Baby Crib Safety Rules

Learn about baby crib safety rules.

Find out about baby crib safety.

Your baby will spend thousands of hours in the crib and you want to make sure they are always safe in it.   There are many questions that are asked about crib safety.  Questions about topics such as mattress position, how to place your infant in the crib, and general safety standards are discussed, as are other problems.   Safety standards are created to keep your child safe and sound, the crib is a sanctuary for the baby.

Are There Baby Crib Safety Standards?

Yes there are some very precise standards for your baby’s crib. In 1974 it was made law that cribs should no longer be painted with lead based paint. It was discovered that the ingestion of lead (from any source) could cause discovering disabilities and other difficulties in children. The slats of the crib should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart, this is to prevent your infant from getting his body or head stuck between the bars causing injury or strangulation. The side bar must be 26 inches above the mattress when it is in its lowest position. If your child is more than an inch taller than the sidebar it is time to move him into a regular bed.

Are there some risks in my baby’s crib that I need to be familiar with?

Your mattress should fit snugly in the crib; an ill-fitting mattress could cause your baby to slip between the mattress and the side bar causing suffocation. The mattress height must be able to be adjusted into at least three different levels. When your infant becomes more mobile you will want to put the mattress in the lowest position to prevent your infant from climbing or falling out. The slats should be tight, loose slats could pinch little fingers. Do not put the crib near a window to prevent your baby from potentially falling out or becoming tangled in Venetian blind cords.

A Brief History Of Baby Crib Safety

1973 – The standard for crib slats was to be no more than 2Â 3/8 th inches apart to prevent your baby from slipping through or getting their head stuck. Also, double latches for drop-down sidebars were to become the norm.

1976 – The standard for cutouts in the crib end panels are presented. The end panels should not have any decorative cutout designs. Children were getting their limbs or heads caught causing major injury or death.

1978 – Cribs must now be painted with non-toxic finish.

1988 – A voluntary standard addresses mattress support hardware, failure of glued or bolted connections, drop-side latch failure and loosened teething rails.

1990 – No corner posts or projections can be more than 1/16th of an inch above the drop-side.

1998 – California and Washington mandate that hotel cribs must satisfy the same standards set for full-size cribs

1998 – Portable cribs should now meet the same standards as full-sized cribs.

A list of safety rules for a baby's crib.

When Is My Child Too Big For A Crib?

When your child stands more than a couple of inches taller than the sidebar with the mattress in the lowest position. If your child is climbing out of the crib, for his safety put him in a regular bed.

How should I put my infant to sleep in his crib?

Put your infant on his back or on his side for sleeping. Use one piece sleepers rather than blankets. Your baby could slip under the blanket and potentially suffocate. Eliminate all pillows and toys also, in order to prevent suffocation.

Is it safe to cover my infant with a blanket?

A blanket sleeper will keep your baby sufficiently warm while sleeping. If you absolutely need to use a blanket, tuck it in around the bottom of the mattress. Put your infant with his feet toward the end-panel and the blanket should go no higher than his/her chest.

Is a mesh sided crib safe to use for my baby?

Yes, a mesh crib is safe offered the mesh is less than 1/4 inch in size, smaller than a tiny button on baby’s clothes. The must be rips, tears, or loose threads. If staples are used to attach the mesh they must not be exposed and the mesh must be safely attached to the top rail and the floor plate.

Can I safely use bumper pads in my baby’s crib?

While bumper pads are not necessary, they can safely be used. They must be extremely close the edge of the mattress and correctly secured. The bumpers must be flat and not puffy, as your infant could get stuck between the bumper and the mattress and suffocate.

What can I do to keep my infant’s crib safe?

In order to keep your infant’s a safe place, you ought to ensure to all connections are protected and that there are no broken or missing parts. Routinely, check the teething rail for splits or cracks. Make sure the mattress spring support and your crib will withstand your baby’s increasing mobility. The mattress itself should have no splits, tears, or holes.

Mattress Rules For Crib Safety

When your infant becomes more active, when s/he begins to pull himself to a standing position or when he sits up alone it will be time to reduce the mattress to prevent your little one from either climbing out or falling out.

Are Mobiles Safe?

Mobiles and crib fitness centers can be used to entertain your infant but when your child is able to get on to their hands and knees or pull themselves up. This will prevent your infant from becoming entangled in them.

Ensuring your infant’s crib is safe, is an ongoing to task. Proper positioning of the mattress, making sure all connections are protected and that there are no loose slats that could pinch little fingers will help to keep your baby’s crib a safe place

Check Out These Very Safe Cribs

Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on: