N J Scheers1, Dean W Woodard2, Bradley T Thach3. 1. BDS Data Analytics, Alexandria, VA (former CPSC project manager, Infant Suffocation Project). Electronic address: njscheers@gmail.com. 2. US Department of Labor, Dallas, TX (former CPSC Corrective Actions Director). 3. Department of Pediatrics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To assess whether clutter (comforters, blankets, pillows, toys) caused bumper deaths and provide an analysis of bumper-related incidents/injuries and their causal mechanisms. STUDY DESIGN: Bumper-related deaths (January 1, 1985, to October 31, 2012) and incidents/injuries (January 1, 1990, to October 31, 2012) were identified from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) databases and classified by mechanism. Statistical analyses include mean age, 95% CIs, χ(2) test for trend, and ANOVA with a paired-comparisons information-criterion post hoc test for age differences among injury mechanisms. RESULTS: There were 3 times more bumper deaths reported in the last 7 years than the 3 previous time periods (χ(2)(3) = 13.5, P ≤ .01). This could be attributable to increased reporting by the states, diagnostic shift, or both, or possibly a true increase in deaths. Bumpers caused 48 suffocations, 67% by a bumper alone, not clutter, and 33% by wedgings between a bumper and another object. The number of CPSC-reported deaths was compared with those from the National Center for the Review and Prevention of Child Deaths, 2008-2011; the latter reported substantially more deaths than CPSC, increasing the total to 77 deaths. Injury mechanisms showed significant differences by age (F4,120 = 3.2, P < .001) and were caused by design, construction, and quality control problems. Eleven injuries were apparent life-threatening events. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of public health recommendations, industry voluntary standard requirements, and the benefits of crib bumper use were not supported by the data. Study limitations include an undercount of CPSC-reported deaths, lack of denominator information, and voluntary incident reports.
OBJECTIVES: To assess whether clutter (comforters, blankets, pillows, toys) caused bumper deaths and provide an analysis of bumper-related incidents/injuries and their causal mechanisms. STUDY DESIGN: Bumper-related deaths (January 1, 1985, to October 31, 2012) and incidents/injuries (January 1, 1990, to October 31, 2012) were identified from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) databases and classified by mechanism. Statistical analyses include mean age, 95% CIs, χ(2) test for trend, and ANOVA with a paired-comparisons information-criterion post hoc test for age differences among injury mechanisms. RESULTS: There were 3 times more bumper deaths reported in the last 7 years than the 3 previous time periods (χ(2)(3) = 13.5, P ≤ .01). This could be attributable to increased reporting by the states, diagnostic shift, or both, or possibly a true increase in deaths. Bumpers caused 48 suffocations, 67% by a bumper alone, not clutter, and 33% by wedgings between a bumper and another object. The number of CPSC-reported deaths was compared with those from the National Center for the Review and Prevention of Child Deaths, 2008-2011; the latter reported substantially more deaths than CPSC, increasing the total to 77 deaths. Injury mechanisms showed significant differences by age (F4,120 = 3.2, P < .001) and were caused by design, construction, and quality control problems. Eleven injuries were apparent life-threatening events. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of public health recommendations, industry voluntary standard requirements, and the benefits of crib bumper use were not supported by the data. Study limitations include an undercount of CPSC-reported deaths, lack of denominator information, and voluntary incident reports.
Authors: Erich K Batra; Douglas M Teti; Eric W Schaefer; Brooke A Neumann; Elizabeth A Meek; Ian M Paul Journal: Pediatrics Date: 2016-08-15 Impact factor: 7.124