If you have infants that spend their days with a nanny or in daycare, it is important that you make sure that the caretakers are adhering to the federal standards for baby cribs. Even if your baby is at home, you should take caution to make sure that the child's crib is up to the new safety standards. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission has published information about putting babies to bed and explained the different dangers of a crib that does not adhere to the federal safety standards.

Qualifications for cribs are dictated by the new crib standards which were released on December 28^th, 2012. Among these new regulations are requirements that cribs should not be placed near windows with blinds. This is because it is easy for babies to get tangled in the ropes near these blinds, and this can lead to severe injury and death. As well, standards now mandate that cribs cannot be near baby monitor cords and curtain cords because of the danger of strangulation.

Cribs also cannot have gaps that are larger than two fingers between the sides of the crib and the mattress. This is because baby's limbs will sometimes get caught in these gaps, which can lead to painful fractures and other injuries. It is important that all pillows and quilts be removed from an infant's crib before the baby is put to bed and that cribs are assembled correctly.

Any cribs that are over 10 years old are not up to safety standards and can be fatal. Wide slat cribs have been known to cause strangulation or cause babies to get stuck, while thick quilting or unbreathable materials can suffocate a young baby. Also, it is now illegal for cribs to have the traditional drop sides which can often break, pinching a baby's fingers or causing the child to tumble out of the crib.

Cribs are also now held to tougher testing standards and are manufactured with stronger hardware. If your child was injured because of a dangerous crib, then you have the right to seek compensation. If the crib was at a daycare or another facility then you may be able to sue the caretakers for failing to follow proper safety standards. If your infant was harmed or killed by a crib in your own home that was defective, you may be able to sue the manufacture for product liability.