New baby in the house or one on the way? Find out how to give your baby a safe place to sleep.
Questions and Answers About Safe Sleep
- The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has a comprehensive Question and Answer page about how you can make sure your child is sleeping safely. Learn more about creating a safe sleep environment for your baby.
CPSC Research Into Inclined Sleeper Safety
- CPSC received reports of 1,108 incidents, including 73 infant deaths, related to infant inclined sleep products that occurred from January 2005 through June 2019. CPSC hired independent expert Erin Mannen, Ph.D., a mechanical engineer specializing in biomechanics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, to conduct infant testing to evaluate the design of inclined sleep products.
- Dr. Mannen found that none of the inclined sleep products her team tested is safe for infant sleep.
- Dr. Mannen’s report was conclusive that products with inclines 10 degrees or less, with flat and rigid surfaces, are likely safe for infant sleep. Dr. Mannen also found that soft and plush-like sleep surfaces pose dangers to infants. Read the full report from Dr. Mannen beginning on page 91 of CPSC staff's Commission Briefing Package.
- Read Dr. Mannen’s report with corrected pages here
Inclined Sleeper Recalls
- Summer Infant Recalls SwaddleMe By Your Bed Inclined Sleepers to Prevent Risk of Suffocation
- Evenflo Recalls Pillo Portable Napper Inclined Sleepers to Prevent Risk of Suffocation
- Delta Enterprise Corp. Recalls Incline Sleeper with Adjustable Feeding Position for Newborns to Prevent Risk of Suffocation
- Graco Recalls Little Lounger Rocking Seats to Prevent Risk of Suffocation
- FisherPrice Recalls Rock ‘n Play Sleepers Due to Reports of Deaths
- Kids II Recalls All Rocking Sleepers Due to Reports of Deaths
- FisherPrice Recalls Inclined Sleeper Accessory Included with Ultra-Lite Day & Night Play Yards Due to Safety Concerns About Inclined Sleep Products
- Dorel Juvenile Group USA Recalls Inclined Sleepers Due to Safety Concerns About Inclined Sleep Products
Learn How to Put Your Baby to Sleep Safely
If you just had a baby, are expecting, or are taking care of a young infant it's important to create a safe sleep environment for your baby. Because babies spend much of their time sleeping, the nursery should be the safest room in the house. Take a few moments to learn about safe sleep.
Bare is Best
With any crib, bassinet or play yard, follow a few simple rules to keep babies sleeping safely. Bare is Best!
• To prevent suffocation, never place pillows or thick quilts in a baby's sleep environment.
• Make sure there are no gaps larger than two fingers between the sides of the crib and the mattress.
• Proper assembly of cribs is paramount - Follow the instructions provided and make sure that every part is installed correctly. If you are not sure, call the manufacturer for assistance.
• Do not use cribs older than 10 years or broken or modified cribs. Infants can strangle to death if their bodies pass through gaps between loose components or broken slats while their heads remain entrapped.
• Set up play yards properly according to manufacturers' directions. Only use the mattress pad provided with the play yard; do not add extra padding.
• Never place a crib near a window with blind, curtain cords or baby monitor cords; babies can strangle on cords.
For more information please visit the Safe to Sleep® public education campaign led by The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and in collaboration with other organizations.
Crib OnSafety Blogs
Keep Me Safe! Here’s what to know for Baby Safety Month 2018
Safe Sleep: Bedding, Pillows, Safety and More
Rulemaking
Final Rule: Bassinets and Cradles
Final Rule: Non-Full-Size Cribs
Cribs Standards & Guidance
New Bassinet and Cradle Standard Approved
Questions and Answers About the Crib Standard
Crib Enforcement Guidance for Child Care Providers
Child Care Facilities, Foster Care, Churches: Does the Rule Apply?
Hotels, Motels and the New Federal Crib Standard
Child Care Provider Guide to the New Crib Standards
New Play Yard Standard Approved
Product Guidance: Full-Size Baby Cribs
Product Guidance: Non-Full-Size Baby Cribs
FDA NPR Pediatric Medical Cribs
FDA Medical Cribs used in Homes/Child Care settings
Featured Videos
Baby Monitor Cords Have Strangled Children
The New Crib Standards: A Safer Generation of Cribs
Sleep Positioners: A Suffocation Risk
The Safety Guides, Safety Alerts, and Neighborhood Safety Network posters listed below are available to download from CPSC’s website.
CPSC Safety Alerts and Neighborhood Safety Network posters are not available to order. If you would like to use these safety publications, they are free to download and print.