Baby Product Safety: What's Regulated (and What's Not)

Quick Answer: Four main organizations regulate baby product safety in the US: the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) enforces federal standards, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provides medical guidance, ASTM International sets voluntary safety standards, and the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) offers optional certification. However, many baby products remain unregulated, leaving safety testing to manufacturers.

When my first child was born, I stood in the baby store aisle, overwhelmed and exhausted, assuming that every product on those shelves had passed rigorous safety testing. I was wrong.

After researching baby product safety for the past five years and talking with dozens of parents who unknowingly purchased unsafe products, I learned a hard truth: just because something is sold in stores doesn't mean it's been tested or regulated. Some items sitting on those pristine retail shelves have zero federal oversight.

Understanding the Baby Product Safety Landscape

The baby product industry operates in a complex web of federal regulations, voluntary standards, and industry self-policing. Unlike medications that must pass FDA approval before hitting shelves, many baby products can be sold legally without any third-party testing.

This creates dangerous gaps. Moses baskets, baby loungers, car seat accessories, and dozens of other products fall into an unregulated gray zone where manufacturers determine their own safety standards – if they test at all.

The 4 Organizations That Shape Baby Product Safety

1. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC): The Federal Enforcer

What they do: The CPSC is the only federal agency with enforcement power over consumer products. They set mandatory safety standards, issue recalls, and can ban dangerous products from the market.

How they work: When consumers file complaints, the CPSC tracks patterns. If multiple parents report babies getting fingers caught in a high chair latch, the CPSC investigates and may issue new regulations specific to high chair latches.

What parents need to know: Sign up for CPSC recall alerts at recalls.gov. I check this site before every major purchase and have caught two recalled items in secondhand lots I almost bought.

2. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): The Medical Voice

What they do: Founded in 1930, the AAP represents 67,000 pediatricians across North America. They research child safety issues and make evidence-based recommendations that often become the foundation for new regulations.

How they influence safety: The AAP works directly with Congress and regulatory agencies. Their position statements on topics like safe sleep, injury prevention, and product design carry significant weight in policy decisions.

Parent resource: Visit HealthyChildren.org for free, pediatrician-reviewed safety information. I've used their safe sleep guidelines and car seat recommendations for both my kids.

3. ASTM International: The Standard Setters

What they do: ASTM is a nonprofit organization that develops voluntary safety standards for consumer products. These standards often expand on federal requirements and can later become mandatory.

Who creates the standards: Engineers, consultants, federal representatives, manufacturers, retailers, testing labs, and consumer advocates collaborate to set these guidelines based on real-world product use and misuse.

Important note: Many ASTM standards are voluntary unless the CPSC adopts them as federal requirements. The juvenile products industry has used ASTM guidelines for over 20 years to improve product safety.

4. Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA): The Certification Seal

What they do: Founded in 1962, JPMA represents approximately 300 baby product manufacturers. Their certification program requires products to pass additional testing beyond federal minimums.

What the seal means: A JPMA certification seal indicates the product passed both ASTM standards and federal requirements, with annual retesting required to maintain certification.

What the seal doesn't mean: Products without JPMA certification aren't necessarily unsafe. Many reputable brands choose not to join JPMA. Additionally, certain products like crib mattresses, pacifiers, and toys don't qualify for JPMA certification but still must meet federal safety standards.

Which Products Are Actually Regulated?

The good news: Any product intended for children 12 and under must meet general consumer safety guidelines regarding:

• Phthalate limits (chemicals that can disrupt hormones)
• Lead content restrictions
• Small parts warnings (choking hazards)
• Third-party testing by CPSC-approved laboratories
• Product registration cards for recall notification

The CPSC defines 25 categories of 'durable infant or toddler products' with specific regulations:

• Full-size cribs and portable cribs
• High chairs, booster seats, and hook-on chairs
• Strollers and carriages
• Play yards and bassinets
• Infant walkers, swings, and bouncers

The Dangerous Gap: Unregulated Products

Here's where things get scary. If a product doesn't fit into one of the CPSC's defined categories, it falls into regulatory limbo.

Common unregulated baby products include:

• Car seat accessories (head supports, strap covers, mirror attachments)
• Moses baskets
• Floor-resting cradles
• Baby loungers (like DockATot and Snuggle Me)
• Nursing pillows marketed for baby use

What 'unregulated' actually means: Manufacturers decide how much safety testing to conduct. There's no federal standard to violate, which makes recalls difficult to initiate even when babies are injured.

Some companies invest heavily in third-party testing that exceeds regulatory requirements. Others skip testing entirely, then shut down and rebrand under a new company name when injuries pile up.

Deceptive Marketing Tactics to Watch For

Manufacturers sometimes create their own testing categories to make products appear safer than they are. These claims sound impressive but lack actual regulatory standards.

Red flag marketing terms:

• 'Breathability tested' for sleep products - No federal breathability standard exists for baby sleep products
• 'Side-impact tested' for car seats - The NHTSA doesn't require or regulate side-impact testing; manufacturers set their own criteria
• 'Doctor recommended' without attribution - Which doctors? Based on what research? Often meaningless

It's like creating a test, writing your own answer key, then giving yourself an A+. The testing may be real, but without independent standards, these claims are often marketing spin.

How to Protect Your Baby When Regulations Fall Short

Since you can't rely solely on regulations, here are the safety practices I follow with my own children:

1. Read every instruction manual Yes, even for products that seem straightforward. I've caught critical safety warnings buried in instruction booklets – like weight limits and positioning requirements that prevent injuries.
2. Pay attention to warnings If a label says 'not for sleep,' believe it. These warnings exist because babies have been injured or died. If something warns against leaving your baby unattended, that warning was written by lawyers after an incident occurred.
3. Register everything immediately Those product registration cards aren't scams. When a recall happens, registered owners get direct notification. I once received a recall notice about a high chair lap belt defect that could let babies slip through the leg openings – a fix I needed immediately.
4. Check recalls.gov before buying used items Search the brand and model number of any secondhand product. Drop-side cribs, certain baby carriers, and inclined sleepers have all been recalled in recent years. The original owner may not know about the recall.
5. Ask the critical safety questions
   Before using any product with your baby, ask yourself:
   • Can my baby fall out or off? (If there's a buckle, the answer is yes)
   • Can it pinch or shear baby skin?
   • Can my baby get their neck stuck? (Old drop-side cribs were recalled for exactly this reason)
   • Can my baby bite off a piece and choke?
   • Can it fall on my baby?
6. Be skeptical of prices that seem too good to be true If you find a car seat on Amazon or Temu for 70% less than retail, verify it's legitimate. Counterfeit car seats sold through major online retailers have injured children. Compare prices across multiple reputable retailers before buying.

The Bottom Line on Baby Product Safety

Multiple organizations work to keep baby products safe, but significant gaps remain. The CPSC enforces federal standards for specific categories, the AAP provides medical guidance, ASTM sets voluntary standards, and JPMA offers additional certification. However, many products fall outside these protections entirely.

Just because a product is sold doesn't mean it's safe. Sketchy manufacturers exploit regulatory loopholes, especially for products like sleep positioners that appear constantly in Facebook ads despite safety concerns.

Some people say, 'Back in my day, we didn't have all these regulations.' Those regulations exist because children were injured. Kids cracked their heads falling from high chairs, got trapped in playpen railings, and tumbled down stairs in walkers. Today's safety standards came from those injuries.

As parents, we can't control what products make it to market, but we can stay informed, ask critical questions, and choose products thoughtfully. Your vigilance matters.

Have safety tips for other parents? Share them in the comments below.

Related Reading: 18 Controversial Baby Items that are Loved and Hated

About the Author: Kayla Young is a mom of two who specializes in pregnancy and parenting research. With five years of experience investigating baby product safety, she helps parents make informed decisions about the products they bring into their homes. Her work combines first-hand parenting experience with thorough research to provide practical, evidence-based guidance for families.