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The Nursery
Every year, approximately 50 babies suffocate or strangle because of broken or
old, unsafe cribs, according to the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association.
Fortunately, all new cribs sold in the United States must meet current federal
safety standards. But when choosing and setting up your crib, you'll still need
to keep these extra measures in mind.
- Stay away from crib models with attached dressers - as your little one gets more mobile, she could use the tower to scale out of the crib and fall.
- When assembling a crib, make sure you follow instructions carefully and that all hardware is properly in place. "If you're not really comfortable assembling it, find somebody who is," says Appy. "It's important that the crib be well put together and secure."
- Don't place a crib near a window.
- Pick crib sheets that are fitted with elastic all the way around. (Many catalog stores offer a range of colors and patterns.) Frequently check the sheet's fit, as sheets can shrink in the dryer, and loose sheets can entangle and suffocate a sleeping baby.
- Many bedding sets come with comforters, but they pose a suffocation risk. Keep comforters and quilts out of the crib. Likewise, don't drape them over the side rails or hang them on walls above the crib.
- The SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Alliance doesn't recommend bumper pads. If you do use them, make sure to remove them when your baby can pull herself to a standing position - she could use those pads as her stepping-stone out of the crib. (Her ability to stand is also your cue to remove mobiles.)
- Cute as they may be, keep stuffed animals, pillows and other soft items out of the crib. A shelf away from the crib and out of baby's reach is a safer way to display your baby's keepsakes.
- Be careful with blankets, which can entangle a baby. Use only blankets designed specially for babies, like receiving blankets. Either swaddle your baby (ask a nurse at the hospital to show you how) or pull the blanket no higher than chest level, and tuck it around the mattress. There are also other, blanket-free options for keeping infants cozy, such as nightgowns and zippered sleep sacks.
- Buy your crib new. "Really be aware of the dangers of hand-me-down cribs," says Appy. "It's a lovely gesture, but it can have unintended consequences." If your baby is going to be occasionally sleeping in an older crib (such as at Grandma's house), make sure it meets these guidelines: The crib should be steady and secure, with a mattress that fits tightly in the crib; it should have slats that are not more than 2 3/8 inches apart that are not missing, loose or splintered, so baby's tiny body can't slip through; it shouldn't have cutouts in the footboard or headboard, since baby's head could become trapped in the openings; and corner posts, which were once popular on older cribs but have been found to pose a strangulation hazard as they can catch baby's clothes, should be no more than just one-sixteenth of an inch high.
- Make sure the crib hasn't been recalled. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission offers a new easy-to-use site where you can check for recalls on cribs and other products: cpsc.gov and recalls.gov.
- Always put a baby on her back to sleep. According to the SIDS Alliance, it's the best way to protect against SIDS.
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Baby Checklist