According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission more infants die every year in accidents involving cribs than with any other nursery product. In addition, thousands of infants are injured seriously enough to require hospital treatment. Below are a few crib safety tips. This safety list is by no means complete, but it is a good place to start. Safety Tip One: Put your baby to sleep on his or her back in a crib on a firm, flat mattress. Make sure there is no soft bedding underneath your baby. This will help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and prevent suffocation. Safety Tip Two: Never place your infant to sleep on an adult bed, water bed, or bunk bed. Babies up to 18 months can suffocate in their sleep when their bodies or faces become wedged between the mattress and bed frame or the mattress and wall. Safety Tip Three: Never put a crib, child bed, or furniture near window blinds or drapery. Children can strangle on window cords or fall through screens. If local fire codes permit window guards, install them. Make sure all drapery or window blind cords are out of a childs reach. CPSC receives numerous reports of strangulation deaths on window blind cords. To keep cords out of reach of children, use tie-down devices, or take the cord loop and cut it in half to make two separate cords. Consumers can call 800-506-4634 or visit windowcoverings.org/20.html to get free repair kits. Safety Tip Four: Never use strings to hang any object, such as a mobile or a toy or a diaper bag, on or near the crib where a child could become caught in it and strangle. If you have toys with cords or elastic for hanging, cut the strings/cords off. Safety Tip Five: To prevent strangulation, never tie pacifiers/teethers around your childs neck. Remove bibs and necklaces whenever you put your baby in crib or playpen. Safety Tip Six: Always lock the side rail in its raised position whenever you place your child in the crib. As soon as your child can stand up, adjust the mattress to its lowest position and remove the bumper pads. Also, remove any large toys an active toddler will use anything for climbing out of the crib. Safety Tip Seven: When your child reaches 35 inches (890 mm) in height, he/she has outgrown the crib and should sleep in a bed. Safety Tip Eight: Never use plastic bags as mattress covers. The plastic film may cause suffocation. Safety Tip Nine: Check all crib hardware; tighten all nuts, bolts, and screws frequently. After a crib is moved, be sure all mattress support hangers are secure. Check hooks regularly to be sure none are broken or bent. Open hooks may allow the mattress to fall. Safety Tip Ten: Secure bumper pads around the entire crib and snap or tie in place at least in each corner, in the middle of each long side, and on both the top and the bottom edges. Cut off any excess string length. I hope that sharing these tips with you will share a child's life. Please share this information with anyone who have a baby. This above information comes straight from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. They put out a brochure on baby safety that all parents should read. |
