Used Baby Products to Avoid

As you all know, I adore a good bargain and consignment sales and yard sales are my favorite places to buy baby gear. During my first pregnancy, I got a brand new baby monitor at a yard sale, still sealed in its box for $5. I bought my daughter’s toddler bedding used from Craigslist. It was a $200 set that I got for $60 (and for me, $60 was a big splurge but I loved the set).

In most cases, it is just plain smart to buy your baby gear and furniture used. After all, why pay full price for something when you can buy it for less from someone who has only used it a short time? That being said, there are a few things that should never be bought used or should only be bought used if they meet current safety standards. Here they are:

Car Seats
Did you know that car seats have an expiration date? Most car seats either have an expiration date stamped into the plastic of the seat or printed on a label. If you are unable to find an expiration date, however, the general rule is that car seats expire six years after they are manufactured. The reason for this is that the plastic can begin to break down over time, compromising the safety of the seat.

Another consideration with used car seats is that you are never supposed to use a seat that has been involved in a car accident. The impact from a crash can also compromise the safety of the seat.

Bottom Line: Only buy or borrow a relatively new car seat from someone you know and only if they are certain the seat has never been in a crash.

Cribs
As of this week, many used cribs can no longer be considered safe. The U.S. government outlawed all drop-side cribs due to the risk of injury or fatality. If you do find a used crib that doesn’t have the drop-side, it should be manufatured after 1974 and meet this criteria:

• Crib slats should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart to prevent a baby from wedging his head between the slats.
• Avoid cribs with corner posts (posts or knobs that protrude from the top of the end panels of the crib). Dozens of babies have died after their clothing or pacifier cords got hooked on the posts, leading to strangulation.
• Avoid cribs with cutouts on the end panels. These decorative holes can actually trap hands, feet, and even heads.
• Look for peeling paint. Never use a crib with cracked or peeling paint. The paint could contain lead, making it hazardous to your baby.

Bottom Line: Drop-side cribs are out.  It is best to avoid any cribs made before 1974. Check all used cribs for the above safety standards.

Strollers
In 2007, the ASTM updated their safety standards for strollers. As a result, some strollers manufactured before 2007 may not meet these standards. With that in mind, it is my personal opinion that many strollers produced before this time are still perfectly safe to use under the following conditions*:

• Restraints must be secure and in perfect working order.
• All screws, bolts, and fasteners must be secure.
• The stroller must not have been recalled (visit http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html to check for recalls)

Bottom Line: Only buy used strollers manufactured after 2007 and/or check strollers for the above safety standards.

*This assumes that the child is never left unattended in the stroller.

Play Yards
Play yards are notorious for being safety hazards. Every year 11 babies and children die in play yard related deaths and 1,100 babies and children are injured. As a general rule, the older the play yard, the more unsafe it may be. If you choose to buy a used play yard, only buy a play yard manufactured after the year 2000 when safety standards were updated. If you are unsure of the manufacture date, check for the following safety hazards:

• Make sure that the openings in the mesh are smaller than ¼ of an inch.
• Never buy a play yard with top rail hinges that close into a V shape. These hinges could potentially cause strangulation.
• If the play yard has a changing table attachment, make sure the restraint straps don’t form a loop on the underside of the attachment. This also poses a strangulation hazard.
• Check to make sure the play yard hasn’t been recalled (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html).

Bottom Line: Only buy used play yards made after 2000.