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Tauscher to try for crib law
By Linda Davis
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

U.S. Rep. Ellen Tauscher will make a sixth try for a federal law to require safer cribs.

The Alamo Democrat is planning, for the sixth straight year, to introduce a bill to regulate the resale and commercial use of second-hand cribs, many of which pose safety hazards to babies.

For 18 years, the Alamo-based Danny Foundation has pushed for a federal infant crib safety act to require stores, childcare facilities, hotels and motels to sell or use only those cribs that meet current safety standards. The foundation has been instrumental in getting 10 states to pass infant crib safety acts.

Tauscher, through her spokeswoman, said she plans to try once again in the opening weeks of Congress.

Older or second-hand cribs can have missing parts, slats that are too wide or finials on corner posts where a baby can strangle if its clothing gets caught on the decorative knob.

The Danny Foundation was formed in 1986 by Rose and John Lineweaver of Alamo, two years after their toddler, Danny, strangled on clothes snagged on his crib post. Danny was severely impaired for life, and died at age 11.

Foundation spokesman Craig LeMessurier said he feels confident a bill will pass this time.

"We are garnering a lot of support on the grass roots level, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein is on our side as well," LeMessurier said.

He added that the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Child Care Association, National Safe Kids Campaign and National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops also support the legislation.

The act would prohibit thrift stores and retail furniture stores from selling unsafe cribs, and require that they remove decorative knobs on the corner posts of cribs before selling them.

The bill also would prohibit day care facilities and hotels from using unsafe cribs.

"Someone means well pulling an old crib out of the attic or a back room, but it might be a bad crib," he said. "By introducing this legislation people have a better understanding what the potential hazards are."

The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 20 million cribs in use or in storage are potentially hazardous. According to the Danny Foundation's Web site, www.dannyfoundation.org, approximately 26 infants die and another 11,500 are hospitalized from injuries each year sustained in cribs.