Too often parents are inclined to consider infant furniture as inherently safe places for their babies. But COMBAT and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report that since 1988, more than 200 babies have died while in playpens.

In nearly 100 of these deaths, soft bedding or improper or extra mattresses were present in the playpen and the babies died of suffocation or sudden infant death syndrome. More than 70 percent of these deaths were to babies less than 12 months old. Twenty-six of the playpen deaths occurred in a day care setting.

Over the years, playpens, portable cribs and play yards have evolved into virtually identical products.

Parents use playpens today as places for babies both to sleep and play.

The CPSC and Mattel Inc. have launched a “Sleep Safe, Play Safe” campaign to address the two greatest hazards revealed by the study: adding soft bedding and adding extra mattresses or cushion. Soft bedding can become molded around an infant’s face and cause suffocation.

As many as one-third of baby deaths attributed to SIDS, in fact, may be a result of suffocation in soft bedding.

Many parents and caregivers know the dangers of soft bedding in cribs, but this study shows for the first time that the same dangers exist when using pillows, quilts and comforters in playpens, or even when the infant is placed in a family bed.

The findings emphasize the need for caregivers to be aware that the same safe-sleeping guidelines they follow for their babies’ cribs should be followed in all places where babies are placed. That means placing the baby on her or his back on a firm, flat mattress and not adding extra mattresses or any soft bedding such as pillows, quilts or comforters.

Other hazards identified in the study were playpens that were in poor condition, had broken or protruding hardware or had side rails that collapsed, creating an entrapment hazard.

To prevent deaths or injuries to children in playpens, parents and caregivers should take these precautions:

. Before using a playpen, make sure it has not been recalled. Contact the CPSC at (800) 638-2772 or check the recalls section of CPSC’s Web site.

. Always put a baby down to sleep on her or his back in a playpen or crib with no soft bedding such as quilts, comforters and pillows. This can help reduce the risk of SIDS and prevent suffocation.

. Use only the mattress provided by the manufacturer. Do not add additional mattresses in playpens. Children can suffocate in the spaces formed between mattresses or from ill-fitting mattresses.

. Check that the playpen is in good shape. Using a modified or improperly repaired unit can create hazards.

. Make sure the top rails of the units lock into place automatically. More than 1 million older playpens with top rails that had to be rotated manually into a locked position have been recalled.

. Do not use playpens with catch points such as protruding hardware. More than 9 million older units with protruding hardware have been recalled.

. If using a mesh-sided playpen, make sure the mesh is less than 1/4-inch in size and is attached securely. This will help prevent strangulation.

COMBAT reminds our readers that too often the things most taken for granted can pose the greatest risk.

Most recently manufactured infant furniture is safer thanks to new standards, but how the furniture is used is just as important. Parents should be especially careful when using older infant furniture received as hand-me-downs or purchased in yard sales, flea markets, or used furniture stores.

Consumer Forum is a collaborative effort of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT. Send questions to Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, Maine 04402-1329. COMBAT is a nonprofit organization with annual dues of $10. For membership information, write to the above address.