Pregnancy SmartSiteTM
DescriptionThe following article offers recommendations for choosing a crib that meets current safety standards and implementing safe sleep practices for infants. New Crib or old one?Whether new or old, your crib should meet all current government safety standards:
If you have an older crib that was made before the new safety standards were put into place:
Whether the Crib is new or OlderAlways use a firm, tight-fitting mattress. This will help keep the baby from getting trapped between the mattress and the crib. Do a crib-safety check. There should be:
Using a CribRead and follow the directions to set up, use, and care for the crib.
Hanging crib toys (mobiles, crib gyms) should be out of the baby's reach.
Children should be taken out of a crib by the time they are 35 inches (90 centimeters) tall. Safe Bedding for ChildrenThough it is rare, some babies die in their sleep without any known reason. This is known as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). You can do many things to keep your baby safe during sleep and reduce the chance of a SIDS death.
Do not place your baby on a water bed, sofa, soft mattress, pillow, or other soft surface. ReferencesHauck FR, Carlin RF, Moon RY, Hunt CE. Sudden infant death syndrome. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 402. United States Consumer Product Safety Commission website. Crib safety tips. www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/cribs/crib-safety-tips. Accessed September 26, 2022. Wesley SE, Allen E, Bartsch H. Care of the newborn. In: Rakel RE, Rakel DP, eds. Textbook of Family Medicine. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 21. | ||
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Review Date: 6/7/2022 Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. | ||
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