New safety standards for crib mattresses approved

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has approved new safety standards for crib mattresses. 

In a statement on Wednesday, the CPSC said crib mattresses will be required to meet the new federal safety standard.

The latest standard will require improved marking, labeling, and instructions to communicate better the risks of injuries to consumers, also requiring that any mattress sold for use in a play yard meets the requirements as the original mattress. 

The standard will address several hazards, such as lacerations from coil springs and excessively soft mattresses, according to the statement. 

“Today’s vote means crib mattresses of all sizes will be required to meet safety standards,” CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric said in a statement. “This will improve safety for babies sleeping in cribs and play yards.”   

This comes as the CPSC said it is aware of at least 494 incidents, including 139 fatalities and 355 non-fatal incidents related to crib mattresses, which occurred between January 2010 and April 2021.

CPSC’s latest standards will go into effect later this fall of 2022.