Before you move your baby to her crib, be sure it is safe.
That can often be a little more challenging that you would think, as parents often fill their baby's crib with all kinds of blankets and stuffed toys when they first set up their baby's nursery.
So obviously, the first crib safety tip is to get all of that stuff out of your baby's crib.
Other crib safety tips include:
- using a firm mattress that fits tightly into the crib that is covered with a fitted sheet
- making sure that you have assembled the crib properly and that no parts are loose or broken
- ensuring that there is no more than 2 3/8 inches between the slats of the crib and that there are no missing or broken slats
- that the crib doesn't have any cutouts in the headboard or footboard, in which the baby's head could get trapped, and doesn't have decorative knobs or cornerposts that are higher than 1/16 inch
- not putting the crib near a window
- checking for crib recalls (there have been several recalls in 2007 of cribs, crib mattresses, crib bumpers, and crib toys)
- not letting a blanket cover your baby's face or head. A thin blanket tucked under one end of the mattress, with your baby's feet near that end, and letting the blanket only reach up to your baby's chest is safer. Even safer though is not using a blanket at all and just dressing him in a sleeper.
Bumper Pads
The use of bumper pads is a controversial topic. Since your baby's head can't fit through the slats of a crib that has been made with safety standards that were put in place in 1974, many experts question the need for the use of bumper pads. Their use is being especially discouraged by some because they have been thought to be a suffocation hazard and possible risk for SIDS.
If you do use bumper pads, make sure they fit all around the crib, are secured in place, and remove them once your baby can stand.
