A portable crib adds flexibility to a busy parent's schedule; you can take the crib with you when you're on the go. Like any baby product, the most important factor is your baby's safety. You want to sleep peacefully knowing your baby is secure in his bed. The term "portable crib" describes two similar but different transportable baby beds that each have their own advantages and disadvantages to consider.
Benefits
The benefit of portable crib of any type is in the name: you can move the bed from one room to the other. To prevent sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that for the first six months of life, your baby sleep in the same room as you, but in her own bed. A portable crib or play yard may suit this purpose better than a stationary, standard crib. A portable crib or play yard is also convenient when you're on vacation or when your baby is being cared for in another home.
Portable Crib Structure
The specific manufacturer label "portable crib" describes a full-size crib on wheels that folds down for ease of travel. Made with wood slat sides that should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart, portable cribs look like standard cribs. A portable crib may or may not have a drop-side rail. You can lower a drop-side rail when you move your baby in and out of the crib. Mattresses are generally sold separately. "Mini cribs" are often sold in the same category as portable cribs, but mini cribs are just stationary cribs in a compact size.
Play Yard Structure
Play yards are another type of portable crib, as defined by Consumer Reports. Play yards are rectangular beds made from a padded-covered frame with breathable mesh sides. Play yards generally come on wheels and fold flat for travel, many at the push of a button. Some play yards have a removable bassinet like bed at the top of the play yard that comes with a mattress pad for sleep time. Deluxe play yards also have a removable changing table and storage compartments on the outer sides.
Warnings
Portable cribs and play yards both have downfalls. Millions of drop-side cribs have been recalled because of faulty locking mechanisms that do not properly secure the drop-side rail in place. From 2000 to 2010, over 30 infants and toddlers were suffocated or strangled in drop-side cribs, according to the National Women's Health Information Center. As of May 2010, Congress is proposing a drop-side crib ban. Different models of play yards have been recalled for defective sides and defective hinges that caused the play yards to collapse unexpectedly and injure the babies inside.
Precautions
To prevent SIDS, your baby should always sleep on his back on a firm mattress that fits snugly inside the portable crib or play yard. Only use a sheet that is specifically made for your crib mattress and fits taut around the mattress pad. Do not leave toys or loose blankets in the portable bed when your baby is sleeping. Always remove the changing table from a play yard before putting your baby to sleep. Keep the bed away from any loose cords, curtains or anything that may strangle or choke your baby. Never move a portable bed when your baby is inside of it.
References
- American Family Physician: AAP Releases New Guidelines on Preventing SIDS
- ConsumerReports.org: Crib Alternatives
- KidsHealth: Household Safety: Preventing Injuries in the Crib
- Women'sHealth.gov: Health Highlights: May 24, 2010: Drop-Side Crib Ban Goes Before Congress
- Kids in Danger: Product Hazards: Portable Cribs and Play Yards with Top-Rail Hinges
