The Parent Report: Cribs May Be Hazardous To Your Child's Health

BOSTON (CBS) - That crib or playpen you put your young child in may be hazardous to their health.

You'd think cribs, bassinets and playpens would be a safe place for your young kids, but often they are not and can be the source of serious accidents.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has compiled data from 1990 through 2008, showing over 180,000 infants age 2 and under were treated at hospital emergency rooms due to injuries that occurred in cribs, playpens and bassinets.

Injuries were usually minor; mainly head, back and neck, but many resulted in the death of the child, an estimate of over 2,100. Many of the deaths happened when the baby's head was lodged between the cribs' protective bars. And many injuries occurred when the baby fell out of the crib.

The vast majority of injuries happened in cribs; many of them have been recalled. And movable drop side cribs have now been banned for sale.

Doctor Gary Smith at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio says along with determining if their crib has been recalled, parents can take other precautions.