Crib safety Tips
Help
ensure the safety of your youngest children
Bringing
home a new baby is an exciting time for parents, and families
must plan ahead and prepare the home and nursery before an
infant arrives.
Your baby's crib should be a haven
of safety and comfort. He will certainly spend many hours
here, both at play and at sleep. A good crib, you will
find, is a place where you can keep your baby safe while
sleeping or taking some time for yourself.
To help ensure the safety of your youngest children,
follow Home Safety Council's guidelines to select and maintain a
crib for your new baby:
Find out if cribs,
especially older models, have been recalled.
Visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's
(CPSC) website at
www.cpsc.gov for recent updates.
Make sure crib hardware
is strong and secure.
Remove soft bedding,
pillows, toys and stuffed animals from the crib.
Use sleepers instead of blankets.
Follow the product guidelines for crib toys and
discontinue use at the recommended age. If
toys attach to crib railings, hang these on the wall
side of the crib.
Make sure the crib sheet
and mattress fit tightly to avoid entrapment and
suffocation.
Remove bumper pads to
deter children from climbing out easily.
Keep cribs away from windows and window blind cords.
For metal or wooden cribs, make sure slats are 2 3/8
inches apart or less. Corner posts should not be
over 1/16 inch high. Avoid headboards and
footboards with cutouts large enough that a baby's
head can become trapped.
For mesh-sided cribs or playpens look for mesh less
than ¼ inch in size, securely attached to the top
rail and floor plate. If staples are used,
make sure none are missing or exposed.
Bringing
home a new baby is an exciting time for parents, and families
must plan ahead and prepare the home and nursery before an
infant arrives.
The
