My husband's aunt is giving us a crib that she used for her daughter. The crib is 6 years old. One of my friends told me that I couldn't use this crib because they change safety regulations on all cribs every two years. I looked up some safety regulations online and plan on inspected this crib to make sure it meets those safety regulations. Also, when I looked up the regulations it said the last changes made to cribs was in 1999, which was before this crib was bought. Is my friend correct in saying that every two years safety regulations are changed which would make this crib unsafe? Or do you think I will be okay as long as I carefully check this crib and make sure it does fit with the safety regulations that I found online?

Do you know the maker of the crib, so that you can contact them and ask for the recall and alert information? Or get ahold of a Consumer Reports for has information on cribs. Or contact your consumer advocacy agency in your state.

I'm using a 23 year old crib. I think its OK. My brother and I are still around. I did make sure the bars are the right distance apart.

As long as it is in good condition, no bars loose, all screws and such tight, no protruding parts that could harm the baby, the mattress support is sturdy etc I see no problem in using the crib :)

Just make sure you check it out very carefully :)

Thanks. I plan on checking the crib very closely and making sure nothing is loose. I should know better then to listen to a friend who thinks anything over a year old is not good enough to use. But when it comes to my baby I can never be too careful.

I would check for any recalls. Then once you have it make sure you can't fit a coke can between the bars. As long as there aren't any recalls, the bars are spaced closely together, nothing is loose, and the matress fits snuggly it should be okay.

Regulations don't make a crib or anything else unsafe, features do. Yes check recalls. The slat spacing is an important thing. The coke can thing sounds like a good idea, but think about a newborn's head and a coke can. Current regulations require the spaces to be too small for even the smallest babies to put their heads through. I know a month ago, my new grandson's head was bigger than that.

Still, we bought a brand new crib although the one his mother slept in, her mother, her mother, and dozens other babies survived is still in our bedroom. After 2 generations, I restored it in 1973 for the first of the next one. Perhaps it will still serve a fourth one on visits when they are a little older. It does have the widely spaced slats that are a problem. In its last use, it was fitted with pads all around to protect the baby.

Also check the side that drops down, to make sure it won't drop on its own. That was the subject of a recent crib recall.

Just to add to what everyone else has said, remember to get a brand new mattress for the crib.

Also, when using old cribs, it is wise to make sure that the paint is not lead paint.

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Originally Posted by buggage

Also, when using old cribs, it is wise to make sure that the paint is not lead paint.

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How much do you actually know about lead in paint? You may question my objectivity, but I spent 10 year working as a chemist in the paint industry. I was doing so in 1973 when I refinished the 20's artifact for my son to use. At that time, the paint industry's standards called for lead levels well below the danger level. You couldn't buy an interior paint with significant lead levels then. There was very little lead used in most exterior paint at that time either for largely economic reasons. Lead has not been a cost effective ingredient for white or other light colors since the 30's.

It has been scientifically proven that lead levels of up to 2 % in modern paint have no effect on blood lead levels. The paint industry for years held to a maximum of 0.5 %. In the late 70's, Senator Ted Kennedy using fear mongering distortions pushed through a bill lowering the standard to 0.06 %. That provided absolutely no additional protection for our children at an enormous cost passed on to the consumers. That cost continues today, including ripping off senior citizens selling homes that never had a speck of real leaded paint (80 % - 90 % lead) in them. Very little leaded paint was used in home interiors after WWII. At least that bill failed in its major objective, electing Ted Kennedy president.

So unless a crib goes back to the thirties or earlier, and the paint is flaking off, worrying about the lead in the paint is just plain silly. That doesn't stop bureaucrats, politicians, contractors, manufacturers, etc. whose livelihood is at stake, from shrieking about it.

Absolutely no need for a rude reply here labman. And lead is still a big problem. Even in the toys out children play with. Even knowing they will be putting the toys in their mouths, manufacturers/stores are still making and buying toys with lead paint in them. They are constantly having toy recalls for this reason. We just had to throw away some of my sons toys because they had lead paint in them. When it comes to the safety of your children, its better to be safe then sorry, especially when it comes to a place that you child will spend a lot of time, and is suppose to be safe.My husbands nephew got severe led paint poisoning living in a house with lead paint as well and still suffers from the effects.so the threats are real. She is asking for guidelines to make sure that the crib is safe. And everyone is offering advice in matters that are important to them on the subject. My advice hurts no one, and simply advises the use of caution in the area. So please stop trying to argue, where no argument is needed

Is there any proof the toys have dangerous levels of lead? Just because they meet the legal definition of leaded paint, doesn't mean they are unsafe. Chances are the Chinese didn't waste money loading the pint with dangerous levels of lead.

Yes leaded paint is a problem, but mostly in poorly maintained very old homes. Problems that are actually from lead in paint are rare.

A crib painted with a small amount of lead in it is far different from lead paint in small toys that end up (constantly) in a child's mouth. As a child stands in the crib, he might chew on the top of the headboard or railing, but probably not for long. The mouthing and chewing of painted toys would be much more frequent, since a baby's tongue is his early sense organ of touch. With toys, the danger wouldn't be the level of lead as much as the great frequency of taking in the lead.