CPSC Cautions Parents About Crib Safety

You lay your baby down to sleep in the crib, looking at that peaceful little face and thinking your infant is perfectly safe and sound. Yet, a new report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reveals that 97 babies and young children under age 5 died from 2000 through 2004 from crib-related deaths.

About half of those tots suffocated in cribs with soft bedding like pillows and quilts. Here's a look at some of the other heart-wrenching statistics about those nursery-product-related deaths:

• 25% of the children died in old cribs that had broken, missing, or loose parts
• 13% died when they became entangled in and strangled by hazards in or around the crib (like curtain ties, pacifier ribbons, and cords from window blinds, baby monitors, and humidifiers)
• 6% were babies who'd gotten stuck in small spaces (like between the crib rail and a poorly fitting crib mattress)

In 2006, 11,300 kids sustained injuries from cribs and crib mattresses. And an additional 1,100 injuries and 32 deaths were linked to another common sleep environment for babies and toddlers — playpens and play yards (that were installed wrong; had soft bedding or cushions inside; had mattresses that didn't fit; or had cords, wires, and toy strings nearby). Another 28 babies died in bassinets and cradles (with nearly 80% of the deaths caused by soft bedding).

What's truly tragic is that most of these injuries and deaths were probably preventable, as the formula for safe sleeping for infants is pretty simple — a crib or bassinet (with a firm, not soft, mattress) that meets current safety standards and has nothing in it but a fitted sheet and a baby placed to sleep on the back.

What This Means to You

Aside from suffocation and strangulation risks from cribs and bedding, it's important to remember that sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) — the sudden and unexplained death of an infant — is still the leading cause of death in infants 1 month to 1 year old. Unless your doctor says otherwise, the best line of defense against the mysterious and devastating syndrome is to always place your baby to sleep on the back (never on the belly or the side) on a firm mattress in a crib or bassinet (never on a pillow, waterbed, sheepskin, or other soft surface).

You can also help reduce the risk of injuries and death from suffocation, strangulation, or SIDS by making sure everyone who takes care of your little one — in and out of your home — follows these other important safety precautions as well:

• Never put your baby to bed with blankets, comforters, quilts, plush toys, or pillows of any kind (that includes adult pillows, throw pillows, and infant donut pillows). If you use crib bumpers, opt for the kind that tie at the top and bottom (you can also buy mesh bumpers that keep your baby's head and limbs inside the crib). And bumpers should be removed once your little one begins to pull up and stand.
• Never lay your baby on top of a pillow to sleep or prop your baby's head or neck up with pillows or soft items like rolled up towels (unless your doctor says otherwise).
• Never use cribs that are old, broken, or have been modified. Make sure:
  • the slats are no more than 2-3/8 inches (6 centimeters) apart and aren't cracked, loose, splintered, or missing
  • there are no sharp or jagged edges and protruding screws (and all screws are accounted for)
  • there are no decorative cutouts on the headboard or footboard in which the baby could become caught
  • to keep the sides firm by regularly checking and tightening hardware
• Never put extra mattresses, cushions, or pillows in playpens or play yards — use only the mattress provided.
• Never use an adult sheet. Use a crib sheet that fits snugly over the mattress but isn't too tight. Crib sheets can either be too big (from stretching and regular wear) or too small (from shrinking) and can snap off and potentially get wrapped around babies' heads.
• Never smoke or let anyone else smoke around your baby both during pregnancy and after your baby is born.
• Make sure the mattress fits snugly and there are no big gaps between the mattress and the sides of the crib.
• Consider putting your baby to sleep sucking on a pacifier.
• Don't overbundle your baby. Keep the room at a temperature that feels comfortable for an adult in a short-sleeve shirt.
• Don't put your baby to sleep in a bed. Instead, keep the crib or bassinet in the room where you're sleeping. You can bring your infant to your bed for nursing or comforting, but return your baby to the crib or bassinet to sleep. You also can buy a device that looks like a bassinet or play yard minus one side, which attaches to your bed to allow you to be next to each other while eliminating the possibility of rolling over onto your infant.
• Keep your baby's sleep area away from windows and clear of things that your little one could get tangled in or strangle on (like electrical cords or cords from drapes or window shades). And crib mobiles or toys with strings or ribbons should be no longer than 7 inches (18 centimeters). Make sure to remove mobiles once your baby begins to push up the hands and knees, or by 5 months — whichever comes first.
• Check the CPSC's website to make sure your crib, bassinet, playpen, or play yard hasn't been recalled. And always follow the directions to a tee for setting them up to make sure your little one stays safe while asleep.

Source: "Nursery Product-Related Injuries and Deaths Among Children Under Age Five," U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Feb. 28, 2008.