Baby Bedding and Crib Safety
Making sure your home is safe for your child, especially when they are sleeping, is one of the highest considerations you should have. There are many precautions you should take when you have an infant at home in a crib. Baby bedding and crib safety rules should be followed to avoid an accidental deaths or injuries to your baby. SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is just one of the more dangerous concerns you should have for your child. SIDS can occur when you have improper bedding in your crib. Below are a few precautions you should take for infants under 12 months.
- Do not use soft bedding, the mattress should be firm and support your baby.
- Baby bedding such as pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskin, pillow like stuffed toys, and other soft products should be removed from the crib when your baby is sleeping.
- You should consider a sleeper rather than a blanket, if you use a blanket you should tuck it in securely around the edges of the mattress. This is to prevent you baby from pulling the blanket up around their face. You should also have the blanket tucked in, no higher than their chest so that their face is uncovered.
- Your baby should be placed on their back rather than their face (consult your physician about the best position for your baby).
- You should not use a plastic mattress pad because the plastic has a tendency to stick to their face if they happen to roll onto their stomachs.
- Bumper pads are great things to have in your crib as long as they are secured. They can help keep your baby from rolling around or coming in contact with the guardrails.
- Once your baby gets older you should lower the mattress to keep them from climbing out of the crib. Most children should no longer be in a crib when they reach 36 inches.
There are many products on the market in baby bedding that can harm your baby. Crib safety is incredibly important to avoid any injuries or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. If you follow the above precautions you will increase the safety of your baby when they are in their crib. According to some studies, your baby spends up to one year in a crib in the first two years. When you are contemplating crib safety you will also realize that having toys in the crib can keep them occupied when they are awake but should be removed when they are sleeping, especially when they are in a separate room.
Baby bedding and crib safety should be followed when you have an infant to prevent any potential problems. Pay attention to the labels on the baby blankets, baby bedding, and baby pillows when you are shopping for your baby’s cribs accessories.