Ten Tips To Help Keep Your Baby Safe In Their Crib
Donna Rivera-Loudon
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission more
infants die every year in accidents involving cribs than with
any other nursery product. In addition, thousands of infants
are injured seriously enough to require hospital treatment.
Below are a few crib safety tips. This safety list is by no
means complete, but it is a good place to start.
Safety Tip One:
Put your baby to sleep on his or her back in a crib on a firm,
flat mattress. Make sure there is no soft bedding underneath
your baby. This will help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome and prevent suffocation.
Safety Tip Two:
Never place your infant to sleep on an adult bed, water bed, or
bunk bed. Babies up to 18 months can suffocate in their sleep
when their bodies or faces become wedged between the mattress
and bed frame or the mattress and wall.
Safety Tip Three:
Never put a crib, child bed, or furniture near window blinds or
drapery. Children can strangle on window cords or fall through
screens. If local fire codes permit window guards, install
them. Make sure all drapery or window blind cords are out of a
child’s reach. CPSC receives numerous reports of strangulation
deaths on window blind cords. To keep cords out of reach of
children, use tie-down devices, or take the cord loop and cut
it in half to make two separate cords. Consumers can call
800-506-4634 or visit windowcoverings.org/20.html to get free
repair kits.
Safety Tip Four:
Never use strings to hang any object, such as a mobile or a toy
or a diaper bag, on or near the crib where a child could become
caught in it and strangle. If you have toys with cords or
elastic for hanging, cut the strings/cords off.
Safety Tip Five:
To prevent strangulation, never tie pacifiers/teethers around
your child’s neck. Remove bibs and necklaces whenever you put
your baby in crib or playpen.
Safety Tip Six:
Always lock the side rail in its raised position whenever you
place your child in the crib. As soon as your child can stand
up, adjust the mattress to its lowest position and remove the
bumper pads. Also, remove any large toys — an active toddler
will use anything for climbing out of the crib.
Safety Tip Seven:
When your child reaches 35 inches (890 mm) in height, he/she
has outgrown the crib and should sleep in a bed.
Safety Tip Eight:
Never use plastic bags as mattress covers. The plastic film may
cause suffocation.
Safety Tip Nine:
Check all crib hardware; tighten all nuts, bolts, and screws
frequently. After a crib is moved, be sure all mattress support
hangers are secure. Check hooks regularly to be sure none are
broken or bent. Open hooks may allow the mattress to fall.
Safety Tip Ten:
Secure bumper pads around the entire crib and snap or tie in
place at least in each corner, in the middle of each long side,
and on both the top and the bottom edges. Cut off any excess
string length.
I hope that sharing these tips with you will share a child's
life. Please share this information with anyone who have a
baby. This above information comes straight from the Consumer
Product Safety Commission. They put out a brochure on baby
safety that all parents should read.
About The Author: Donna has an MBA in information technology
and is currently a Tupperware Director and CEO of her own
company. She may be contacted at
webmaster@todaysmodernwoman.com or at
DonnaLoudon@my.tupperware.com. Visit A Website for the Modern
Woman for more
http://www.todaysmodernwoman.com
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