Baby Crib Safety

Nursery and Baby Crib Safety

Crib Safety

Nursery and baby crib safety will be something you want to take care of early on during your pregnancy, you will then have time to not only think about what and how but find the best solutions for your nursery.

 

Having safe baby equipment and a well-organized baby room are the two main things to be prepared for when creating your nursery. If set up well all nursery accidents can be avoided.

Baby Crib Safety

 

Here are a few things to consider when buying a crib, new or secondhand. When buying a new crib these will most likely be deemed safe although you should keep in mind there may be the odd one the slips through and be on recall.

 

If you intend on buying a second hand crib or have a hand-me-down or heirloom crib then check out this safety checklist first for tips on baby crib safety:

  • Are there bits of the crib that are broken or missing any parts?
  • I recommend buying a brand new mattress to help in the prevention of SIDS.
  • Has the crib been recalled? You can check it out here.
  • Does it meet current crib regulations?
  • Do they have the instructions to put the crib together? If not can you get them online? A crib always needs to put together correctly for the safety of your infant.
  • When buying a new mattress be sure when placed in the crib there are no gaps along the sides, no large than two fingers.
  • The gap in between the slats should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart.
  • Are the crib/cribs going to fit in the nursery?

 

Baby Crib Safety – Crib Placement

 

Now for some guidelines when your baby/babies are sleeping and how to place your crib/s in the nursery.

  • Firstly never place a crib near a window especially with blinds and curtain cords to prevent chocking and entanglement.
  • Cribs should also stay away from anything in reach so things like power cords, shelves, lotions etc.
  • Additional your household should be a smoke free zone as this is strongly linked with SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
  • Also having twins will probably mean two cribs, be sure not to place them too close together to prevent little hands and feet from getting stuck in between the gap.

 

Baby Crib Safety – Bumpers and Toys

 

Crib bumpers can be hazardous as well as toys, after all bed time is for sleeping not playing. A crib mobile with soothing music is fine until they are able to stand up in there crib. When this happens or even before you think this could happen remove the mobile immediately.

Even blankets and pillows can be dangerous, if you dress you baby to suit the weather then a blanket is not necessary.

 

Baby Crib Safety – Twins Sharing a Crib

 

So many parents of twins will co-sleep their twin babies, I even did this from time to time as it helped settle them down. In saying that the American Academy of Pediatrics say it is not recommended to do this as it can increase the chances of SIDS. If your nursery is lacking in space, check out some of our other post for some some great ideas for cribs for twins.

 

Movement and Sound Monitor – Baby Crib Safety

 

A movement and sound monitor can actually be life saving for your little ones, especially if they were born prematurely or had time in the NICU because of health issues. My sister-in-law used one for my niece and she said it really gave her peace of mind.

 

So how it works is you place the sensory pad under the mattress and the monitor detects movement from your infant including breathing.

 

If the monitor detects zero movement an alarm will go off after about 20 seconds. It is important to know that a babies breathing can be a little bit erratic, it is normal for a baby to not breathe for 10 – 15 seconds at times. I also know some parents will continue to use this device in the crib at the age of 2 so if they have climbed out they will know and can help with risk of getting tangled and stuck.

Other Nursery Safety Tips

OK so the crib is most defiantly one of the biggest concerns when it comes to safety after all babies spend most of their time in there, well for the first few months anyway. Here are some other great ways in keeping your little ones safe in the Nursery:

 

Change Table Safety

  • Make sure you change table is well built as it starts strong and sturdy.
  • Have a guardrail of 2 inches all the way around.
  • The middle of the change table is concaved, lower than the sides.
  • It has a safety belt and is easy to use
  • Changing supplies like diapers and baby wipes are within arm’s reach.
  • Keep the lotions, powders and diapers out of baby’s reach.
  • Never level you child unattended.
  • When choosing a change table make sure it’s at the right height for you, not too tall or short.

 

Pacifiers

A pacifier can actually help in the prevention of SIDS, here are some safety tips concerning them:

  • Make sure pacifiers do not have any string, ribbon or anything else attached to them.
  • The shield is large enough and firm enough not to fit in your baby’s mouth
  • The nipple has no holes or tears, which can happen when they start to get teeth.
  • The pacifier has ventilation holes

 

Nursery Temperature

Experts recommend a baby room’s temperature is perfect at about 65°F (18°C). Babies don’t need really hot rooms and you can use a thermometer if you wish. In saying that running either heating or cooling all night is not practical and can actually dry the air out too much which can affect your infant with dry skin or even coughing.

 

 

 

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