Having a baby is wondrous and scary. All of a sudden you are responsible for his beautiful child, someone who is completely defenseless. Your instinct is to keep them safe, and the crib is the first place to start. Your child is going to spend a large amount of each day in their crib and their safety in the crib is job #1. I have compiles some questions concerning safety (with the responses) that commonly asked by new parents. Subjects such as bed mattress type and size, how to position your baby in the baby crib, and general security standards are addressed. A great source of information on cribs is the Consumer Product Safety Commission. You will be able to find the latest updates and rules here.
Are There Safety Rules For Cribs?
Absolutely! Due to some tragic accidents a variety of extremely precise standards for your baby’s baby crib were put in place. In 1974 laws were passed stating that cribs must no longer be painted with any type of lead based paint. Studies proved that the intake of lead (from any source) might trigger learning disabilities and other cognitive issues in young kids.
It was also decided that, for safety reasons, slats on a baby crib must be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart. The reason for this rule is to keep your baby from getting his body or head stuck in between the bars. This could trigger injury or in a horrible situation, strangulation. At its most advantageous position, the side bar should be 26 inches above the mattress. If your kid is more than one inch taller than the moveable frame sidebar, it is time to move them into a toddler or infant bed.
What Are Some Common Crib Hazards?
Your bed mattress should fit securely and tightly in the crib. An ill-fitting mattress might allow your child to slip in between the side and the mattress bar causing suffocation. The bed mattress height ought to be able to be set at least three various levels. When your child becomes more mobile you will want to put the mattress in the lowest position. This is to stop your infant from climbing over the railing and falling out.
A Mattress Safety Timeline
1973 – The requirement for crib slats was set. Crib slats can be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart to prevent your child from slipping through or getting their head stuck. At the same time, double locks for drop-down sidebars were to required to avoid accidental dropping of the front.
1976 – Requirements for cutouts in the baby crib end panels are enacted. The end panels of the crib frame no longer can have any decorative cutouts. Too many small children were getting their heads or limbs trapped, triggering serious injury or death.
1978 – Cribs have to be painted with non-toxic coatings. No lead based paints.
1981 – Two brands of cribs still using cutouts are recalled.
1988 – A voluntary set of regulations regarding crib safety are issued. These regulations address mattress frame hardware, rules for glued or bolted connections, drop-side latch standards and rules for teething rails.
1990 – No corner posts or projections from a crib are allowed to be more than 1/16th of an inch above the drop-side.
1998 – California and Washington add regulations that state that hotel baby cribs must conform to the very same standards set for full-size cribs
1998 – All portable or packable baby cribs are required to meet the same standards as full sized cribs.
What’s The Safest Sleeping Position?
Always settle your baby on there back or side for sleeping. The child is safer when wearing a one piece sleeper instead of using too many blankets. Your child could easily get tangle in the blanket and potentially suffocate. Get rid of all toys and pillows as well, in order to avoid suffocation.
Is It OK To Use A Blanket In A Crib?
A one piece sleeper will generally keep your child sufficiently warm while sleeping. If you definitely need to use a blanket, tuck it in around the bottom of the bed mattress.
A mesh baby crib is safely supplied the mesh is less than 1/4 inch in size, smaller than a small button on child’s clothes. The mesh should be free of rips, tears, or loose threads.
While bumper pads are not necessary, they can securely be utilized. They need to be extremely close the edge of the bed mattress and appropriately protected.
In order to keep your baby’s crib safe, you need to make certain to all connections are covered and that there are no broken or missing parts. Be sure to inspect the teething rail often for deep teeth marks or cracks. Make certain the bed mattress is securely stable and your baby crib will withstand your baby’s increasing mobility. The bed mattress itself ought to have no splits, tears, or holes.
When Is My Child Too Big For A Crib?
As your child begins to be more active you will need to be aware that they may be outgrowing the crib. When they have the strength to pull themselves into to a standing position or when they can sit up alone it will be time to lower the level of the mattress and make sure the drop front is kept at the highest setting.
Can I hang a mobile over my child’s crib?
Keeping a mobile over the crib is safe as long as your child can’t reach it. As they become more active (and more curious) you may want to remove the mobile and the temptation to touch it.
Some Closing Thoughts
Making sure your infant’s baby crib is safe is a never ending task. Appropriate positioning of the mattress, ensuring all connections are safe and that there are no loose slats that might pinch little fingers will assist to keep your child’s baby crib a safe place
Topics such as mattress position, how to place your baby in the crib, and general safety standards are gone over, as are other concerns. Your bed mattress should fit snugly in the baby crib; an ill-fitting bed mattress might trigger your infant to slip in between the side and the mattress bar triggering suffocation. When your infant ends up being more mobile you will want to put the mattress in the most affordable position to avoid your child from falling or climbing out. Make sure the mattress spring assistance and your baby crib will endure your baby’s increasing movement. Mobiles can be utilized to captivate your infant, however when your kid is able to get on to their hands and knees or pull themselves up.