| Buying a crib can cost a lot of money, but one | | | | make it difficult to breathe. |
| thing is certain - your baby is priceless. There are | | | | Usually, place baby inside the crib on his back, with |
| plenty of high quality cribs available, where crib | | | | a firm mattress and no soft bedding underneath. |
| safety is an important feature. But there are also | | | | Check to make sure the sides of the crib, |
| a number of crib safety measures you can take, | | | | whether fixed or adjustable, are secure. When |
| just by using your common sense. | | | | purchasing a crib, make sure you either have to |
| One of the biggest dangers is in using an old or | | | | complete two different actions or exert |
| antique crib. Beautiful to look at, they can be | | | | considerable force to release the latch. If the latch |
| extremely dangerous to baby, and require some | | | | is faulty or too easy to open, baby could drop the |
| basic checks to ensure their safety. Firstly, check | | | | crib's side and potentially injure himself. Frequently |
| the gap between slats or in decorative cut-outs. | | | | cast an eye over the crib to check for broken |
| These should always be a maximum of 2.48 | | | | pieces or any damage. Obviously any sharp edges |
| inches, preferably smaller, or else baby's head can | | | | or surfaces are dangerous and you shouldn't place |
| get stuck between them. You should also make | | | | baby in the crib until they're removed. |
| sure the top side rails are at least 26 inches | | | | The contents of the crib also play a vital role in |
| above the mattress. This means baby is unlikely | | | | crib safety. Never leave baby unattended with |
| to be able to climb out. | | | | pillows, large stuffed animals or toys. It's possible |
| Also, with any crib, make sure you take into | | | | one of these could cause suffocation, or |
| account baby's growth. Once your infant can | | | | alternatively give baby enough lift to climb out of |
| stand up, adjust the mattress to its lowest level, | | | | the crib. Also check for torn material in bedding. |
| if the base height is adjustable. Regularly check | | | | Never place the crib close enough to a window |
| the height of your child against the side of the | | | | where drapery or cords could entangle him. |
| crib - if the of the rail is less than 3/4 of your | | | | Finally, be aware of the possibility of lead |
| child's height, then you need to move your child | | | | poisoning. If you're using an old crib, strip back the |
| into a bed. | | | | paint and repaint it with non-toxic materials. Lead |
| It's important to make sure the mattress fits | | | | can be found in dust, soil, paint, furniture and even |
| snugly against the sides of the crib without any | | | | toys. So stay alert for any potential sources of |
| gap. If you can fit two fingers between the | | | | lead in baby's environment. |
| mattress and the crib sides then the mattress is | | | | Sometimes it can seem a lot of trouble to |
| too small and crib safety is at risk. Buy a new | | | | constantly be checking baby's crib for any crib |
| mattress that fits the crib snugly. Also make sure | | | | safety risks, but it's better to take the time and |
| you remove all plastic packaging. This includes | | | | be watchful, so that you can enjoy your happy |
| mattress covers, dry cleaning bags and other | | | | and healthy baby. |
| packaging. The plastic can stick to baby's face and | | | | |