Educating Yourself on Crib Safety Can Save Your Baby's Life

Child safety is something that every parent has a responsibility of understanding and ensuring for their child. Approximately 2,500 babies fall victim to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, each year. Though there is still some mystery revolving SIDS and what causes it, there are some things that you can do to protect your child against SIDS. Because your baby will be spending large amounts of time his crib unsupervised, it is important that you educate yourself on the crib in which he sleeps and ways to help your baby sleep safely in it. Here are some buying tips to keep in mind when selecting a crib for your new baby.

First and foremost, when you purchase your new crib, be certain that you pay close attention to the manufacturer’s instructions for assembly. Assembling the crib incorrectly can be a safety hazard to your baby. All new cribs manufactured in the United States are required to meet certain product safety standards. If you are purchasing a used crib from an outside source, or without the original paperwork, be certain to look up the model online for safety specifications. Many times, you can contact the manufacturer and they will send you the user manual for the model crib you have at no cost to you. Bear in mind that older cribs were not subject to the safety standards put in place today to protect your child, and the use of older cribs is not recommended.

Be sure to read the specifications on the box before purchasing your crib. Be certain that you pay close attention to the height of the crib. Cribs with corner posts with a height greater than 1/16 inches may cause a strangulation risk to your child if their clothes were to become entangled with them. You will also need to look for a crib with slats no further apart than 2 3/8 inches. If they are any wider than this, your baby can get his hands, legs or head trapped and injury could occur.