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Baby Cribs Safety Checklist
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By Parvati Markus
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Baby Cribs Safety Checklist By Parvati Markus
Congratulations! You've got a baby on the way! Once your babyhas arrived, one of the most important parts of your new lifetogether will be getting a good night's sleep -- you in yourbed, the baby in a safe and comfortable crib. At first, you maywant your newborn to sleep in a bassinet by your bed, making ita little easier for breastfeeding moms, but have a crib ready bythe time your baby can roll over.
Your baby will spend more time in the crib than anywhere else,so safety is of utmost importance. What makes a crib safe?
* The bars or slats of the crib railing should be no more than2-3/8" apart, close enough together to prevent your baby's headfrom slipping through or getting stuck. That crib in the atticmay be a beautiful antique, but it probably does not meet thissafety standard. Secondhand older cribs may also have splintersor lead paint as well as slats that are too far apart.
* Cribs with cutout designs along the rail may look pretty, butyour baby's arm or neck could get stuck in them.
* The crib must be sturdy. Your child will sleep in a cribuntil it's time to move into a regular bed between the ages of 2and 3. When shopping for the crib, give it a good shake to seeif it wobbles or rattles.
* Construction materials should be stained or painted hardwoodslike maple, ash, beech or oak. The use of inferior woods canpotentially weaken or warp the slats. Some metal cribs are alsovery sturdy and secure. All finish materials must be lead freeand non-toxic.
* For safety, the dropsides must be at least 9" above themattress support when lowered. When the side is raised, the topmust be at least 26" above the support at its lowest position.You should have no trouble quietly raising and lowering the siderail easily with one hand, since chances are you'll have asleeping baby in your arms.
* Make things a little easier on your back by choosing a cribwith an adjustable height mattress. A newborn can rest higher inthe crib, while a baby who can sit up needs a lower mattress sohe can't climb out. You can change the height of most mattressesby simply raising or lowering the mattress support.
* Check the hardware on the crib for sharp edges or points oranything else that could hurt your baby.
* The mattress should fit snugly into the crib. If you can fittwo fingers between the side of the mattress and the crib, it istoo small. Keep an eye on foam mattresses; over time, they maybreak down at the edges and leave gaps. Check the mattresssupport to make sure there are safety clips that lock thehangers into their notches.
* Use nonflammable and hypoallergenic bumper padding attachedto the inside railings of the crib to cushion all four sides andprevent your baby from sticking an arm or leg through therailings. Securely fasten the bumper pads to the sides of thecrib in at least six places. Be sure to remove bumper pads whenyour baby becomes more active.
* Follow assembly instructions carefully. Periodically tightenall nuts, bolts, and screws and check teething rails for cracks.Check the mattress support hooks regularly.
* Don't place a crib against a window, near curtains or draperycords, or near furniture that could help your baby climb out.
* Crib toys need to be removed from the crib when baby issleeping. And remove mobiles when baby is able to grab atobjects.
Federal safety guidelines went into effect in 1973, but onlysince 1991 do most cribs meet all mandatory safety standards(16CFR part 1508) as set by The Consumer Products SafetyCommission (CPSC) and the voluntary standards (ASTM F966 andF1169) as set by the American Society for Testing and Materials(ASTM). The Juvenile Products Manufacturers' Association (JPMA)certifies cribs that meet the safety standards.
For more information on crib safety and other nursery equipment,contact the Consumer Products Safety Commission at1-800-638-2772. Please find the original article and moreinformation about this subject athttp://www.homeandliving.com/DesignAdvice.aspx?Category=BabyCribSafety
When Parvati Markus is not writing helpful and insightfularticles like the one you just read from www.homeandliving.com,she works with The Kabbalah Centre and freelances on non-fictionbooks and articles. As a recent arrival in L.A., Parvati iscompleting her "residency requirement" by writing a screenplay.
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