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back to SLEEP topics
Is your baby’s crib safe? Is Grandma’s
beautiful knit blanket safe for your baby to sleep with? Can stuffed
animals be dangerous?
Keep your child safe in his crib.
There are several things you can do to keep
your child safe when sleeping. Cribs should be empty when your baby
is laid to rest. That means NO pillows, blankets, toys, or other
objects. Also, to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
(SIDS), place your baby on his back to sleep. Locate cribs away
from hazardous items like curtain strings and mini-blind pulls,
pictures on the wall, tables, lamps, and mobiles once your baby
can stand.
Make sure your crib meets the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s
standards.
The Consumer Products Safety Commission has
guidelines and safety tips on their web site www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5030.html:
- Use a firm, tight-fitting mattress so your baby
cannot get trapped between the mattress and the crib.
- Replace missing, loose, broken or improperly
installed screws, brackets or other hardware on the crib or mattress
support.
- There should be no more than 2 3/8 inches (about
the width of a soda can) between crib slats so your baby's head
or body cannot fit through the slats.
- Replace missing or cracked slats.
- Corner posts should not be over 1/16th inch high
to prevent your baby's clothing catching.
- Cutouts in the headboard or footboard could
allow your baby's head to get trapped.
Aside from your child and one possible sheet,
the crib should be empty when it’s bedtime. Stuffed animals, blankets,
and items with loose parts, strings, or ribbons should be placed
far from where your baby sleeps.
Locate the crib away from danger.
Look around the room for items your baby can
reach from inside his crib. Particularly dangerous are curtain
and mini-blind cords on windows near your baby’s crib. These dangling
strings could tempt a baby to grab them, and he could become wrapped
up in or strangled by them. Be careful with any tables, lamps,
and mobiles whose parts may come off, and pictures your baby could
knock off the walls.
Place your baby in the crib safely.
Did you know that there is a right and a wrong
way to tuck in and place your baby in the crib? Always put your
infant to sleep lying on his back. See Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
for information on correctly positioning your baby.
Sharing your bed
There may be many positive things about bed
sharing (also called co-sleeping and the family bed), including
bonding and improved breast-feeding. However, since the adult bed
was not meant for a sleeping infant, it can become a place of danger
for him. The cushiony surface, soft covers, and pillows can create
a suffocating environment, increasing the risks of SIDS death.
Because of this risk, the American Academy of Pediatrics states
that there is no basis at this time for encouraging bed sharing
as a strategy to reduce SIDS risk. Consult your pediatrician first
if you wish to participate in bed sharing with your infant. See
Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome for more information on SIDS.
For more information visit:
Consumer Products Safety Commission
This site contains many crib safety tips that will help keep your
child safe.
www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5030.html
The Danny Foundation
The Danny Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting
nursery product safety. Their site includes a good crib safety
checklist to help keep your baby’s nursery safe.
http://www.dannyfoundation.org/safety.html
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