Important Sleeping Safety Tips For Babies That Parents Need To Know About | Phase Two

You are well aware of the safety standards that have been shared by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) for parents of babies. As it was discussed in the previous article, Important Sleeping Safety Tips For Babies That Parents Need To Know About | Phase One, SIDS is a danger when parents don't follow the updated safety guidelines.  

It has been stated that parents must purchase a crib that meets the updated safety requirements which means used cribs are not safe for a baby. You are also aware that placing blankets, toys, and pillows into the crib is not safe for infants. Additionally, the mattress must fit in the crib properly. That means there cannot be any large gaps between the frame of the crib and the mattress.  

Toys can be placed in the baby's nursery on the surfaces of dressers or tables. But it can't be anywhere near the crib.  

Finally, the crib sheets must fit perfectly well so that they do not come off of the mattress corner. If it comes off of the mattress, then it can cover the infant and therefore, the baby will not be able to breathe. Now that parents are aware of that, they still have questions about crib safety. That is whether or not it is safe to use bumpers.  

Mummo has a grandparenting tip for new parents when it comes to placing bumpers in cribs as this is understandably a confusing one to know. That is because there are a lot of mixed pieces of information about whether or not bumpers are safe to be placed inside of the cribs or not. 

The Journal of Pediatrics stated in September 2007 that crib bumpers are unsafe and should not be used in cribs. However, in 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated those guidelines. Further updates for bumper safety for cribs have been implemented since then. Let's go over those over the next three crib safety points in this second phase of Important Sleeping Safety Tips For Babies That Parents Need To Know About.  

Tip 4: Never Use Bumper Pads That Are Pillow-Like 

Bumpers for cribs that are like pillows are not safe to be placed in cribs. They must be flat and must be the proper fit for the sides of the crib where they are meant to be placed. In addition to that, they need to either tie or snap securely to the rails of the crib so they are in the right position. If they are not secured in the correct position properly, then the bumper pads can easily fall away from the sides of the crib and go right onto the mattress. That is a safety hazard as it can fall on or right next to the infant sleeping in the crib.  

Another thing to keep in mind is that the pumper ties must not exceed nine inches. Otherwise, ties that are too long can become a strangulation hazard for the baby.  

Tip 5: Only Use Bumper Pads Until The Child Can Pull Themselves Up In A Standing Position 

Until the baby can go into a standing position, then the bumper pads can be safely used. Once the infant is able to stand up in the crib, then the bumper pads must be removed, or else he or she can easily climb out of the crib with them. Remember that as an infant develops, matures, and evolves, they become more inquisitive, and they are constantly making new discoveries.  

That is something that parents must keep in mind when it comes to safety. Growing babies will experiment with the items they have that are accessible to them. They can easily untie or unsnap the bumper pads and imagining that alone can be quite worrisome to parents - for a good reason. This means once the infant begins to pull themselves across the floor, they will soon be crawling, and then they will be on their way to standing.  

This phase can range anywhere between 5 to 9 months of age, and in rarer cases, it can be sooner or even later. For parents that made the decision to place pumper pads in the crib must monitor their babies carefully as they grow and develop to determine when the right time is to remove the pads.  

Tip 6: The Ties On All Four Bumper Segments Must Be Completely Functional To Be Used 

There are many bumpers nowadays sold in four pieces. The ties on each of the four segments must be functional to be used safely. That means they have to attach to the side of the crib correctly. However, if all ties on that segment cannot be securely attached to the crib do not use the bumper segment. That particular pad will come away quickly from the crib and end up inside of the mattress.  

Imagine that segment falling away from the crib rail and ending up onto the mattress as the baby is sleeping. It can even end up on the baby which would immediately become a suffocation risk. With that said, as soon as any parent purchases new bumper pads segments that come in four, it is important to test the ties to make sure they are secure. If any of them are not, then they will need to be replaced by a bumper segment that has functional ties.  

Parents can make the educated decision as far as purchasing the bumper pads or not based on what was noted in this article. They are encouraged to do further research and to reach out to their infants' pediatrician as well to discuss the safety of bumper pads.  

In fact, parents need to do their research in regards to safety regulations in general as they design their baby's nursery even before they give birth. An important point to make as well is that many parents decide not to get bumpers for their infants at all. They turn out to be just fine. However, for some parents that feel safer with having the bumper pads placed on the sides of the crib, they can do so as long as they follow the guidelines.

*mummo means Grandma in Finnish.