one ever!

[Country Kids]

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says all PNP's must have "A test to prevent play yards whose top rails fold downward from using a hinge that creates a V- or diamond shape when folded to prevent head or neck entrapments." which to me means safety testing to make sure the sides don't collapse or withstand a ton of force before collapsing.

I don't read anywhere saying the sides can't have a folding mechanism like that.

http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Newsroom/News...r-Play-Yards1/

Its in the op that had the newest listings for safety measures. I checked the link and it does say they can't form a V for safety measures.

I think you safety measures were from last summer and they have changed them even more since then?

[Blackcat31]

Maybe they'll be like these

http://www.shopping.com/J-Mason-Elmo-Hopscotch-Play-Yard-SS5110/reviews

I had one when ds was little and wish that I had never given it up. It folded flat and was a little harder to carry, but it was the best one ever!

Nan talks about that brand alot. I don't know if they still make them or not though.

I was walking through Wal-mart not too long ago and walked past a PNP that was assembled in the baby area. I thought at first it was a doll toy or one for play but then realized that it was a model that was currently on the shelf for sale.

When did they start making them so short? My 10 month old DCB could probably climb right out of it with little or no effort.

REALLY dissappointed at how flimsy and disposeable they (PNP's) have gotten.

[mema]

They don't make them anymore. If I had know back in 2002 that I would be doing daycare-I wouldn't have sold it. My mom's neighbor bought it for her daughter, but they have since moved otherwise I would be knocking down her door to buy it back::. I do watch craigslist and the used baby stores in town, but I think they are going to be really hard to find.

[nannyde]

The perfect playpen has already been invented. I've tried to attach two pics. It is 27 inches deep and 28 inches wide and 47 long. Sits an inch off the floor so the fall zone is only 28 inches. It is built on tension vertical and horizontal bars and does not have v collapsing rails. It has a heavy cot like bottom so no mattress or sheet necessary.

J mason first generation safe surround play yard. Sadly the company quit making baby equipment due to lawsuits with their car seats. But it HAS been invented. If I were king I would tweak a couple of minor things and then declare it safer than any playpen or crib I have ever seen. They are big enough to use fr birth to around 3.5

[nannyde]

Hehehe. I see I've been beat to it

[nannyde]

The one in the pic is nearly 10 years old

[melilley]

http://blog.thebump.com/2013/02/20/cpsc-safer-standards-for-play-yards/?cm_mmc=facebook-_-feb13-_-newplayyardrules-_-none

I wish they would add quilted sheets, ect for these. I understand the reason they should be tight but I have 6 pack and plays that I have bought quilted sheets for and the sheets pull them so tight that there is a 6" gap exposing the flooring of the pack and plays on every single one of them. I have tried every brand of sheet and I have all different brands of pack and plays. I don't think that making them tight like that is improving the safety of the pack and play.

Yes I totally agree! The sheets do make a gap, I can't stand it!

[Blackcat31]

Its in the op that had the newest listings for safety measures. I checked the link and it does say they can't form a V for safety measures.

I think you safety measures were from last summer and they have changed them even more since then?

My licensor just keeps saying that the PNP's CAN have V shaped hinges as long as they have passed the CPSC safety testing.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/

prhtml98/98156.html.
Thus, after a review of the incidents,
as well as an assessment of the locking
and latching provisions, the false latch
provision, and the new provisions
meant to prevent a side collapse that
results in a V-shape, we determined that
these performance requirements and test
methods are sufficient to address play
yard side rail collapse issues. Thus, we
are not proposing additional
requirements at this time.

So I guess, like the every other rule, providers are simply going to have to wait and see what their licensing, governing or ruling agency says.

Either that or use only standard sized cribs or not take infants....I am heading towards the later.

[Chatter Box]

Yes I totally agree! The sheets do make a gap, I can't stand it!

I KNOW! It's like you have to sacrifice health for safety.

I don't want snot and drool all over my mattresses. Especially like now I have one that brought in a nasty cold with green snot. Now everyone is getting it. I have another child that has severe acid reflux... These things are so expensive! You don't have a lot of great options.

I like the sheets because it at least protects the one portion of the pack and play you can't take outside and hose off and scrub down.

[Country Kids]

My licensor just keeps saying that the PNP's CAN have V shaped hinges as long as they have passed the CPSC safety testing.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/

prhtml98/98156.html.
Thus, after a review of the incidents,
as well as an assessment of the locking
and latching provisions, the false latch
provision, and the new provisions
meant to prevent a side collapse that
results in a V-shape, we determined that
these performance requirements and test
methods are sufficient to address play
yard side rail collapse issues. Thus, we
are not proposing additional
requirements at this time.

So I guess, like the every other rule, providers are simply going to have to wait and see what their licensing, governing or ruling agency says.

Either that or use only standard sized cribs or not take infants....I am heading towards the later.

I just looked at my regulations book and was very surprised. Nothing was said about cribs or play in packs.

The only thing even mentioned about sleep was:

Infants must sleep on their backs

That was totally it and it looks like my state is pretty lax on this-:confused:

[Willow]

Not sure if this is what they're talking about but I just bought two new pnp's and their sides fold in at a \_/ angle as opposed to a sharp \/ angle....perhaps that's what they're talking about?

The Graco ones I had had two velcro attachments for the pad at the bottom while these have a minimum of 8 which make it incredibly difficult to even get the sheet on it. I can with quite a bit of elbow grease, I keep waterproof pads under each sheet as well and my licensor thought that was a great idea. Was totally fine with it. It's just a pain in the rear.

The pads don't look like there's any way they'd bulge or bunch which is fantastic, I have no idea how many pnp's I've had to pitch because the bottom started to get all wonky.

They are Walmart cheapies but are quite obviously safer than what Graco had going on imho.


I so wanted to get porta cribs but everything with infant beds seems so up in the air right now. I didn't want to invest that kind of money only to have to buy something completely new in the next 6 months