Whether new or old, your crib should meet all current government safety standards. Newer standards are
If you have an older crib that was made before the new safety standards were put into place:
Always use a firm, tight-fitting mattress. This will help keep the baby from getting trapped between the mattress and the crib.
Always check the following. There should be:
Read and follow the directions to set up, use, and care for the crib. Some dos and don'ts are:
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 tall.
Though it is rare, some babies die without any known reason in their sleep. 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.
Hunt CE, Hauck FR. Sudden infant death syndrome. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 367.
Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc.
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