Maryland Joins Chicago in Baby Bumper Ban Talks

With the city of Chicago leading the way, the state of Maryland is now in talks to ban the use of baby bumpers.

A group of health care professionals met to discuss the proposed ban and review the safety and purpose of crib bumpers. Their conclusion was that though the risk of death is not high, it is still present, and should be taken seriously.

"Crib bumpers are not part of the safe sleep ABCs — babies should sleep alone, on their backs in a crib," Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for Maryland, said. "And we're adding a fourth letter, D, for 'don't use crib bumpers.'"

Bumper pads have long been used to protect babies from hurting themselves on the slats of a crib, but the new safety concern is that babies don’t have the strength to move their heads away or roll over when pressed against the bumper, which could lead to suffocation – and has.

In the report released by the group, it was listed that 27 baby deaths were tied to baby bumpers over the past 20 years, along with 25 injuries.

Along with their determination on safety, the group also concluded that the bumpers nowadays are bought more for aesthetic purposes than any other reason.

This conclusion has got manufacturers of bumper pads up in arms. Not only do they say their product offers protection, but a ban on them could lead parents to try and make their own bumpers out of blankets and pillows, which poses a much higher risk of suffocation.

The state of Maryland is now accepting comments on the report and on the proposal to follow Chicago and ban bumpers, but before they make their decision, we want to know what you think – should bumpers be banned or could a ban lead to a whole new problem?