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Crib Safety - Keep Babys Safe in Their Cribs When Sleeping and Awake

There is lots to think about when considering crib safety and ways to keep your baby secure and give yourself peace of mind.

To avoid strangulation, never place the crib near draperies and window blinds as these can get wrapped around their necks. Keep cribs away from electrical sockets, extension cords, and other items that can be hazardous.

Protect your little one by never hanging objects off the crib where they can reach and either become entangled or try to swallow the object. To avoid suffocation remove all plastic wrapping material from the crib area and never use plastic as a mattress cover. Make sure mobiles are high enough up that the baby can’t reach out and grab them.

Don’t have any objects in the crib with infants and small babies. This includes pillows, comforters and quilts, clothing with drawstrings or long ribbons, and stuffed toys. It’s not even a good idea to have a blanket in the crib, instead dress the baby in sleeper clothing to keep them warm. Remove necklaces and other baby jewellery before putting baby to sleep.

Invest in a baby monitor so you can hear and even see what's happening in the nursery in your absence.

Never place a crib beside other baby furniture where little ones can grab items off the top.

Make sure the crib has no rough edges, splinters, or peeling paint. A plastic teething rail on the top rails will prevent baby from chewing on the wood.

Crib mattresses should fit snugly with no more than two fingers width between the mattress and the side of the crib. The distance between crib slats should be no more than 2 3/8". Invest in sturdy mattress supports, preferably metal since wood won’t stand up as well when babies get older and begin jumping up and down on the mattress.

Set the crib mattress height to the highest setting for newborns, the middle setting when baby can balance on their hands and knees (somewhere between 4 to 6 months), and the lowest setting when they can pull themselves up to a standing position (usually between 8 and 12 months). When your little ones are in a position where they are able to climb out at the lowest position, then they’ve outgrown their crib.

When drop sides are lowered they should be at least 9" above the mattress support; when raised they should be at least 26" above the mattress support. They should have a secure locking mechanism.

Bumper guards that line the crib can be either snapped into place or tied. If being tied, make sure to trim off excess length so baby won’t get entangled. Bumpers should be removed when little ones can pull themselves up to a standing position since they can be used to help climb out of the crib.

Make sure mattress support hangers are secure.

Always use baby crib sheets, never use sheets made for adults. Crib sheets should fit tightly over the mattress and not be able to be pulled out from the corners.

Avoid buying second-hand cribs as they may be lacking in a lot of valuable safety features. Be sure to send in the product registration card to ensure being notified of a product recall.