Should You Use a Crib Bumper?

Decorating the Nursery

• Many new parents are excited to decorate the nursery. Matching sets of comforters, sheets, crib skirts and crib bumpers are almost too tempting to pass up. Matching wallpaper, wall hangings and curtains encourage the parents-to-be to buy the complete coordinating set. While the nursery is cute in this stage, the health risks some items need to be taken into consideration. The items can be used, but parents need to take precautions to keep baby safe.

Newborn Safety

• The risk of suffocation is a good thing to take into consideration when trying to decide if the bumpers should be used. Newborns placed in the center of the crib should be safe, but most experts suggest removing the bumpers when the baby becomes mobile. The concern is if the baby is a restless sleeper, he might wiggle his way over to the side or end or corner of the crib and his face will be pressed against the bumper.

Risks to Older Babies

• Bumpers pose special risks to older babies. The majority of older babies will move if their faces or breathing passages are blocked, so the suffocation hazard isn't quite as nerve-wracking, but heavy sleepers might be a concern.

  Older babies might use the bumper as a stepping stone on their way out of the crib. Mobile babies often combine the ability to climb and pull up, with the availability of a stuffed animal, a blanket, or a crib bumper, which allows them additional height when breaking out of the crib. Always be careful about what objects are in the baby's crib.

Restless Sleepers

• If you feel you need bumpers for the baby who rolls all over the bed, you might consider a set of breathable mesh crib bumpers. The restless baby will often end up with an arm or leg pushed through the gaps in the crib slats. The baby might hit his head on the wood slats, his arm will fling through the gap and go to sleep, or a chubby leg will get wedged between the wood. Each of these situations will cause pain and anxiety for the baby and parents. When this is the case, the bumper will help keep the baby's appendages in the crib where they belong. Again, use caution if your baby is a climber.

Precautions

• If the bumpers are going to be used, make sure they fit tightly against all four sides of the crib. They should be secured by snaps or ties in each corner and by an additional set on each side. If the bumpers are tied on, keep the ends of the ties short. Long ties can cause a suffocation risk. Remove the bumpers from the bed as soon as the child is able to pull up.