What Are Crib Bumpers Made From?

Crib bumpers are simple crib decorations found in nearly every baby store.

Almost all baby goods stores and magazines display cribs decked out with crib bumpers--puffy pieces of fabric attached to the sides of the crib, covering part of the crib's rails. Bumpers can add a finished look to a well-dressed crib, but you may wonder why babies need bumpers and how they are made. Whether you plan to make some crib bumpers or you wish to shop wisely, crib bumper basics are pretty simple.

Types

There are two types of crib bumpers sold today. Traditional bumpers, which are soft and padded, are available almost anywhere crib bedding is sold. Safety bumpers, which are made of mesh, are sold primarily at specialty baby stores.

Features

Traditional bumpers usually begin with either foam padding or cotton batting. This is often covered with a lining fabric--usually white cotton or a cotton blend. The lining is then covered with decorative nursery fabric, which is typically made from cotton and polyester. Ribbon or tubes of fabric are sewn to the corners of the bumper pads, making it possible to tie them onto the sides of the crib. Safety bumpers are made from netting that's usually synthetic. Soft ribbon or fabric is sewn around the edges of the netting. Sometimes cotton batting is added beneath these ribbons. Safety bumpers usually attach to cribs with sturdy hook and loop fasteners, but sometimes ties or ribbons are used.

Significance

Traditional, padded crib bumpers are designed to help keep an infant's hands and feet from getting stuck between crib rails. This isn't a safety issue, but it can sometimes wake up a sleeping baby. They are also designed to protect a baby from bumping her head on the crib rails. Safety bumpers are designed strictly to prevent a baby's limbs from going between crib slats.

Warning

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the National SIDS Alliance, and the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development all say traditional crib bumpers are unsafe. According to the website of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, between 1985 and 2005, 27 infants died from suffocation or strangulation due to crib bumper use, and another 27 infants were injured. The Health Canada website also reports that injury from an infant bumping his head against his crib is rarely serious. And while getting his limbs caught between crib slats might wake a sleeping baby, it's also unlikely to cause injury.

Considerations

For parents who wish to use bumpers anyway, safety bumpers are a safer choice. Mesh allows for better air circulation, but it's still potentially possible for a safety bumper to wrap around a baby's neck, causing strangulation.

References

• Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis: Hazards of using crib bumper pads outweigh their benefits
• Health Canada: Policy Statement For Bumper Pads
• Parenting Squad: Crib Bumpers Not Worth the Risk
• American Academy of Pediatrics: Ask the Pediatrician
• Make Your Own Baby Stuff: Make Your Own Baby Crib Bumpers

Resources

• American Sids Institute