How To Choose A Baby Crib

When it comes to choosing a baby crib, your first priority is safety. In this article I look at the types of cribs that are available and what you need to look for to make sure that your baby will be safe.

Standard cribs are most commonly made of wood, although they can be plastic. They often have either one or both sides that drop. If you will have the crib against a wall, you probably only need one side to drop. If it will be in the middle of the room then you could choose one with both sides that drop. Alternatively, round cribs are becoming popular for the middle of the room.

Some baby cribs have high posts in the corners and a canopy that fits over the top like a four poster bed. This can look very elegant and give a traditional feel to the nursery.

Some cribs are designed to convert to a toddler or child sized bed later when baby no longer needs the security of an enclosed crib. This can save you money, although if you plan to have other children then you may want to keep the crib for a new baby and buy a toddler bed for the older child.

If you buy a new crib it will almost certainly meet all of the safety regulations. However, you may receive a used crib as a gift and if so you will need to check that it is still safe. The same is true if you buy from overseas. Many people buy baby equipment on eBay these days and even if it is new, it may come from countries where safety regulations are not necessarily so strict.

Here is what you should check if you have a used or foreign crib:

- The slats on the side should be no more than 2 3/8 inch apart. This is to prevent baby's head being trapped between the slats and it is vitally important. If you have an old crib where one slat is loose or missing, do not use it.

- The corner posts should not be higher than the sides by more than 1/16 of an inch - unless the crib has a canopy, when the posts should be at least 16 inches higher than the sides. This is to prevent baby's clothes or bedding being caught on the corner posts and possibly becoming a strangulation risk.

- Check that the wood is smooth to avoid injury from splinters and see that there are no loose joints, brackets, screws or other fixings. Any paint or varnish used must be baby safe. This is not always the case with older or antique cribs.

- The mattress must fit into the base well. If you need to buy a new mattress for an old crib, be sure it is the right size. You should not be able to fit more than two of your fingers between the mattress and the sides of the crib. The bottom sheet must fit the mattress well so that it does not slip. Again, these rules are to prevent your little one being trapped in any way.

There are also some important safety measures that you should consider in the way that you use the crib:

- Do not leave toys, loose clothing or pillows in the crib while baby is sleeping. If there is something that your baby insists on keeping in the crib when you put him down, take it away as soon as he is asleep.

- Do not let anything hang into the crib. Especially be careful that the crib is not placed near slatted window blinds, curtains, bags or anything else that baby could pull on or become entangled in.

- If the baby crib has decorative bumpers they should be removed as soon as the baby is able to pull up to a standing position, to stop baby climbing on them and possibly falling out of the crib.

Click here for a whole lot of free stuff for your baby. It's my SolveYourProblem recommendation.

# # # # #

by SolveYourProblem.com : 2009

> Home > Baby Tips & Baby Products Articles : Main Page