Crib Bumper Dangers
Although crib bumpers look cute and comfortable, they are dangerous. According to the Washington University School of Medicine, "The hazards of using crib bumper pads outweigh their benefits." It's better not to put a bumper in your baby's crib.
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Suffocating
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Your baby could roll against the bumper so that it covers or partially covers her mouth and nose. This restricts air flow, meaning that the baby will get less oxygen. This could damage the baby's brain or even cause SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Accordingly, the American SIDS Institute strongly discourages the use of bumpers.
Getting Stuck
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By rolling around in the crib, your baby could get stuck under the crib bumper. In the September 2007 issue of the Journal of Pediatrics, B. Thach, G. Rutherford and K. Harris state that this could cause injury or even suffocation and death. At best, your baby will be uncomfortable and will cry until you free him.
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Climbing
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Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg and Sandee Hathaway, authors of "What to Expect the First Year," warn that your baby could use the bumper to climb partway up the crib railing and then possibly fall out of the crib. The American Academy of Pediatrics confirms this danger and encourages parents who use bumpers to remove the bumper once the baby learns to stand.
Using No Bumper
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Many parents use crib bumpers to prevent their babies from getting stuck between the slats of the railing and from bumping their heads. According to "What to Expect the First Year," however, crib bumpers are not really necessary; babies won't be injured by getting stuck between crib slats. Although a baby could bump her head, crib slats are not very hard and will not truly hurt the baby.
If You Do Use a Bumper
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If you choose to use a bumper, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the authors of "What to Expect the First Year" recommend that you make sure the bumper fits tightly, not loosely, around the perimeter of the crib. This will slightly decrease the suffocation hazard. You should tie the bumper on with at least six ties, which should not be longer than 6 inches each, and remove the bumper once your baby learns to sit or stand.
An American Invention
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According to Tracy Hogg, a nurse, lactation educator and newborn consultant known as the Baby Whisperer, crib bumpers are an American invention. Hogg, who is British, was shocked when she first saw crib bumpers in the United States, and she encourages her clients to remove them immediately because of the danger of suffocation.
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