Presentation to ASTM F15.18 Juvenile Products Playard and F15.18 Play Yards/Non Full Size Cribs Subcommittee September 2016 Meeting. September 26, 2016

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2. My goal in sharing this incident and the lessons we learned afterward is simple: I just
want to start a conversation about surface breathability. If my wife and I can save
1,000 children based on what we learned by losing my own daughter, then our efforts
are worth it.
Given that CDC numbers suggest that over 800 kids a year die from suffocation or
strangulation in a sleep situation, I think the opportunity make that goal is well within
reach.
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3. As part of our research, we obtained 25 playard mattresses from a variety of sources,
including e-bay, thrift shops and garage sales. We took them apart and tested the air
permeability of the surface fabric using ASTM 737.D.
Measurements are shown in cubic feet per minute that can pass through the fabric
under 737.D conditions.
What we found was pretty startling: a pattern where a cluster was designed with zero
air permeability, another cluster had great breathability and a few fell in between.
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4. Let's look at what the various ranges mean in the real world.
If you were to put these units to your face and attempt to breathe through them, this
is what you would find.
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5. There is a long history of vinyl covered sleep surfaces with no breathability at all.
Some children will "self rescue" if they find themselves face down on a non
breathable surface. That is, they will startle and move.
The problem is that others will not and if CO2 levels rise, they will be anesthetized
and fall into a death spiral leading to asphyxiation.
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6. We are aware that labeling warns against putting the infant in a prone position, or
advises to always put on back.
That's great for a start but doesn't address the risk itself.
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7. This issue is known by nearly 200,000 people and it's our hope that we can show
progress rather than create a gap between consumers and manufacturers.
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8. In the case of our daughter, the mattress surface was found to be defective due to
amplified risk of positional asphyxiation
There was a significant jury award, which now has created a strong incentive to get
this right.
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9. So this is where I am hoping my contribution makes a difference.
There are already products on the market with significant breathability. I'm just
asking for the standard to make that the norm.
Two ways to measure include ASTM 737D air permeability and C02 Rebreathing
testing.
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