JPMA Summit Brings Together Industry and Government Regulators to Partner and Advocate on Behalf of Child Safety.

JPMA highlights industry initiatives to address sling-type carriers and clarifies products included in the JPMA certification program.

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., March 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Chairman Inez Tenenbaum was recently invited to present the keynote address to leading juvenile products manufacturers in Washington, D.C. at the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) Summit meeting.

"JPMA was honored to invite and welcome Chairman Tenenbaum to the annual juvenile products industry meeting," said Michael Dwyer, CAE, Executive Director of the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. "JPMA fully supports the initiatives of the Chairman, and we were glad to hear that she values the efforts of the JPMA and recognizes that our work has never been more important."

In her keynote address, Tenenbaum said, "I come before all of you this afternoon in the spirit of partnership—a partnership aimed at restoring the confidence of parents in the products they buy and rely on for their babies and toddlers."

Tenenbaum continued, "I am here because I believe we share a common purpose: to commit all of our energy and all of our expertise to the safety of children."

In her keynote Tenenbaum also announced that the Commission will issue a general warning to the public very soon on infant carrier slings. Reports in the media of this announcement have incorrectly implied that this warning also includes soft infant carriers, for which there is an ASTM standard and which JPMA certifies. However, it's important to note that JPMA does not certify sling carriers and currently there is no ASTM standard covering sling-type carriers.  The ASTM subcommittee on sling carriers has a meeting scheduled to review a draft standard of sling-type carriers on Tuesday, March 16th at the ASTM subcommittee meetings in Pennsylvania.

JPMA has certified soft infant carriers under the ASTM standard F 2236 section 1.3 since 2003. That standard clearly states that, "This consumer safety specification does not include products generally referred to as slings."

To find out more information about the JPMA certification program, the products certified and a listing of JPMA members, please visit www.jpma.org.

Visit http://www.jpma.org/content/safety/certified-products for a list of JPMA certified soft infant carriers.

"On behalf of JPMA members, I would like to thank Tenenbaum for her participation in this key industry event," concluded Dwyer. "It is through our open dialogue with government regulators that we can keep the association at the forefront of child safety."

About the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association is a national trade organization of more than 250 companies in the United States, Canada and Mexico. JPMA exists to advance the interests, growth and well-being of North American prenatal to preschool product manufacturers, importers and distributors marketing under their own brands to consumers. It does so through advocacy, public relations, information sharing, product performance certification and business development assistance conducted with appreciation for the needs of parents, children and retailers. Each year, JPMA sponsors Baby Safety Month in September and in 2010 JPMA is dedicating Baby Safety Month to safe sleep practices. JPMA initiated Baby Safety Month to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of the safe use and selection of juvenile products. For additional tips on how to keep your baby safe including a list of JPMA Certified products, please visit www.jpma.org.

SOURCE Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association