Author: MJT
Learning About Baby Crib Safety
You are about to give birth. The giving of life and the
bringing of that child into this world is one of the deepest mysteries and
wonders that this world has to offer.
In being the conscientious parent that you are, you do not
take this responsibility lightly. These
past months have reflected that sacred charge that you have taken. You have
abstained from alcohol, given up cigarette smoking, kept all of your prenatal
appointments, watched your diet and took those many multivitamins. All of these
healthy practices you gladly kept so that your baby would be born healthy and
be kept safe.
With the impending blessed event it is now time to think
about keeping your baby safe when you bring your baby home. Part of that
critical process is to learn about the matter of baby crib safety.
There are many components that surround baby crib safety;
some of these components include that of selecting the right crib, providing
the right crib accessories and the placement of the crib.
Selecting the Right Crib
The first critical step in regards to the matter of baby
crib safety is the selection of the right crib. Many well meaning relatives
have cribs stored in their storage unit or garage that were used by their
children, and perhaps are offering them to you; although there gestures are
deeply appreciated, it is important to understand the dangers of older and used
cribs. These dangers include the use of lead paint, inappropriate distances
between the crib slats and other dangerous designs that make these cribs
hazardous to your child’s safety.
Baby crib safety utilizes a design that takes into account
the height of any corner posts found on the baby’s crib. Specifically, corner posts should be the same
height as the panels on either end of the crib.
Or, another way of determining the safety of the corner posts, is that
these posts should be no taller than 1/16 of an inch above the panels at the
end of the crib.
Baby crib safety also implements that of a design which will
not allow the baby’s head to get trapped outside the parameters of the crib.
Therefore, the crib should not be designed with any cutouts, and also, the crib
should not have any missing or loose slats. In addition, height and distance
dimensions should also be adhered to, and this means that the top edge of the
side rails, in their extended position, should be at least 26 inches from the
surface of the mattress.
Another important distance is that of the space between the
crib slats, as this space should be no greater than 2 3/8 inches.
Baby crib safety also takes into account the development of
the child. Once the child is able to stand in the crib, for instance, the
crib’s use should be discontinued once the minimum child’s height towers over
the rail by three quarters of their height.
Crib Accessories
Also, the condition of the crib should be checked
periodically for any splinters, rough edges or other wear and tear that may be
harmful to the baby. Baby crib safety should also include that of certain
accessories such as teething features. It is also paramount, in order to
prevent suffocation, that crib accessories not include huge stuffed animals,
pillows, and bags of any kind.
Additionally, bumper pads are an important baby crib safety
accessory. These pads, secured, by ties or snaps, should cover the entire lower
interior perimeter of the baby’s crib.
Also, you should remember to take great care in regards to the matter of
removing any of the excess length from the straps that hold the bumper pads in
place.
Placement of the Crib
As equally important, in providing baby crib safety is the
location of the crib once it has met all of the safety features. For instance
placing cribs next to windows that are equipped with drapes and blinds may
prove to be a possible strangling hazard.
In addition the comfort and health of the baby should be
taken into consideration. The placing of
a crib near a heating or cooling vent may be counterproductive in caring for
the child.
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