728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
Get Pregnancy Information
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Safe Family › Careful Considerations

Careful Considerations

Keeping Babies Safe and Sound

By Penny Powell

Pages:  1  2  3  4  5  

Rhonda Biroschik's 8-month-old daughter Anna thoroughly enjoys her jumper. Even when she's not bouncing in it, Anna can be seen happily doing the jumping motion in her mom's arms. "Apart from wishing the straps of the jumper were more adjustable, I haven't had any problems with our jumper and haven't come across any potential safety hazards with it," says the Florida mom.

Crib Concerns
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), when purchasing cribs, keep in mind that there should be no openings around the crib that would entrap a baby's head. Holtzman notes that the distance between crib slats should be 2 and 3/8 inches or less to avoid entrapment. "The mattress should fit securely in the crib [and be] no more than two fingers of space between crib and mattress," she says.

Buy a new crib that meets current national safety standards, advises Holtzman, who teaches infant and toddler safety classes at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. "Corner posts should be 1/16 inch or shorter," she says. "Larger extensions can cause entanglement."

The CPSC states that the crib's knots, bolts and drop-side latches also should be properly secured, and the crib should never be placed near anything that would cause a baby to become entangled, such as curtains or blinds. Also, avoid hanging clothing over the bars of a crib. A bed should replace the crib when a child is 35 inches or taller or when the child is tall enough to fall off the sides.

Cradle and All
If you're using a cradle or bassinet, CPSC standards also require a firm and snuggly fit mattress and "you should only be able to fit two fingers between the mattress and the frame," explains Holtzman.


Pages:  1  2  3  4  5  

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.