What Are the Dangers of Sharing Cribs at Daycare?

Parents who leave their children in the care of day-care providers might encounter the practice of sleeping two children in one crib. While the practice seems unsanitary and lacking in the quality of care a parent expects from a day-care provider, the practice is also unsafe. On its HealthyChildren.org website, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that child-care providers establish a safe sleep policy that requires one child in a crib. Although many safe sleep recommendations for child care are related to the prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, there are other dangers related to crib-sharing at day care.

  1. Safe Sleep and SIDS

    • The AAP recommends that infants sleep on their backs to reduce the threat of SIDS. One out of every five SIDS deaths occurs when children are with a caregiver that is not the parent. An infant who usually sleeps on her back at home is at significantly higher risk for SIDS if subjected to unaccustomed tummy sleeping while at day care. Unless a child has a signed waiver from a physician, sleeping on the back -- not on the side or the tummy -- is considered the only safe sleep position for a child until she reaches 12 months of age. Safe sleep includes one child to a crib and restricting crib contents to the child, a fitted sheet and, if appropriate, a pacifier.

    Illness and Injury

    • Day-care facilities are the perfect breeding grounds for viruses, infections and diseases brought in by other children and adults. Children are more likely to become ill if exposed to the germs. Close quarters, including crib-sharing, increase the likelihood that exposure and illness will occur. The National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education recommends a distance of at least three feet between cribs to control exposure to bodily fluids and droplets expelled during sneezing and coughing. Additionally, children who share cribs can injure each other by hitting, biting, scratching and kicking.

    Sleep Interruption

    • Napping is an important part of a child̵7;s daily routine and sleep schedule. Infants and toddlers need the extra sleep, which aids mental and physical development. Crib-sharing makes it difficult for children to sleep comfortably. A child needs sufficient space to move his legs and arms and to roll over if he is developmentally able. Another child in the crib can be a distraction to falling asleep or an interruption to sleep. Children often have different sleep schedules or methods of falling asleep. A crib-sharing child might not get enough sleep if movement or sounds from another child in the crib awaken him or stop him from falling asleep.

    Safe Sleep Policy

    • The AAP recommends that child-care providers create and enforce a safe sleep policy. Facilities or caregivers should inform parents of the policy and train staff in applying the policy consistently. State and federal child health and safety agencies provide sample safe sleep policies providers can adapt for their use. In addition to the one-crib-per-child policy, children should not use a sheet that has been used by another child. Children should be placed in their cribs for sleep only. Cribs should not be used for play, time-outs or other purposes. A child who is 35 inches tall or taller has outgrown a crib and should not be placed in one, according to the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education.

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