Crib Safety - Is Your Baby Safe?

Crib safety is essential knowledge for any new parent who's looking to get a crib for their baby. Taking the time to learn about cribs and what makes a crib safe or unsafe could save you from a lot of potential heartache! Make your baby crib safe!

Not every crib out there is safe, especially some of the older models. Cribs should be a place of safety for your baby, not a place of danger. However, babies were being hurt or even killed because of dangerous cribs. This is why consumer agencies like the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and also the National Safety Council have issued safety guidelines so that parents can know if a crib is safe or not. Infants and toddlers are always going to be at a greater risk of injury because they have no idea of what can harm them, this is why a conscientious parent really should inspect any baby's crib that there considering buying to see if it is safe for their child.

According to guidelines issued by the National Safety Council (NSC), a safe crib should have slats that aren't any more than 2-3/8 inches apart. This will help to prevent your baby's head from being caught in between the slats. A baby crib should not have any lead based paint or have corner posts or any cut outs, there should be nothing that could possibly cause any potential harm to your baby. Cribs that have these hazards are not meeting the standards that are now set for today's baby cribs. This is why people are advised not to use old or antique cribs, because many don't meet today's guidelines.

Today's safety guidelines also specify that the top rails on the sides of the baby crib have to be 26" above the mattress at it's lowest position, this will make certain that your baby will not be able to climb out of the crib and get injured by falling or even venturing somewhere that's potentially dangerous to them. It's also vital that the mattress fits snugly inside your crib, it should not have a gap that's any wider than two adult fingers, if it does then you should look to replace it immediately. Otherwise, your baby could easily become stuck between the mattress and the crib and suffer a serious injury or even death.

Common sense is also called for in keeping your baby's crib safe. Never place plastic bags anywhere inside the crib that could lead to suffocation and don't hang anything which your baby might get caught in. Make sure there aren't any loose screws or any missing pieces in the crib. All moving parts should be regularly inspected as you can never be by your baby's side all of the time.

Be sure to inspect your crib on a regular basis to ensure your baby's safety and give your baby a safe and comfortable environment in which to sleep and grow. These simple tests could save you from a huge and heartbreaking tragedy.

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