CPSC approves new safety standard for hand-held infant carriers | Key4Communications | News

To help prevent deaths and injuries to children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has approved a new federal mandatory standard to improve the safety of hand-held infant carriers, including semi-rigid hand-held bassinet/cradles, such as Moses baskets. This new standard will be effective from June 6, 2014.

According to this regulation, a hand-held infant carrier is a freestanding, rigid or semi-rigid-sided product intended to carry an occupant whose torso is completely supported by the product to facilitate transportation by a caregiver by means of hand-holds or handles. Most hand-held infant carriers also serve as child restraint systems (car seats) for automotive use and are regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Products that fall within the hand-held infant carrier standard include hand-held infant carrier seats (child restraint system for vehicles) and hand-held bassinet/cradles (including Moses baskets).

CPSC has received a total of 43 fatalities from 2007 through June of 2013. In addition CPSC estimates there were about 66,000 hospital emergency room-treated injuries between 2007 and 2013 related to hand-held infant carriers. The majority of the injuries occurred from falls.