It’s a frightening statistic. From 1999 through 2001, at least 180 children under age 2 died after being placed in adult beds. Especially tragic is that virtually all of these deaths could have been prevented had adults been aware there was a risk.

In an attempt to stop these needless infant deaths, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association have launched a national safety campaign aimed at reaching new and expectant parents, day care providers, hospitals and health departments.

Many parents and caregivers may be unaware of the hidden dangers associated with placing babies in adult beds. Be aware that simply pushing an adult bed against a wall or lining the edges of a bed with pillows won’t protect babies. In fact, these practices place infants in danger of suffocation and entrapment.

CPSC data show that babies placed in adult beds are at risk of dying from several hidden hazards including:

. Getting trapped between the bed and wall or between the bed and another object.

. Getting trapped in the headboard, footboard or bed frame.

. Suffocating in the soft bedding or pillow.

. Falling (sometimes into a pile of clothing or plastic, resulting in suffocation).

. Overlaying of the baby by another child or adult in the bed.

The campaign will include a video news release that will be made available to TV stations nationwide highlighting the hazards associated with placing babies in adult beds and safety pamphlets-posters that will be distributed through retailers, hospitals, health departments and various grass-roots organizations.

The CPSC recommends the following tips to ensure that babies younger than 24 months sleep safely:

. Don’t place a baby to sleep in an adult bed. The baby could become entrapped between the bed and wall or in headboards, footboards or bed frames. Babies also could fall or suffocate in soft bedding.

. Place babies to sleep on their backs in a crib that meets current safety standards and has a firm, tight-fitting mattress. If you use a portable crib or playpen, make sure it meets current safety standards. Use only the mattress or pad provided by the manufacturer.

. Babies always should be placed to sleep on their backs, not their stomachs. Babies sleeping on their stomachs seem to be more likely to succumb to SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome.

. Don’t place a baby to sleep on soft bedding; the baby could suffocate. And never use soft bedding such as pillows and thick quilts and comforters for infants younger than 12 months.

COMBAT’s Maine Center for the Public Interest is pleased to contribute to this effort by helping to get the word out. The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association has provided free pamphlets to retail outlets so they may hand them out to consumers. For additional information on safe sleeping practices for babies, contact the CPSC at (800) 638-2772; CPSC, Washington, D.C. 20207; or visit www.cpsc.gov.

If you have friends or relatives who are new or expectant parents, please share this column with them. And if you would like to join a growing list of Maine people who receive product safety, fraud, recall and other valuable consumer information online, visit the COMBAT/Maine Center for the Public Interest Web site at: www.consumerprotect.org.

As the frequency and sophistication of mail, telephone and Internet fraud increase, many more Mainers are contacting the Maine Center for the Public Interest for information and assistance. If you want to help your neighbors and you live near Bangor, please consider donating some of your time as a COMBAT mediation-information volunteer. If you already have good problem-solving skills, training is provided free. Call 947-3331 for volunteer opportunities.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT/The Maine Center for the Public Interest, Maine’s membership-funded, nonprofit consumer organization. For help or to request individual or business membership information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.