Baby Crib Advice and Tips
Congratulations! You have just learned that you are having a baby. Whether this is your first or not you need to look at cribs. Do you have one already? Is it an antique? A second hand crib whether antique or not needs to be carefully looked at. This is for the safety of your new baby.
The screws, bolts, and/or other fasteners should all be in place. Are they loose? Will the position of the mattress hold under your baby's weight? It is imperative that this be tested before you put your baby in the crib. Take something that approximates the weight of your baby at about 4 months old. Bounce it off the mattress to be certain it will hold its position. If it doesn't it could cause serious injury to your baby or worse.
When setting up the nursery (if it isn't already up) consider very carefully where you will place the crib. If you place the crib near a window and you have Venetian blinds, either shorten the cords or anchor them somewhere that your baby can't reach and get a hold of them. If it all possible avoid placing the crib near the window. As your baby grows into a toddler and s/he attempts to climb out of the crib; s/he could possibly fall which could cause serious injury to your baby.
Blankets and your baby are not necessarily a good mix. With the incidents of SIDS today, you want to be sure to do everything that could possibly put your infant at risk. It is more advisable to put your baby to bed in a sleeper. If you absolutely have to have a blanket on the baby, tuck it tightly around and under the foot of the mattress with your baby's feet touching the footboard. Also you don't want to put the blanket any higher on the baby than up to his chest as that will help prevent him from slipping under the blankets and suffocating.
Bumper pads are a great concept but unless they are secured properly, there is a risk of your baby slipping between the mattress and the bumpers and possibly suffocating. If you use them they should be anchored in at least eight places one at each corner of the crib and at least two spaced evenly on each of the sides. There should be a total of 16 ties in all, for the top and bottom.
Mobiles are a nice addition and look adorable but... the caution here is that if you use a mobile as soon as your baby starts to sit up on his own the mobile should be taken down to prevent your baby from getting tangled in it. Also make sure that it has no small removable parts that your baby could choke on. If your crib is second hand no matter whether you had for a previous child or you got it from someone else check out the mattress carefully. Make sure there are no cracks or holes in the mattress covering. Make sure too that the mattress properly fits in the crib. Here again, your child could slip between the mattress and the sidebars or the end boards and suffocate. The mattress should fit snugly in the crib. Now the sheets you use in your baby's crib should also fit properly and not slip and slide. Sheet anchors are available that hook on the sheet under the mattress and keep it in place.
The position of the mattress is imperative for your child's safety. Most parents put the mattress at the highest position when the baby first comes home because it is so much easier to change him in that position. As your baby becomes more active you will want to lower the mattress accordingly. Once your baby is able to pull up to a standing position put the mattress in the lowest possible position and to be sure your baby is safe, measure the distance between the top of the side bar and the mattress. In the lowest position the distance of the top of the side bar should be no more than 26 inches above the mattress. If your child's head is over the side bar or they climb out of the crib, it maybe time to move your child to a regular bed. Some cribs are convertible into beds tat will grow with your child.
The crib itself should be looked over for things that might put your baby at risk. Have you seen those cribs that have ornate designs carved into the end boards? They are beautiful but they pose a danger to your child. Your child could get his head or arm and leg caught and sustain an injury. The simpler the design of the crib the safer your child may be.
Since approximately 1974 federal safety guidelines for cribs state that the slats should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart. This is to prevent your baby from getting his head stuck between the slats. This could cause injury to your baby but it would necessitate the removal of some of the slats and that alone would compromise your baby's safety.
About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of Baby Crib Bedding and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.
MORE RESOURCES:
Properly secured baby, toddler escape injury in fatal rollover Ottawa Citizen, Canada - A newborn baby and a toddler escaped a fatal single-car rollover unscathed thanks in part to being properly secured in their car seats, Ottawa Paramedics ... |
Health chiefs share ideas for children Staunton News Leader, VA - By Nicole Barbano/staff • nbarbano@newsleader.com • November 20, 2008 STAUNTON — State Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Health, Dr. Karen Remley, ... |
Woman charged over home alone baby, toddler ABC Online, Australia - A 22-year-old woman has been charged with child cruelty after two children were found alone in a Townsville house in north Queensland this week. ... |
Baby, toddler hurt Family car rolls off road The Standard - Warrnambool, Australia - BY ANDREW THOMSON TWO Simpson children have been flown to Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital with serious injuries after being involved in a ... |
Custom Doll Maker My Twinn Enriches Playtime With 'My Twinn My World' International Business Times, NY - Through itsbaby business, the company is a leading online retailer of brand-name baby,toddler and maternity products sold through the BabyUniverse.com ... |
BabyUniverse.com Announces Top 10 Best Holiday Gifts for Baby Earthtimes (press release), UK - Through its baby business, the company is a leading online retailer of brand-name baby, toddler and maternity products sold through the BabyUniverse.com and ... |
 24dash | Woman arrested after leaving baby and toddler home alone Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - A woman was arrested after a baby and toddler were found alone in a house, police said. The woman, aged 20, was arrested yesterday after police found a ... Home-alone youngsters taken into care |
 Washington Post | Safety inquiry ordered after UK toddler death Stuff.co.nz, New Zealand - British Schools Secretary Ed Balls has ordered an independent inquiry into the care of children in the London borough of Haringey where a toddler died a ... Britain in shock over abuse death of toddler Father devastated over death of Baby P |
Guilty of baby's death The Australian, Australia - LONDON: A baby boy, who died after a series of horrifying assaults, had been "used as a punching bag" by his mother's boyfriend, a court has heard yesterday ... |
 Telegraph.co.uk | Baby and toddler stabbed to death BBC News, UK - A three-month-old baby and toddler have been found stabbed to death at a property in Greater Manchester. Officers discovered the bodies of the baby and a ... Police question 21-year-old over deaths of baby and toddler Baby and toddler 'stabbed to death' Bodies of baby and toddler discovered at house |
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