A common design feature on cribs may put babies at risk.

One morning in 2007, Carolyn Zabriskie-Hartung and her husband Andrew awoke to a sound no parent wants to hear. Their daughter Abigail was shrieking in pain.

"We ran in there and we found Abigail with her hand caught in between the front part of the crib and the base," Carolyn said.

Thankfully, Abigail was okay. But her crib was eventually recalled.

Consumer Reports says there have been many problems with cribs, especially the ones with drop sides.

"The problem with many drop-side cribs is that the hardware can fail, and if it fails, it can open up a dangerous gap in which a child can get their head entrapped and possibly strangled," Consumer Report's Don Mays said.

More than two million cribs have been recalled in the U.S. over problems with drop sides.

In Canada, more than 500 thousand cribs have been recalled since 2001. But only two thousand of those were due to problems with the drop sides.

Related: Health Canada crib safety information

More stringent inspection procedures for units designed for the Canadian market account for this difference.

"In 1986, we changed the laws in Canada and there hasn't been a crib death since," said Chad Peterson, manager of TJ's the Kiddies Store.

Cribs manufactured for the U.S. market, new or used, are more prone to have malfunctions. Buyers are warned to be cautious about cribs for sale on sites such as Craiglist.

"We bought this crib off Craigslist for just 40 dollars," said Mays. "Yet we found it's been recalled. It's very dangerous."

In April, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission started to review the adequacy of the current voluntary and mandatory standards. Health Canada has also been participating in those discussions.

Health Canada says it will consult the public before banning drop side cribs in Canada or implementing new rules and regulations.

In the meantime, Consumer Reports is recommending parents opt for stationary side cribs with sides that don't drop. For instance, the Ikea Leksvik, which is a Consumer Reports best buy at 200 dollars, is rated excellent for safety.

Health Canada's website offers an online guide to crib safety and a complete list of all the recalled cribs since 2001.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen