Last week’s record recall of more than 2.1 million Stork Craft cribs wasn’t much of a surprise to those of us in the product-safety field. Since the beginning of 2007, about 7 million full-size cribs, play yards, and bassinets have been recalled due to safety hazards.  Most had drop sides with hardware that wasn't durable enough to hold up under regular use.

When the Consumer Product Safety Commission issues recall announcements for cribs it consistently recommends that owners stop using them"immediately" and contact the manufacturer, which often supplies repair kits. But we’ve heard complaints from our readers that those fix-it kits sometimes take too long to arrive.

So where should your baby sleep while the repair kit is slowly making its way to your mailbox?  Here are some suggestions and tips for creating a safe sleeping environment for your baby: 

• If your crib has been recalled, contact the manufacturer as soon as possible by calling the phone number or visiting the Web site listed on the recall notice.  The sooner you get your name on the list, the sooner you’ll receive the repair kit.
• If you can’t get quick action from the manufacturer, consider going back to the retailer that sold you the crib. If you have your original receipt, all the better.
• If your recalled crib is in perfect working order, we think you could continue to use it until your repair kit arrives. But first make sure that all the hardware is intact and tight, and stop using the drop side.
• If you have a play yard, put your baby to sleep in that.  But be careful—there have also been a slew of play-yard recalls. Check www.recalls.gov to make sure that yours isn’t among the defective models.
• Don’t be tempted to repair a broken crib with your own hardware; do-it-yourself fixes may be just as unsafe as the recalled crib.
• Don’t share your adult bed with a sleeping infant. My advice on this issue has drawn criticism on previous blogs, but earlier studies have shown that infants are up to 40 times more likely to suffocate in an adult bed than in a crib.
• With any crib, it’s important to make sure that there is no missing or loose hardware and to check it regularly. A bare crib is a safe crib, so skip the comforters, pillows, bumper pads and stuffed animals since they can pose suffocation hazards.

To identify a recalled crib, go to the CPSC's recall database and select "cribs" from the search menu.—Don Mays