Delta has done their job in delivering a safe product. Now it’s parents’ responsibility to follow the instructions, listen to the warnings and ensure that they do their part in helping kids sleep safe.
Last week several bloggers were invited in to the Test Facility of Delta Children to get a snapshot behind the scenes of what Delta Children is all about in terms of safety. The first thing I was struck by was the genuineness of the Shamie family. It was clear that they are passionate, not just about making money but the true bottom line – children’s safety. This is why they have started “Delta Children Safe Sleep”.
Once upon a time, over 40 years ago, Father (Louis) Shamie decided the market needed safe cribs for babies. He couldn’t handle seeing what was (or was not) on the market and set out on a mission. That mission was to ensure every child had a safe place to sleep. He refused to take shortcuts and when cheaper solutions were suggested his reply was, “No. I need to be able to sleep at night.” Throughout this journey, Delta Children Safe Sleep was born.
I would also guess that this is one of the reasons Delta Cribs are the most sold crib around the world. Their quality and care speaks for itself and through their product. Don’t take my word for it though. They offered up the proof in the pudding, or rather, the crib testing.
Let’s reminisce for a moment. In December 2007 our family welcomed our third bundle of joy. We had a cradle that housed her perfectly and safely for the first months and other than that, we co-slept. Yes, this is where Delta and I differ. I am not anti-co-sleeping. I don’t believe every family can or should co-sleep thoguh. In fact, I would never have co-slept with my boys. However, in retrospect, I have no regrets or safety concerns in regards to what our family chose. This is not a post about safely co-sleeping though. This is about crib safety. We went on a crib search because in all reality, my baby wasn’t sleeping in my bed forever. She needed her own nighttime space and I needed mine. I remember going into the vast store with rows of cribs and shaking them. I check for knots in the wood, and structural stability. I looked under, over, around and shook it some more. I felt like a complete nut as others around me browsed over cribs, completely hands off. Here’s the deal, CHECK ALL THESE THINGS. There is nothing wrong with checking the crib for safety and stability.
Delta does this for you. They test the crib (and other equipment) so thoroughly that you would be shocked. They put hundreds and thousands of pounds of pressure on the frame and the sides, simulating it being shook, climbed on by children (or adults), and kicked by screaming toddlers. They hang 40-80 pounds of weight on EACH SLAT, above and beyond what is required by law, to ensure that none of them will snap. In all this testing, if there is even ONE millimeter of movement, one bolt that slips, the crib is failed and they go back to the drawing board. Check out this crib safety video for a peek at how Delta Children tests their cribs.
Delta also tests the paint, wood, ink in instruction manuals, the screws – everything that is part of manufacturing the furniture is tested with a Niton XRF Analyzer Gun to ensure there is no lead, and up to 8 other hazardous metals in their products. By law they are only required to every so many products in every so many shipments. Delta Children goes above and beyond by testing every shipment in a variety of ways and at more than one point. In fact they test approximately 10 times, between materials and shipping points – in production, pre-shipping, post-shipping, even at the point of retail. I wish I knew about this back when we were purchasing our crib. I would have felt a bit better about what I should look at.
Delta has done their job in delivering a safe product. Now it’s parents’ responsibility to follow the instructions, listen to the warnings and ensure that they do their part in helping kids sleep safe.
As part of the Delta Child Safe Sleep Campaign, Delta is GIVING AWAY $1,000,000 worth of cribs. Making stops all over the country, their mission is to give free safe cribs to families in need, ensuring that one more child sleeps safely at night.
A huge thanks to Delta Children for taking the time to share their vision with me and give me a tour of their testing facility.
Does this warning label look familiar? Delta wants you to know it is important to read and follow the whole thing. Your child’s life could depend on it. Don’t become a statistic.
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