The recent recall of over two million cribs has parents and safety experts questioning the safety of infants’ and babies’ sleeping environments. Loose blankets, crib bumper pads, soft pillows or toys and extra fabric on clothing can all put young children at risk for strangulation or suffocation while they sleep.
Every year thousands of babies die because they are put to sleep in unsafe places. As parents we do everything in our power to protect our babies and most don’t realize that the very place we are putting them to sleep could be dangerous. It’s not only cribs, other products are continuing to be manufactured and sold that can also be deadly. A study from the Journal of Pediatrics directly associated 27 deaths to traditional crib bumpers and the public has yet to see a recall… hopefully more deaths don’t have to occur for action.
Here are a list of tips for parents to use when assessing their current nursery design or planning for a new baby. These tips can help parents with young children to create the safest sleeping environment possible by using the right products and techniques.
• Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep. If a baby is sleeping on its stomach, it may be unable to move its head
when a blanket or sheet blocks the flow of oxygen, leading to suffocation.
• Remove any loose blankets, toys or pillows from your baby’s crib or bassinet.
• Avoid using traditional crib bumpers that wrap horizontally around the base of the crib. The strings to attach the bumpers
and the bumpers themselves can strangle or fall on top of a sleeping baby.
• Replace traditional crib bumpers with vertical bumpers that wrap around each individual rail of the crib that increase air
circulation.
• Avoid co-sleeping with your baby and instead use a bassinet or co-sleeper.
• Use a sleep sack or swaddling blanket with a Velcro closure instead of loose blankets, make sure blanket is cotton to avoid
overheating while he or she is sleeping.
• Keep an overhead or stationary fan on in the nursery to create a constant flow of fresh oxygen to your baby.
• Be very careful about using a second hand crib, some old ones might not meet the new safety standards.
• Create a SAFE ZONE both in and around your crib.
• Position crib away from; Windows, Heaters, Lamps, Window Blinds and Drapery Cords and Furniture with sharp edges.
Your baby spends a lot of unsupervised time in their crib so be sure to make the crib and the area surrounding the crib safe!
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