Drop-Side Cribs Legislation

According to an article in the Chicago Tribune Tuesday, Congress is considering legislation to ban drop-side cribs, which are responsible for at least 32 deaths since 2000.  Over 7 million drop-side cribs have been recalled in the past five years alone.  Obviously, there's something very wrong with them, but I didn't quite understand the details until I read an earlier article on cribs in the Chicago Tribune, which explained graphically, 

One broken slat, missing screw or loose mattress support can turn a crib into a death trap. That's because any of those hazards can create a gap in a baby's sleeping environment. Babies' small, flexible bodies can slide into the resulting gap. But their heads — too big to pass through — get caught. Trapped, the infants hang to death or strangle. Because their airways get blocked, babies often cannot cry out for help.

I literally covered my face in horror as I read that.  While I fully support legislation attempting to make cribs safer, I think what this story really does is remind me how happy I am that Tye sleeps with us.