Drop-side cribs could be banned

WASHINGTON - Crib makers have proposed a ban on drop-side cribs following infant deaths, injuries, and a series of recalls.

Members of a committee that sets industry standards say the proposal would end production of drop-side cribs - where one side moves up and down in order to more easily pick up and lay down a baby.

Instead, it would require cribs to have four immovable sides.

Michael Dwyer, executive director of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, an industry trade group, says the proposal would allow for about a 6-inch top rail on one side that could fold down to let shorter people or those with back troubles more easily lift a baby.

Several more votes on the proposal before ASTM International, an organization that sets voluntary industry safety standards for everything from toys to the steel used in commercial buildings, would be necessary before the ban went into effect.